Life is a cabaret in West Cumbria
A fantastical and freakish cabaret of family entertainment will be touring West Cumbria as part of Lakes Alive from Monday 26th July to Monday 2nd August.
The Cabaret of Dr Caligari by Artizani will be visiting Silloth, Cockermoth, Workington, Muncaster, Egremont and Millom, before rounding off the tour at the Lake District Visitor Centre at Brockhole on the shores of Windermere.
Crowds can expect a great summer evening of al fresco family entertainment, with cabaret, music, dancing, comedy and a surreal spectacle. And best of all, it’s free.
Dr Caligari was commissioned as part of ‘Made in the Lakes’ by Lakes Alive last year and proved such a hit with audiences, a return to the county was always likely
The performance tells the story of Dr Caligari who arrives in town to perform a cabaret. Freaks, oddities, eccentrics and acrobats are conjured out of thin air to entertain, but once out of the box refuse to disappear.
The cabaret accelerates towards an extraordinary revolt in which performers and spectators turn on the twisted Caligari in a spectacular finale.
The tour is part of Lakes Alive’s thrilling summer season of mainly free outdoor street arts events, taking place all across Cumbria during the coming weeks.
Lakes Alive is Cumbria’s unique contribution to the Legacy Trust UK programme which was set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
Julie Tait, Director of Kendal Arts International (KAI), which runs Lakes Alive along with Manchester International Arts, says: “Creating innovative new work is an integral part of our plans to make Cumbria a centre of excellence for street arts. Dr Caligari was one of our first commissions and as it was such a hit with audiences we thought it should return this year, and bring the Lakes Alive experience to some new places along the way.”
Dr Caligari was created by Artizani, one of the UK’s most stylish and surreal street arts companies, working at Lanternhouse International in Ulverston. Artizani’s James McPherson says: “We’re delighted to be bringing Dr Caligari back to Cumbria, which is essentially where the show was born after it was commissioned by Lake Alive last year. The show has developed with each performance, so even those that saw it last year will get a few surprises!”
Full performance details:
Monday 26 July, 6.30pm: The Green, Silloth-on-Solway
Tuesday 27 July, 6.30pm: Memorial Gardens, Cockermouth
Thursday 29 July, 6.30pm: Vulcan Park, Workington
Friday 30 July, 6.30pm: Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass
Saturday 31 July, 6.30pm: Egremont Castle, Egremont
Sunday 1 August, 6.30pm: Millom Park, Millom
Monday 2 August, 2.30pm: Lake District Visitor Centre, Brockhole
Lakes Alive is one of three annual programmes commissioned for WE PLAY, the Northwest cultural legacy programme for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. WE PLAY is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. The project is led by the Arts Council England Northwest on behalf of a new regional partnership. Lakes Alive is sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and has also received funding from Arts Council England and the Northern Rock Foundation.
For more details about Made in The Lakes and all the Lakes Alive events visit lakesalive.org or join the Lakes Alive group on facebook.
