Each year this wonderful 17-day event takes you through a journey of adventure, exploration and extraordinary imagination and everything the creative world has to offer, set across multiple venues throughout Norwich and Norfolk. This year’s themes have been about sharing, creating and experiencing on subject such as ‘Magic and Mystery’ and ‘Coastlines’. Many of the shows were free to the public such as installations, dance, music, acrobatics and the spoken word performers which were in the City Centre.
I was lucky enough to get tickets to a couple of unique shows, but first it was about exploring the Festival Gardens which were free. Each year a part of Chapelfield’s Gardens is used for the Festival Gardens which houses street food vendors, the Adnams Bar and the Victorian band stand which is filled with different musical acts across the festival. It’s a lovely place to just relax.
It also hosts the Adnams Spiegeltent, a Victorian large travelling tent with wood, canvas and stained glass windows creating a wonderful atmosphere for the entertainment inside.
Showdown – Spiegeltent
The concept is a TV competition where the Circus Authorities are looking for a new Face of the Circus and we are the studio audience at the final. The six contestants, Blue, Red, Orange, Green, Purple and Yellow have to complete each round and score points.
The Rounds include: Balance, Juggling, Team Work, Head to Head, and is a great concept to show us their incredible talents with a decent storyline.
There were aerial acrobatics on the trapeze and the hanging rope which were stunning to watch, there were gymnastics on the teeter board and hoop work which made you dizzy to look at. There was group work where which included acrobatic gymnastics, lifts, throws, somersaults, spins and daring stunts. They were captivating with their agility and grace.
These performers made all these tricks and acrobatics so easy but the strength, skill and balance involved with lifting each other and throwing each other in the air, or standing on shoulders is immense. The coordinated moves and the precision timings to make sure nothing went wrong were well practiced to make it an entertaining and awe inspiring, fascinating show to watch. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Photo Credit: Andy Phillipson & Hayley Clapperton
The Paper Cinema – Norwich Puppet Theatre
We were treated to a double-bill performance from this charming theatre company which uses a blend of hand-drawn animation and live music to tell delightful stories. The hand-drawn 2D elements were placed in front of a lens which projected to the big screen for the audience, it was quite remarkable to see how these two ‘actors’ were moving the elements in such as small space, yet for us the audience, we see this incredible animation telling us wonderful and charming stories, while a musician was adding to the story with the thematic sounds he was creating. ‘The Rock Charmer’ delved into legends inspired by Dorset’s geological history and the Night Flyer is where the main character is flying through abstract landscapes on his bike following a train and looking for a lost girl. It was totally enthralling.
House of Pepper – Spiegeltent
Singular singing sensation Andrew Pepper brings his London cabaret show to Norwich for the first time. Not only was his singing spectacular, his show was funny, scathing, entertaining, gorgeous and blatantly all about him. Andrew’s articulation whilst singing was ridiculous, the emotion he managed to portray and his storytelling was captivating. It was truly a uniquely, enjoyable experience.
It was a fabulous festival bringing crowds into Norwich to experience a vast and eclectic mix of arts. For more information about future events go here.
With thanks to Norfolk & Norwich Festival
In association with Grapevine.
Here is a quick video short: