Phoebe GrahamAnnually curating a colourful array of pastel shaded sheep and musical marvels, Latitude Festival is famed for its idiosyncratic aesthetic. With a name that evokes the freedom of thought and action, the Suffolk-based festival boasts an eclectic fusion of theatre, art, comedy, poetry, politics, dance and literature.
Unlike other festivals in the British Summer haul, Latitude’s ethos does not focus on favouring the musical line-up over these creative components; each element forms an essential part of the festival’s welcoming and award-winning familial spirit.
This emphasis on artistic liberalism is epitomised by Latitude’s 2017 theatrical line-up which remixes disciplinary boundaries at the heart of the performing arts. Prime UK theatre and production companies from the likes of the Royal Court, the Traverse, the London Old Vic and many more will feature their host of creative endeavours, vigorously tied under the theme of Come The Revolution.
The vanguard party leading this creative revolt are rising straight up from down under, in the feathery and feminist form of Hot Brown Honey. A tasty treat ripe and ready from the hive of last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the girls are back in Britain to fight the power with all the means and might of song, dance, circus and striptease. Whether it makes you laugh, cry, shout or sing, these Queen bees are sure to pollinate a sweet platter of empowerment and black politics for the human race to suck on.
Yet, sometimes the most revelatory of revolutions can start with the sound of a single voice. The Old Vic and Fane Productions have teamed up with Charlie Fink, renowned for his work with Noah & The Whale, to merge musicality and theatricality in a modern day folk tale. Cover My Tracks tells the story of an ‘idealistic young songwriter who sets out to write a 21st-century pop masterpiece before vanishing without a trace’.
This intimate approach has also been adopted by powerhouse production company, Paines Plough, who have curated more than 100 writers to ‘pen plays about the places that shaped them’. These pieces will be personally performed by the playwrights for the very first time, stringing together thoughts, emotions and memories from all over the country.
Recently announcing their retirement from the Edinburgh Festival to discover shiny and surprising new horizons, don’t miss out on the chance to catch the experiments and mischief of Forest Fringe, who will be planting their seeds in Latitude’s Faraway Forrest. Always working at the forefront of innovation using the grassroots of the fringes, their appropriately named Incidental Festival will certainly deal the wildcard at every hand.
The festival will run from Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th July, hosted at Henham park, Suffolk. For tickets and more information, click here.
A Latitude Itinerary
Thursday 13th July
Faraway Forest
- And Remember We Care Present: Brexit The Gameshow
- Arbonauts Present: The Soaring Sky
- Dash Arts: The Dacha
- Forest Fringe Presents: The Incidental Festival
- Richard Dedomenici: The Live Art Tent Of Ill Repute
- Sbc Theatre & Leeds Beckett: Stand And Be Counted
- Unlimited Theatre Present: How I Hacked My Way Into Space
- Dickie Beau: Fruits Of The Forest
Theatre
- National Theatre Live: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
- Hot Brown Honey
Friday 14th July
Faraway Forest
- And Remember We Care Present: Brexit The Gameshow
- Arbonauts Present: The Soaring Sky
- Dash Arts: The Dacha
- Forest Fringe Presents: The Incidental Festival
- Paines Plough Present: Come To Where I’m From
- Richard Dedomenici: The Live Art Tent Of Ill Repute
- Sbc Theatre & Leeds Beckett: Stand And Be Counted
- Unlimited Theatre Present: How I Hacked My Way Into Space
Theatre
- Barely Methodical Troupe: Kin
- Clod Ensemble: On The High Road
- Royal Court Theatre Presents: Manwatching
- Charlie Fink: Cover My Tracks
The Cabaret Theatre
- Bristol Ferment Presents: Bertrand Lesca & Nasi Voutas:
- Palmyra Daniella Isaacs: Hear Me Raw
- Fancy Chance: Flights Of Fancy
The Speakeasy
- Daniel Bye: The Safe House
- Mark Thomas: Predictable (Wip)
- Luke Wright: Frankie Vah
Dance On The Waterfront
- Holly Blakey: Some Greater Class
Saturday 15th July
Faraway Forest
- And Remember We Care Present: Brexit The Gameshow
- Arbonauts Present: The Soaring Sky
- Dash Arts: The Dacha
- Forest Fringe Presents: The Incidental Festival
- Paines Plough Present: Come To Where I’m From
- Richard Dedomenici: The Live Art Tent Of Ill Repute
- Sbc Theatre & Leeds Beckett: Stand And Be Counted
- Unlimited Theatre Present: How I Hacked My Way Into Space
Theatre
- Locker Room Talk: Post-Show Discussion With Dr Nina Burrowes
- Dickie Beau: Re-Member Me
- Paul Barritt: Cat & Mouse
- The Negro Problem: Notes Of A Native Song
- Traverse Presents Gary Mcnair: Locker Room Talk
The Cabaret Theatre
- Nabokov & Benin City: Last Night
- Sh!T Theatre: Dollywould
- Vanessa Kisuule: Sexy
Wellcome Trust Arena
- Playing On: Hearing Things By Philip Osment
Sunday 16th July
Faraway Forest
- And Remember We Care Present: Brexit The Gameshow
- Arbonauts Present: The Soaring Sky
- Dash Arts: The Dacha
- Forest Fringe Presents: The Incidental Festival
- Paines Plough Present: Come To Where I’m From
- Sbc Theatre & Leeds Beckett: Stand And Be Counted
Theatre
- 201 Dance Company: Skin
- Shon Dale-Jones: Me And Robin Hood
- Theatre Re: The Nature Of Forgetting
The Cabaret Theatre
- Gabblebabble, The Other Room & Theatr Clwyd: Sinners Club
- Middle Child Theatre: All We Ever Wanted Was Everything
- Ovalhouse Presents: The Believers Are But Brothers
Image: Jen O’Neill