From 2-28 May New Wimbledon Theatre hosts the second Illuminate Festival, a platform showcasing work from the finest up and coming artists, everything from puppetry to folk music, comedy to spoken word and beyond. Illuminate gives audiences and artists the opportunity to explore something new.
Created by Co-Artistic Directors’ Alice Sillett and Sarah Dullaghan,Illuminate invites emerging artists and established companies to transform the space and experiment with new material; developing their work in an encouraging environment.
For audiences it is an affordable, tickets are just £10 (£8 concessions) and can purchase a ticket for another show for just £5.Tickets can be purchased in advanced on the website http://illuminatefestival.co.uk/shows/
There’s something for everyone, including a Baby Bulbs strand on Saturday mornings for children. Here are my recommendations for the festival;
Data, 10-12 May
Do you know how much your name is worth?’
Presented in a poetic style, ‘Data’ is a play that investigates the Direct Marketing Industry in 2016. Through the perspectives of the indivduals tasked with selling your details and making analytical decisions on how best to target you down to their target audience and some of the most vulnerable in our society, the elderly.
Produced by an Off-West End Award nominated team. Data looks at the state of an industry that you may not even know exists and asks are we doing enough to protect those who don’t?
http://illuminatefestival.co.uk/data/
Every 7 Years, 13-14 May
“After seven there’s always big change. Like in the body. It takes seven years for every cell to replace itself. Every seven years…”
Every Seven Years charts the relationship between Pam from the north east (Charlotte Baker) and Ralph from the south west (Ben Fensome). We see them from their first fumblings at 21 through to old age at 84 – from newborns, new jobs, small talk, big fights, and all that life throws at them in between. Inspired in part by the documentary “7 up”, two actors portray the same characters over 63 years
http://illuminatefestival.co.uk/every-7-years/
Rounds, 18-19 May
Giobbe is trying to make the most of the 90 seconds a week he gets to Skype his family. Dom’s just trying to have a hot shower. Lucy got her last choice ward and feels like she’s drowning. Felicity’s living for the weekend. Tom’s getting very good at tuning everything out. Grace just wants someone to feed her cat while she’s on call.
They all work in the hospital down the road from you.
Resuscitate present a collection of funny and tragic true stories from inside the surgical mask. Follow the paths of six junior doctors as they struggle to balance the pressures of ward work against their personal lives.
http://illuminatefestival.co.uk/rounds/
Digs, 26-28 May
his explosive devised show offers insight and playful observation of shared living. It explores human nature; the rituals, the patterns, the codes of behaviour that we adopt when sharing our homes. It looks at how space can alleviate or accentuate tension whilst offering up questions on territory, class, power, control, love and sex. Combining verbatim text, dynamic movement and a live music score this piece takes the audience on a darkly comic and poetic journey. With personal stories at the helm (from the bizarre to the profound) ‘Digs’ looks at how human behaviour plays out in public and private space.
http://illuminatefestival.co.uk/digs/
Baby Bulbs: King Arthur and the Inglewood, 28 May
A very silly medieval adventure complete with puppetry, live-music and audience interaction.
To the court of King Arthur, in the Golden Age of Camelot comes a mysterious knight. Meeting in the enchanted forest, he demands justice for the loss of his lands. He sets the King the ultimate challenge, to uncover what it is that women most desire. Embarking on a mystical quest we meet a jolly jester, a naughty little piglet and a beautiful green dragon but will any of them help him find the answer?
Known for their modern take on traditional folk stories, Moon On A Stick bring us their unique fusion of puppetry and live action. They combine engaging story-telling and exciting visuals, to create this unforgettable fable for ages 5+
‘Truly magical’ BargainTheatreland
‘Different, original and visually captivating’ lastminutetheatretickets.com
‘An ingenious combination of light, sound and puppetry’ The Good Review (On The Mermaid of Zennor)
http://illuminatefestival.co.uk/king-arthur-the-inglewood/
View from the Cheap Seat 
One response to “Illuminate Festival, Wimbledon, 2-28 May 2016”
Reblogged this on Jim Gets Around and commented:
Theatre Bench are producing ‘Every Seven Years’ at the Illuminate Festival this year.
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