The Frome Festival has been the town’s biggest celebration of the arts for 17 years. Its UK wide reputation is thought to be one of the major factors in Frome becoming a hot spot for tourists and for those relocating from London, Bristol and Bath.
This year’s Festival will feature close on 200 events across many venues starting on Friday July 6 and continuing through to Sunday July 15. As usual, the Festival features an eclectic mix of opera, pop, choral, jazz and folk music; theatre, workshops, exhibitions, films, walks and talks, literary events, Small Publishers Fair, the Hidden Gardens and the Children’s Festival.
The Festival celebrates the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”. Amongst the “Frankenstein” related events is, a talk on the works of film director Terence Fisher, who directed the Hammer Horror “Frankenstein” movies, with showing of cult film ‘Frankenstein Must be Destroyed’.
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John Cooper Clarke[/caption]
Headliners this year are: Aston Merrygold (JLS singer and recent “Strictly” contestant) the inimitable Badly Drawn Boy; Scottish folk rockers Blazin’ Fiddles; performance poet John Cooper Clarke, and as a post-Festival “Encore” the legendary Leo Sayer. Comedians include Tom Allen, Viv Groskop; and comedy chef George Egg. Professor Michael Wood returns to give a talk on the Myth & History of the Trojan war.
Classical events include an Opera double bill Mozart’s Coffee Cantata, and Bach’s Bastien and Bastienne, accompanied by the London Gala Orchestra, a solo piano recital by Clare Hammond, an evening with soprano Julia O’Connor and mezzo- soprano Marie Elliot.
Workshops include drop in pottery sessions, a children’s dance workshop, photography walks and Bee Keeping. Many events are free.Camping is available at vallisveg.co.uk/camping.
Full programme details will be available on www.fromefestival.co.uk.
Tickets will be available from third week of May through the Cheese and Grain’s box office www.cheeseandgrain.com 01373 455420, or from hosting venues.
