Featuring award winning performances from across the UK, Edinburgh previews and a new commission the Ventnor Exchange is thrilled to reveal it’s new season of Alternative Nights Out, providing some of the most exciting and cutting edge entertainment on the Isle of Wight.
We open this week with one of our favourite poets and storytellers Maria Fegurson, whose new show ‘Fat Girls Don’t Dance’ received huge praise at it’s initial run in London at the Battersea Arts Centre. Questioning how we all look at size with the help of some clever storytelling and killer moves the show runs this Weds 11th/Thurs 12th. At the end of May we welcome Henry Maynard of Flabbergast Theatre with his one man clowning show Tatterdemalion. Hilarious, absurd and often magical it’s a rare chance on the Island to see contemporary physical work.
June will see the opening of ‘Wireless’ a brand new commission by the Ventnor Exchange, in our first of three original new works to be developed this year with the support of the Arts Council and Mike Howley Trust. A riotous new comedy exploring life in the news room of a local radio station, Wireless is a sketch show for adults performed entirely by puppets! In a first for the Exchange, after an initial three night run in Ventnor the production will be transferring to the Quay Arts Centre and then onto the Ryde Arts Festival where we will be creating a ‘pop up’ venue in the basements of The Depozitory with 3 days of music, theatre, comedy and debate.
In July we welcome a host of comedians to the Exchange with a run of previews ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe. Highlights include Ahir Shah, whose recent appearance on BBC 3 could well be the start of a very exciting career with his astute and intelligent reflections on modern life and its contradictions. Also look out for Portsmouth lad Joe Wells who’ll be performing in a double bill with fellow political comic Chris Coltrane in what is sure to be two hilarious evenings!
In amongst all of this we have a whole host of regular nights including a monthly Creative’s Club, cabaret night and beer tasting evenings as well as scratch nights, pop ups and a weekly vinyl market. We’ve also got a whole new programme of workshops and events for 11-19 year olds (More on that in the next post) and of course we’ll be continuing to announce this year’s line up for both the Ventnor Fringe and new Ventnor International Festival.
Who says nothing ever happens in Ventnor?
