A star-studded line-up of some of the best performance artists in the country and beyond is heading for Dumfries and Galloway this year. The 37th Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival takes place between Friday, 20 and Sunday, 29 May with its most ambitious and exciting programme to date
The programme will be officially launched on Wednesday, March 2, at Loch Arthur, Beeswing and the box office opens to the public on Tuesday, 15 March.
In the meantime, here is a small preview of what’s to come ….
Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival 2016
Taking place on stages across Dumfries and Galloway for 10 days at the end of May, Scotland’s largest rural multi-artform festival will showcase a wealth of quality performances in music, theatre, dance and literature and will feature some of the UK’s most celebrated artists.
From classical to contemporary, the 2016 line-up to the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival includes music from Eddi Reader ( Main Photo), Sam Lee, the Scottish Ensemble and Opera a la Carte; award-winning comedy from Annette Badland, Daniel Sloss and Craig Hill; cutting-edge drama from Apphia Campbell, Puppet State and 2Magpies theatres; big brassy world music
from Orkestra del Sol and the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band, as well as an exciting performance of sacred masked dance by the monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery; plus stunning performances by Scottish Dance Theatre and Oceanallover and an innovative all- female song collaboration.
Once again, promoters and venues have been encouraged to stage their own events with help from the festival and this year they have excelled in the diversity and quality of acts.
Booked by festival partners for 2016 is an imaginative list of top-calibre acts in venues from Langholm to Stranraer. Events include a unique classical weekend in Moniaive where audiences will be invited to join workshops and attend concerts by two of the genre’s top musicians; an innovative song collaboration by some of the country’s best folk artists; concerts by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Lady Maisery; a taste of Dumfries-based international music series Absolute Classics, and an opportunity to dance the Strictly way with Café Largo.
This year sees a further extension of the young persons’ programme with concerts by Emma’s Imagination, Samson Sounds, Music Beats and puppet theatre for the young.
A lively festival Fringe will include a well-rounded programme of music, theatre and dance as well as a Titanic tour of Dumfries.
Programme director Peter Renwick said: “This year sees our strongest and busiest
programme to date. We have some really unique projects lined up, some of which will be exclusive to the festival.
“The programme is jam-packed full of contemporary theatre and includes our most concentrated classical music programme to date.
“We have some stunning contemporary musicians booked, including Mercury Prize nominee Sam Lee, as well as some extraordinarily special nights.
“For over three and a half decades, the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival has become renowned for bringing world-class performing acts to venues right across the region and we
are delighted to continue this with the likes of Eddi Reader in Stranraer and Langholm and
Dr Who’s Annette Badland in Stranraer and Dumfries.”
Rapid Departure Festival Prelude
As a prelude to what’s to come this year, the festival will present an immersive comedy by
Euan Martin and Dave Smith.
Described as a “highly original performance with laughs from start to finish”, Right Lines
Productions brings its hilarious topical drama Rapid Departure to five venues across the
region from Tuesday, 15 to Saturday, 19 March.
In this “drama from a crisis”, the surrounding area has been hit by a freak flood and the locals (the audience) are guided to the safety of the village hall, the designated Emergency Rest Centre. Environmental calamities are on the increase but are we prepared and how would we cope? Plunged into the fraught world of the rural rest centre, the evacuees and officials grapple with the ever-deepening crisis both outside the hall – and in.
Peter Renwick said: ”The show is a comedy with a serious message at its heart.
Unfortunately its subject has become much more relevant and topical. It promises to be a
great night out and prompt some good discussions about this serious issue. ”
Dates for the diary are Tuesday, 15 March, Moniaive Institute; Wednesday, 16 March,
Colvend Public Hall; Thursday, 17 March, Kirkcudbright Parish Hall; Friday, 18 March, Millennium Centre, Stranraer; and Saturday, 19 March, Wigtown County Buildings
All shows start at 7.30pm.
Tickets from the Midsteeple Box Office, Dumfries on 01387 253383 or from local outlets Further information from www.dgartsfestival.org.uk
