Having already confirmed knockout headline acts Paul Weller, Elbow and Bon Iver, as well as rising stars Lana Del Rey, Ben Howard and a whole host of amazing luminaries from the worlds of comedy, literature, theatre, dance, cabaret and film, Latitude is pleased to confirm the next wave of performers set to appear at the UK’s favourite multi-arts festival.
On the stunning Waterfront Stage with a backdrop of the glistening lake and the imposing woods Latitude presents Golden Fables 2012, a multimedia poetic drama commissioned by cultural solutions UK for the Cultural Olympiad. The Golden Fables 2012 is inspired by Lincolnshire’s myths and legends, and by themes associated with rural life in 21st century Britain. The line-up includes amazing high calibre artists including the National Poet for Wales Gillian Clarke; Scotland Poet Laureate Liz Lochhead and poets Ian McMillan and Joel Stickley; world renowned composers Gabriel Prokofiev and Tim Dalling; the 90-strong Choir Invisible – The Desmond & Leah Tutu Peace Choir and award-winning graphic novelist Kate Brown. Golden Fables 2012 has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK.
Transforming the Comedy Arena into the Cuban capital will be Havana Rumba! with the most rapturous party show of the summer, coming to Latitude after dancing the night away in Udderbelly’s giant upside down purple cow. With pulsating beats provided by Sonora La Calle, dancers Eric Turro Martinez, Juventino "El Chico Divino", Osvadys "the DON of Reggaeton" Ganza and created by Toby Gough, come along and enjoy an intoxicating cocktail of Rumba, Salsa, Rum and Reggaeton. Let Latitude transport you for one night only and get lost in the excitement and colour of Havana. With the Arena full of Cuba’s humidity and spice Sancho Panza will without doubt keep the carnival going after the Havana Rumba! has ended. Who knows you may even have a sizzling holiday romance without having to get on a plane!
Joining the internationally renowned National Theatre, Sadler’s Wells and Globe Education at Shakespeare’s Globe on the Theatre programme will be a host of new stellar names and productions. Sleepdogs storytellers Timothy X Atack and Tanuja Amarasuriya invite the audience into to think imaginatively about the world as they watch the Premiere of their new production The Bullet And The Bass Trombone, a hymn to lost places and voices. Action To The Word bring their award-nominated all-male version of Stanley Kubrick’s infamous classic A Clockwork Orange; from the beatings to the ballet, the relentless physicality in this Edinburgh sell-out will have audiences hooked throughout. After runaway sell-out success at the Old Vic VAULT Festival, join innovative new theatre company Rogues’ Gallery for a beautifully ramshackle hour filled with storytelling, folk music and mythological mayhem. Part play, part gig and part magical-mystery tour, The Folk Contraption has something for everyone in a beautiful woodland setting. Following on from the success of 2011 Theatre Uncut, which began as a conversation of how to react to government public spending cuts, will be creating a brand new collection of international plays that respond to governmental reactions to the current state of global capitalism.
On Friday 13th, hidden deep in the heart of the The Faraway Forest, four festival-goers are meddling with forces way beyond their control. Excited by the atmosphere of the festival, and a little drunk, they attempt a séance. Bad Physics invite a small audience to join them at their gathering of tents in order to achieve “quantative radiesthetic balance”. Whatever that is. Developed from The Crooked Little House, an immersive ghost story The Woods will put a group of Latitude goers in the heart of an exclusive adventure. The show will be chockfull of shocks, scares and screams, as comedy turns to panic, and old-wives-tale rumours become increasingly real and terrifying.
Imogen Eveson and Samara Tompsett are bringing their unique take on fashion back to Latitude. The Painted House will be a beautiful, interactive installation and a hub for fashion design and sartorial styling. The pairing of the two Central Saint Martins graduates is a dynamic one. With workshops, presentations, displays and much more Imogen and Samara explore the Pagan to Occupy theme with a leftfield look at fashion and youth tribes through the ages, seen through the crumbling boudoir of Marie Antoinette. Singer and London Cabaret Award-winning compere Dusty Limits will be casting a jaundiced yet fabulous eye over recent events with a special appearance from Dusty Limits’ Winter Of Our Discontent. Assembling a rag-tag crew of London's finest artistes including Fancy Chance, Myra Dubois, Tom Baker and Ria Lina with a single brief – to have a good old-fashioned British moan, for one night only in The Faraway Forest they will sing, dance and rant their troubles away – expect satirical songs, ukuleles, political diatribes, accordions, and a piñata. There will be audience participation and prizes to be won, because if you can't go down swinging, go down singing.
A hop, skip and jump from The Faraway Forest The Literary Salon will host renowned theatre group Company of Angels. Known for their cutting edge performances aimed at and written about young people, the ground breaking company will bring their acclaimed project The Commissioners to Latitude. The project involves young people in schools joining forces with professional playwrights to commission short rapid response plays around the question ‘What Matters To You Now?’ The Commissioners goes straight to the heart of young people’s lives and gives them creative control. Think you know about being young? Think again.
Also appearing on The Waterfront Stage will be the Aldeburgh Young Musicians with the debut of Exchanging Worlds, bringing together 20 unbelievably talented young musicians, (all under 18 years old) from the East of England. Created for the London 2012 Festival, it promises to capture the sheer talent and raw energy of its young members, collaborating with some of the UK’s most exciting music and digital artists and supported by Legacy Trust UK. Local arts centre The Cut and community theatre production company M2M will bring Godspell to life. Leeds Metropolitan University will be performing Flock a new and unique production that responds to the surrounding environment. Featuring Dance and Performance students, Rachel Krische and Gillian Dyson the production is a choreographed live intervention which promises to excite and intrigue audiences. Taking flocking starlings at dawn and twilight, as inspiration, this short performance will occupy the ‘between spaces’ of the festival. This summer will also see the return of the Graduate Fashion Show to the magical waterfront setting with further details to be revealed.
Joining Jack Dee, Brian Cox, Tim Minchin and others in the Comedy Arena will be award-winning duo Abandoman which sees Rob Broderick and James Hancox reinventing hip-hop for all ages with the promise that no two gigs are ever the same, be sure to witness a one off performance at Latitude. Terry Alderton will also take to the stage; beginning his career in football Terry pursued comedy after winning Sky’s Star Search show. He has since won a variety of awards for his shows and was named by The Sun as a Top Ten Comedian in 2011. Actor and comedian Tom Rosenthal has won a number of awards for his comedy, enjoyed sell out success at Edinburgh and starred in shows such as Channel 4’s Friday Night Dinner. His appearance at Latitude is sure to be a one to watch with Spoonfed describing his performance as “Vibrant, intelligent and fantastically-arranged…crackles with energy and glows with originality.” Musical comedy cabaret double act Frisky & Mannish will be keeping the crowds tickled with their razor sharp pop culture parodies, describing themselves as “popmusicy-seriocomic-mashparodic-stereophonic-LOUD-vaudevillian-sketch-cabaret-throwbackcurrent-oldfangled-newfashioned-bapsbotty-infotainment” they should be seen to be believed! Des Bishop will also be joining the comedy names at this year’s festival. The openness and honesty of his presenting style combined with his restless imagination and insightful comic observations make Des Bishop a must-see for fans of unique, enquiring and entertaining comedy.
In the Cabaret Arena Hennessy & Friends, an anarchic sketch group that brings together actress, writer, comedian and Russian princess in disguise, Miranda Hennessy with actors and writers David Seymour and Steven Shapland will make their Latitude debut. Meanwhile, the highly praised multiple award-winning interdisciplinary artist and founder member of performance group Frank Chickens, Kazuko Hohki, will be presenting Intercontinental, a thought-provoking new work about bodily functions. Critically acclaimed unique performance artist Jonny Woo is bringing his alternative drag and cabaret to the masses. Woo’s work is described as arresting, provocative, unpredictable and highly entertaining; prepare to be shocked, dazzled and inspired in Latitude’s Cabaret Arena.
Betty Trask prize winner and twice Commonwealth Writers Prize shortlister Anthony Cartwright, joins the Literary Arena line-up to discuss his forthcoming novel How I killed Margaret Thatcher. Based on his childhood growing up in Dudley in the Black Country, the sad comic novel captures the intensity of early 80’s Britain through the eyes of an unusual boy and offers an English twist on that most Latin American of genres, the Dictator novel. Steve Benbow, the urban beekeeper joins the Latitude bill to talk about the real need for more bees to be kept in cities, a topical matter featuring in the news at present. One of the UK's premier beekeepers, Steve will discuss why saving the bee population is one of our most urgent ecological challenges and will also regale the audience with anecdotes from his new book A Year of Bees in The City. Robin Ince will take time out of the Comedy Arena to bring his Late Night Revolution to the Literary Arena, featuring Latitude artists including indie folk rock singer Grace Petrie, as well as stand-up comic and Skins screen writer Josie Long.
In the nearby Poetry Arena, the third National Poet for Wales and recipient of a Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry, Gillian Clark has been added to the star studded line-up and may treat the Latitude audience to readings from her forthcoming collection of poems, Ice. In the Film & Music Arena, BBC Radio 3 Late Junction favourites: The Magnetic North will perform their haunting debut album Orkney – Symphony of The Magnetic North inspired by a dream of Erland Cooper, in which he was visited by Betty Corrigall, an Orcadian girl who committed suicide in the 1770’s. The band will be performing at Latitude with the The Stromabank Pub Choir whilst projecting a collection of film clips of Orkney from the 70’s, a real audio visual feast that shouldn’t be missed. Continuing with the eerie theme will be mysterious London-based singer 2forJoy, who will bring her melancholic single Choke with her. Launching the single this spring there is much to be uncovered from this romantic singer with the haunting voice.
Henham Park Estate, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 8ANThu 12th to Sun 15th July 2012. Tickets avaliable HERE
