Arts & Culture

Friches Theatre Urbain: Mephistomania

The Norfolk And Norwich Festival 2008 is set to put the county on the world map as a home to one of the great international celebrations of music and the arts.

One of the oldest city festivals in the UK this year's line-up, from 2-17 May, offers something for all the family - ranging from classical concerts, world music and jazz, to circus entertainment, dance, free street theatre and events for children.

"A successful festival must celebrate artistic excellence, promote international artistic exchange and create new and challenging work. It should inspire and engage as many people as possible and be an intense burst of energy and fun," said artistic director Jonathan Holloway.

"This year's Norfolk and Norwich Festival does all those things. What's more, it is a powerful expression of Norwich’s self-confidence and sense of identity, a festival that makes a real difference to life in the city, the county and the region," he added.

Musical highlights

The programme includes a number of world premiers including In Tsegihi [The Night Chant), performed at Norwich Cathedral on Saturday, 17 May.

Commissioned by the festival from eminent American trumpeter and composer Jon Hassell, the work will be performed by Hassell and his band Maarifa Street featuring The Voice Project - a 100 strong local community choir formerly known as Bigger Sky.

Natalie Clein

Premiers also include the Spanish dance company Erre Que Erre's new show Barcelona Sunset at the Norwich Playhouse and James MacMillan's arrangement of Kiss On Wood, featuring Natalie Clein on cello, at St Andrew's Hall.

In addition to huge names from the orchestral world, which includes the Russian State Orchestra and the Philharmonia, the festival also offers a range of chamber concerts.

Viola da gamba expert and Grammy Awards nominee Jordi Savall performs at St Peter Mancroft with work ranging from medieval to renaissance and baroque music. Guitarist John Williams is back for another year, teamed up with John Etheridge for a mix of classical and jazz guitar.

Contemporary music highlights include the only UK performance outside London of Homeland by New York performance art legend Laurie Anderson.

Jazz trombonist Dennis Rollins returns to the festival to perform with funk-master Maceo Parker. Parker has played with some of the best in the business including James Brown and more recently Prince.

Roberto Fonseca

The line-up also features Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca, a pianist for three years with the Buena Vista Social Club, his recent CD Zamazu is hailed as one of the classiest world-jazz albums of the year.

Theatre and dance

A night of sultry tango is one of the first events in the festival programme when St Andrew's Hall is transformed into a Buenos Aires dance hall.

Featuring music from Tango Siempre and Mala Pinta, there will be dance classes throughout the evening for those new to tango. This follows a week of free tango classes in the city.

Contemporary dance fans are in for a treat when the Michael Clark Company perform The Stravinsky Project at the Norwich Theatre Royal.

The only chance to see the production outside London, the two night event comprises of three choreographic responses to Stravinsky's music for Apollo, The Rite of Spring and Les Noces  - played live by the Britten Sinfonia and New London Chamber Choir.

Top 10

The Norfolk And Norwich Festival is heralded as one of the top 10 city festivals in the UK and is seen on a par with similar events held in Edinburgh, Manchester and Brighton.

Peter Wilson, the chief executive of the Norwich Theatre Royal, is delighted work of this caliber is coming to the county.

"I hope this is the beginning of Norwich becoming the region's international festival and it will change the country and the world's relationship to Norwich and Norfolk," he said.

"The changing perception of Norfolk is something the festival has a critical part to play in. We are, from time-to-time, regarded by the rest of the country as maybe a bit rural.

"Well here is... a major international festival taking place. These are part of the forces that will change people's perception of Norfolk," he added.

Boost for business

With more than two weeks of world-class music and performance taking place in the county, the festival is good news for local business.

"As we have headline artists who are performing in very few other places in this country, it will attract people from all over the country and probably from the continent as well because there are big international names here," said Caroline Jarrold, chair of the festival board.

Tango Neuvo

"I think what's so important is what it does for local people as well, giving opportunities to see things on their doorstep. If you look at last year around 40,000 people came to festival events.

"I know the hoteliers are very excited about the potential and both the festival and Visit Norwich are looking at ways they can co-ordinate.

"I think it gives big opportunities to promote to people who are thinking of Norwich as a city to come to. It really will do a lot of good to the city and the county," she added.

Family entertainment

For local residents or visitors to Norfolk, circus has a major role in this year's festival.

The award-winning contemporary circus No Fit State presents Tabu in a silver spaceship tent which lands in Earlham Park for the duration of the festival.

Suitable for age 11 years up, the audience stands and moves around the space as performers leap around and among and above them in this exhilarating rush of a show. The international Circo de la Sombra also perform at the Norwich Theatre Royal.

Children are not forgotten in all the excitement, with the inclusion of a Baby Rave (yes really – a rave for babies), shows at the Norwich Puppet Theatre and City Of Secrets, an artistic treasure hunt that takes place all over the Norwich for just one day.

Out with a bang

To mark the end of the 16-day festival of international arts and culture, up to 6,000 people are invited to join the free festival finale event in Earlham Park.

On the evening of Saturday, 17 May, Spanish masters of fire Xarxa Teatre turn water into fire in a fireworks spectacular inspired by the sea. The work Vales e Vents (Sails and Winds) was originally conceived for the opening of the Channel Tunnel.

The Norfolk And Norwich Festival runs from Friday, 2 to Saturday, 17 May, 2008. Visit the festival's official website for more details.