We have been sent details of the programme for the Cookham Festival 2011 which runs from 12th – 22nd May this year. This certainly looks worth the (not exactly long!) journey over to our local neighbour.
In addition to the music and arts of previous years, there are three events for 2011, the first of which is a unique version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which sees aspiring actors taking to the boards for the first time in the “People’s Shakespeare”.
Cookham High Street will be transformed for a day into a Street Festival, providing an opportunity for displays of great local arts, crafts and food – and a lot of fun.
The final new development is the Fringe Festival – going into new venues on a more informal basis.
As in previous years, music caters for all tastes includes young musicians as well as established professionals, featuring classical music, organ recitals and jazz and a closing concert by Cookham’s Cantorum Choir. Let’s Rock the Moor is back for its third year to bring together people of all ages in a family rock festival starring Brit award-winning Rick Astley, T’Pau, The Real Thing, and Curiosity Killed the Cat. This years support line up also includes some local bands – and I would particularly highlight “Who Are You?” – a brilliant Who tribute act. I went to the 2010 version of Let’s Rock the Moor, which had a Haircut 100 and Howard Jones headlining, and had a fantastic day and night of entertainment.
On the comedy front – Edinburgh Festival success Barbershopera is back, and local comedienne Helen Huscroft will again be hosting an evening of adult humour featuring a new line-up of stand-up comedians.
The visual arts are represented with retrospective exhibitions of two Cookham artists: Leslie Orriss and Juliette Palmer provide an opportunity to follow the careers of these two successful local artists through their works. There will be an exhibition of the work of cartoonist Posy Simmonds who has written and illustrated many children’s books and some distinctly adult graphic novels.The exhibition shows Posy’s working process and her heroine, Tamara Drewe. In addition to this, open studios across the community showcase excellent local art featuring more than twenty artists.
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