Magic & Mayhem Festival 2017 , Corsham, 7-12 November 2017
Exhibition: Automata: The Art of Movement 21 October – 12 November
Launch event: Friday 20 October, 6-8pmInternationally renowned automata makersRobert Race, Ian Mackay and Wanda Sowryeach bring their particular style to this collection of moving sculptures. Prepare to delight in a gallery full of moving, shaking, wobbling and jiggling.
Artists Talk – Tuesday 7 November, 6pmMeet the artists and hear about their work in the wonderful world of automata. Artists Robert Race, Ian MacKay and Wanda Sowry in conversation with Pound Arts curator Fiona Cassidy.
Film: The Handmaiden (Cert 18) Tuesday 7 November, 7.30pm144 minutes, 2017, South Korea As part of a plan to steal the fortune of a beautiful Hairess, Sook-hee is hired to serve as her handmaiden. All is going according to plan until they fall for one another and allegiances begin to shift. This elaborate erotic thriller based in 1930s Korea tells the story of double-dealing and sexual awakening. (with subtitles)
Film: Lady Macbeth (Cert 15) Wednesday 8 November, 7.30pmThursday 9 November, 11am . 89 minutes, 2017, UKLady Macbeth of the Mtsensk is relocated to 19th century England, in this thrilling adaptation of Nikolai Laskov’s novella. Unhappily married to a cruel middle-aged mine owner, the beautiful young Katherine (Florence Pugh) embarks on an affair which unleashes a force inside her so powerful that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Comedy: Mitch Benn Don’t Fear The Reaper Thursday 9 November, 7.30pm£14 (£12 concessions)It’s been a morbid time for ‘the country’s leading musical satirist’ (The Times); he’s turned 46, his personal life is in turmoil, and his childhood heroes are dropping like flies. At times like these, a man feels the Reaper creeping up on him… But is death anything to fear? And is it really the end? Mitch confronts mortality with hilarious consequences in this intelligent, well-crafted show.
Magic & Mayhem Festival: Dr Mark Baldwin Codebreakers: The Story of EnigmaFriday 10 November, 7pm . At Corsham Town Hall£15 (£14 concessions)Dr Mark Baldwin captivates audiences with one of WWII’s most fascinating stories. In this informative and entertaining show we learn about the Allied Codebreakers and the ingenious ciphering machine, the Enigma, said to shorten the war by two years. Includes a hands-on demonstration of one of the few surviving Enigma machines!
Theatre: The Mayhem Cabaret Friday 10 November, 9.30pm . £18Join us once again for our annual decadent and delicious late night cabaret. A sell-out success every year, but always surprising, sassy and salacious. This year’s line-up includes Velma Von Bon Bon, one of the UK’s top ten burlesque performers (who you may recognise from her popular appearance as Natasha Kalashnikov in our first ever Mayhem Cabaret), burlesque chanteuse and The Voice contestant Kiki DeVille, and the terrifyingly brilliant Death Do Us Part with their Danger Show, featuring a vaudevillian husband and wife knife-throwing duo. More acts to be announced. A thrilling Pound Arts exclusive from award-winning Cabaret producers Goldust.
Theatre: Ghost Walk and Stories Saturday 11 November, 5pm . At Corsham Almshouses . £7 . Meet at the Almshouses for a guided walk around the mystical and historical features of Corsham, then return for some original spooky tales, created by local writers, in the atmospheric school room.
Theatre: Giant . The Human Zoo Theatre Company . Saturday 11 November, 8pm . £12 (£11 concessions) . Tommy lives under the same roof as three generations of his family. They’ve learnt to ignore the bizarre rumblings coming from the attic and the strange things his Nan says… does she know more than meets the eye? Horribly honest clowns and questionable cabaret acts ignite the stage in this explosive performance, which explores generational identity through live music, puppetry, poetry and movement.
Family Theatre: Morgan and West – More Magic for Kids! (Bigger, bolder, and more brilliant than before!) . Saturday 11 November, 12.30pm . £10 (£8 concessions) . Time-travelling magicians Morgan & West return to the stage with a marvellous magic show full of crazy capers for the young, old, and everyone in-between! Expect the unexpected, believe the unbelievable, but do not dare miss the unmissable Morgan & West! Might Mr Morgan manage a whole trick without his partner complaining? Will Mr West ever accept children as real people too? Can everyone’s favourite duo of deception finally find fame, fortune, and a box of fondant fancies? Age guidance 5+
Music: Remembrance Sunday Concert and Tea Dance kindly supported by Corsham Town Council
Sunday 12 November, 4pm . At Corsham Town Hall . £10
Songs and Stories from World War One with Louise Jordan
Commemorate Remembrance Sunday with storytelling and original song celebrating extraordinary women who lived during the First World War. Hear the true stories of Dorothy Lawrence who travelled to France on a bicycle dressed as a soldier, the women footballers banned by the FA, and the so-called single ‘surplus women’, and join in with some songs of the era.
VE-Day Tea Dance with Hoppin’ Mad
Let us take you back to the 1940s with a performance and workshop from twice UK Lindy Hop champions Hoppin’ Mad. Afternoon tea, cake and prosecco will be available; vintage outfits encouraged!
Music: No Regrets: Barb Jungr Sings Classic Chansons . Sunday 12 November, 7.30pm . £15 (£14 concessions) . Barb Jungr draws on her European heritage in this stunning show, which combines influences of northern soul, jazz and opera. With new interpretations of songs about love, sex, healing, desperation, anger, passion and survival No Regrets is a beautiful, raw, emotionally-charged performance, praised by many as her best yet.