Brighton Festival 2019: Guest Director Rokia Traoré by Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival

Guest Director

Rokia Traoré –

4 26 May 2019 brightonfestival.org

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As I walk through Brighton, I am struck by the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibrancy, its life, the characters and generous nature. People here look you in the eye, they smile, talk to you on the bus. Stories abound in this city. I hope that through this Festival, you listen to stories from far away and right next door, stories with characters and ideas you could have never dreamed of, stories that touch you, thrill you, bring you joy and perhaps move you to experience life, precious life, in a different way.

The world has become such a large fastmoving place, filled with things and people we cannot always comprehend. But a simple story, a song, can bridge all divides and bring us back to the essential.

I am honoured to share my stories with you and filled with joyous anticipation to be the Guest Director for this wonderful Festival of music, art, words and dance. My hope is that this Festival gives you something precious, a new story to hand down for generations to come.

During my childhood I moved from city to city, country to country so often that my life in Bamako became a vital point of reference. It was a necessity for me to understand cultures and traditions in Mali, so I could remain rooted, connected, while travelling around the world, learning, understanding and integrating other cultures from other people and places.

Guest Director: Rokia TraorĂŠ

ach of us has a story to tell, a story to protect, a story to cherish. Our stories are what make us human. All too often in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world we forget where we come from, what has shaped us, what guides us in our everyday life. Through music, and the profound meaning of words I hope I help to bring back what is important, give us that feeling of belonging a feeling of who we are or perhaps used to be?

Young Brighton Festival Your invitation to explore, create and participate. Calling all young folk! From infants to instagrammers, being part of arts and culture can build imagination, confidence and creativity. Make Brighton Festival part of your journey. Music, art, theatre, dance, spoken word – it’s all waiting for you, with voices from around the

world or right next door. This is your space. Your ticket is your passport to anywhere your imagination wants to take you. Look out for the Young Brighton Festival symbol to help you find events that are for you.

Join In Ask a question at an artist talk, quiz Rokia in Guest Director’s Guests p62, enter the Peacock Poetry Prize (ages 8–19, p54), Adopt an Author for your class (p33), get crafty and listen to stories at Apples and Snakes’ Storycraft (Sun 12 May, ages 2–5, p28), learn a new skill at a workshop, or blow a whistle for all its worth at the Children’s Parade (Sat 4 May, p11) There are plenty of opportunities for you to delve deeper, take part and find out more. 4

Free and Outdoor Art can happen anywhere and we have lots of free outdoor performance across the city.

Young Literature Previously 26 Letters, this programme is jam packed with authors, illustrators and workshops for young people. Look out for events on Sat 18, Sun 19, Wed 22 and Sat 25 May (p38, p41, p42, p47 & p59)

Performance Magic happens here and we have adventures for all ages. Curiouser (ages 3–8) Fri 10 – Sun 12 May, p23 Another Star to Steer By (age 6+) Sat 25 & Sun 26 May, p58 Groove Baby: Under the Sea / Into Space (ages 3–7) Sun 19 May, p42 Plus a whole programme of dance, theatre, circus, literature and music events usually suitable for ages 14+ (check age recommendations).

Children’s Parade Sat 4 May, p11 Without Walls Sat 11 May, p26 The Museum of the Moon Fri 17 May – Mon 20 May, p37 Ghost Caribou Sat 18 May, p40 SESSION Thu 23 – Sun 26 May, p51 Our Place Sat 18 & 25 May, p6

Brighton Festival Taster Find out more at this special open day for all ages. Join us at Brighton Dome for talks, workshops and activities exploring the Festival and celebrating the music and culture of Mali – the home of Guest Director Rokia Traoré. Sun 7 Apr, 12pm – 4pm, Brighton Dome Foyer Free 5

Festival Weekends

Our Place It’s a community takeover - after two incredibly successful festivals, Your Place is becoming Our Place. For the third year running we’ve been working in partnership with Brighton People’s Theatre, Due East, Hangleton and Knoll Project, and the community steering committee to enable local residents to make their vision come to life. This year the communities have taken control of the event, bringing more free family-friendly theatre, dance, music, games, activities and workshops to Hangleton and East Brighton. Full programme to be announced, but look out for these exciting outdoor events as part of the line-up: Apocalyptic – Circus My House A circus theatre experience for little people and their families; look through the doors and windows of this magical, quirky structure and explore the habits and routines of a home. My House is supported by Without Walls, and commissioned by Just So Festival.

Upswing – Catch Me A playful and dynamic pop up style performance and installation blending dance, acrobatics, object manipulation and installation. Alongside the two lively Our Place Saturdays, bespoke performances will be popping up in community spaces throughout the Festival. Catch Me is supported by Without Walls, and commissioned by Norfolk & Norwich Festival.

Sat 18 May, from 10am Manor Gym, Brighton Free Sat 25 May, from 10am Hangleton Community Centre Free Supported by: The Chalk Cliff Trust and Higgidy. A long-standing partner of Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival, with continued commitment to the arts and the local community

Throughout the Festival

Distorted Constellations Nwando Ebizie

Distorted Constellations is an exhibition that uses sound, projections and holograms to immerse the audience in the imagined landscape of the artist’s brain. The work is inspired by Ebizie’s rare neurological disorder Visual Snow, which causes visual distortions such as flickering dots, auras and glowing lines. The audience will experience a mythical version of how Ebizie sees the world, entering an alternate Afrofuturist (a black perspective on the politics and culture of science fiction and technology) reality, inspired by research into the neuroscience of perception and drawing on rituals of African origin. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of performances and public science experiments. See brightonfestival.org for details.

Sat 4 – Sun 19 May, 12 – 7pm (Closed Mon & Tue) Lighthouse Free

Writers at Risk Gallery in association with English PEN

On November 15 last year, international writers' organisation PEN highlighted the cases of five writers who were victims of persecution. Two on the list – Miroslava Breach Velducea who was murdered in Mexico in 2017 and Dawit Isaak who disappeared in Eritrea 17 years ago – are no longer able to speak for themselves. The other three – Oleg Sentsov, Wael Abbas and Shahidul Alam (since released), were imprisoned in Russia, Egypt and Bangladesh respectively. They are but a small sample of 700 to 900 cases of persecution – ranging from forced exile and hiding to death threats and murder – against authors every year. This year Brighton Festival showcases a handful of authors still writing in very precarious circumstances wherever they are in the world in our ‘Writers at Risk’ Gallery.

Sat 4 – Sun 26 May Brighton Dome Founders Room Free (check opening times at brightonfestival.org before visiting) 7

Throughout the Festival 8

Fototala King Massassy

Iron Men (Mali) ‘With him, even the model fits into an everyday life scene, which is rare’ Olivier Sultan Although marked by the realism of an artist who walks the streets for hours with a camera in hand, the photographs of Fototala King Massassy also hum with the humanity of their subjects, hinting at an approach that records the vibrant everyday life of Bamako with genuine empathy. Self-taught and highly adaptable, King (real name Lassine Coulibaly) works on the currency of trust. His work is a mix of the staged and the

spontaneous, inviting the viewer to take a renewed look at the world. His show, Iron Men, showcases both this philosophy and his parallel commitment to craft, his rigorous and stunning composition of images. Here are Bamako’s iron workers ennobled by light, framed as never before, magicians of metal.

Sat 4 – Sun 26 May, 11am – 5pm (Closed Mon & Tue) Phoenix Gallery Free

Current Affairs (Ghana) Incredibly beautiful, yet politically charged, Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey’s large-scale Afrogallonism pieces are meticulously fashioned from discarded 20 – 25 litre yellow jerry cans. These vessels, imported into Ghana from Europe carrying fuel oil, are often repurposed to carry potable water by people struggling with Ghana’s water shortages. This unhealthy practice was especially true during the era of President Kufuor (giving them the popular local name ‘Kufuor gallon’). Attukwei Clottey’s use of these plastic cans in his art touches on global issues of plastic waste and access to basic services, but also promotes his greater philosophy of exploring personal

and political narratives rooted in histories of colonialism, trade and migration. Taking over Fabrica’s spacious unconverted Regency chapel, the exhibition also highlights Attukwei Clottey’s twin roles as artist and community activist, and presents his film and performance work. Thu 18 Apr – Mon 27 May Open every day 4 – 26 May Preview: Thu 18 Apr, 6 – 9pm Wed – Sat, 1 – 6pm Sun and Bank Holidays, 2 – 6pm Special Friday Lates until 10pm on Fri 26 Apr and Fri 24 May Fabrica Free

Throughout the Festival

Serge Attukwei Clottey

Throughout the Festival

FLIGHT by Vox Motus Based on the novel Hinterland by Caroline Brothers. Adapted

by Oliver Emanuel

Flight

by Vox Motus

Based on the novel Hinterland by Caroline Brothers Adapted by Oliver Emanuel

‘Extraordinary. Paradoxical. An epic in miniature.’ The Observer With their small inheritance stitched into their clothes, two children set off on an epic journey across Europe – orphaned brothers on a desperate odyssey to freedom and safety. In Jamie Harrison's and Candice Edmund's unique staging, Flight combines unsettling themes with spellbinding images. Mixing graphic novel with exquisite diorama, it is a story of hope and survival that draws you into its fragile miniature world, compelling you to contemplate the terror of children adrift in dangerous lands. Its critically acclaimed run in New York had the New York Times hailing it as 'exquisite 10

and intensely affecting'. Don’t miss this Brighton Festival run. Commissioned by the Edinburgh International Festival in 2017 and presented in association with the Beacon Arts Centre. Age 14+

Sat 4 – Thu 22 May Timed entry slots, advance booking required. Open most days, See brightonfestival.org for details. King Alfred Leisure Centre £12.50 Under 26 / Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Children’s Parade Following six months of preparation with Same Sky, over 5,000 children from schools and community organisations across Sussex kick off Brighton Festival with a dazzling display of energy and creativity. This year’s theme is Folk Tales from Around the World, and taking over the streets will be tales from Africa, Europe, the Arctic, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, including Fat Cat (Denmark), How the Zebra Got His Stripes (Namibia), The Little Mermaid, The Fox in the Moon (Peru) and The Salmon Princess (Alaska).

Schools from across the region have chosen a folk tale from a selection, to reflect the diversity of artists taking part in the Festival. The stories will be studied and explored by teachers and pupils before being presented in costume, music and carnival structures, much to the delight of anybody watching on the day! Sat 4 May Parade Starts 10.30am Procession from Kensington Street to Madeira Drive Free

Throughout Week One the Festival

Brighton Festival & Same Sky

Supported by: Yeomans Brighton, based on South Coast Road in Peacehaven, is proud to support the Children’s Parade for the third year

Throughout Week One the Festival

Rokia Traoré

Né So (Mali) + support Twenty years after her début album, a Brighton Festival exclusive Rokia Traoré, Guest Director of Brighton Festival 2019, is a musician of incredible stylistic range and depth, but she is at her core Malian. It is a mark of her engagement with her role at Brighton Festival that she has chosen to open the programme with Né So (the word for home in her native Bambara), a highly energised and personal work. In it, she explores home as a place of rootedness from which her creative curiosity can take flight, a place of collaboration through likeminded musicians, and a place of reunion of artists she admires across West Africa and further afield. Encircling these meanings, however, is a

larger question of musical truthfulness as a female, an African artist and a mother: what it means to belong and stand apart, to start again and move forward but mainly to endure in times of war, exile and crisis, and to find connection and expressive freedom through it all. Traoré balances the Malian with the international, the personal with the universal, in this unmissable exploration of home. Sat 4 May, 8pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £18.50 (Standing) Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Wet Sounds Deep listening and a swimsuit is all you need. Come and be a part of this extraordinary surround sound installation that reimagines what a public pool can be. Wet Sounds uses you (the swimmer), lighting and abstract electronica (pumped through underwater and overwater speakers) to create an inimitable sound splash! This unique event playfully takes advantage of the physics of water: as sound travels more than four times faster underwater, and the water surface creates a sound barrier, two different sonic spheres are created in the pool hall to create a brilliantly original soundscape, allowing each swimmer to direct the music in a freeing, surreal and relaxing experience.

Artist Talk Newtoy creates a range of Experiential Art projects that encourage individuals to interact with their environments in new and surprising ways. Discover a fascinating insight into the work of this extraordinary company, which creates work all over the world, from its creator Joel Cahen. Wheelchair accessible.

Sun 5 May, 4.30pm Brighton Dome Founders Room Free but ticketed

Throughout Week One the Festival

Newtoy

Sat 4 May, 5.45pm, 6.30pm, 7.15pm, 8pm, 8.45pm, 9.30pm Prince Regent Swimming Pool £15, Under 26 £12.50 Advance booking essential Festival Standby £10 (see p75) Available on the day in person from Brighton Dome Ticket Office, Church Street. Last four performances are for adults only.

Throughout Week One the Festival

Caged Birds Do

Zena Edwards, with Bridget Minamore, Hibaq Osman and Laurie Ogden In May 2014, Maya Angelou, the AfricanAmerican writer, singer, and activist famous for iconic poems like Still I Rise and On the Pulse of Morning, died at her home in North Carolina. Five years on, Brighton Festival celebrates her life and work through an unmissable hybrid show of poetry and songs from the Porgy & Bess songbook headlined by Black British writer, singer and activist Zena Edwards. With Zena will be the poets Hibaq Osman, Laurie Ogden and Bridget Minamore, performing work that reflects Maya Angelou’s themes of identity, womanhood, family and ‘survival with grace and faith’. Specially conceived for Brighton Festival

Sat 4 May, 6pm Brighthelm Centre £15 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Pitch Perfect

Brighton & Hove Music & Arts presents an afternoon of the city’s best young musical talent performing in a range of unexpected but ‘perfect pitches’. Featuring the Brighton & Hove Youth Big Band, unplugged pop and folk-inspired acts, string quartets and chamber wind ensembles, the trail starts at Moshimo/Bartholomew Square.

@R Williams

Follow it down to Brighton Dome’s Foyer, where you can pick up more information about the other pitches located across the Royal Pavilion Estate and around the city centre.

Sat 4 May, 1pm Starts Bartholomew Square, Brighton Free

‘Pitch Perfect is a great opportunity to hear our talented young musicians performing at some of the city's best locations’ Peter Chivers, Head of Music & Arts and Director, Our Future City

Week One

30 Years Of Mr Bongo

With The Skints, Moses Boyd Exodus, Hollie Cook, Jungle Brown, Mr Thing, DJ Format & Huw Bowles Hollie Cook plus UK jazz favourites Moses Boyd Exodus in the main room; and in our foyer, two legendary UK turntablists, Mr Thing & DJ Format, plus Huw Bowles, spinning all night long. Sun 5 May, 6pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £22.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

The Skints

In 1989 a suitcase arrived in Europe from Venezuela filled with amazing Latin records. That case was the beginning of Mr Bongo – the record shop that became the Brighton-based label and publisher for some of the finest selections in Brazilian, Latin, African, Jazz, Soul, Reggae and Psychedelic flavours. 30 Years of Mr Bongo celebrates the wonderful history of Mr Bongo with a unique line-up: The Skints, Jungle Brown,

Week One

Ensemble Correspondances (France) Music from the court of Louis XIII

‘One of France's best new music groups.’ The Guardian Founded a decade ago in Lyon by the organist and harpsichordist Sébastien Daucé, this ensemble of specialist vocalists and instrumentalists is passionate about rediscovering musical forms and composers now almost forgotten. This concert recreates life in the salons of Louis XIII’s court with vocal music reflecting themes of night, love and poetry alongside some of the ballet music featured in the court carnivals which were a mixture of art, socialising and

politics and which marked the end of winter at the Louvre court. Ensemble Correspondances are simply unrivalled in this repertoire and bring their spine-tingling talents to Brighton Festival for the first time. Grounds open from 1pm for picnicking Duration 2 hours approx.

Sun 5 May, 3pm Glyndebourne

£10, £22.50, £27.50, £32.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Some Small Isle

Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, Zena Edwards, Sharmaine Lovegrove & Roger Robinson From 2017, British government policy put people from Commonwealth territories who arrived in the UK before 1973 increasingly at risk of deportation. These hostile government policies struck poet Zena Edwards, whose mother was asked to fill forms to prove her residence; and prompted Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff to edit Mother Country, an anthology documenting the importance of the HMT Empire Windrush. Together with poet-musician Roger Robinson and publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove, Zena and Charlie discuss how Black people document their histories and how they respond to injustice as artists – whether beautifully or brutally.

‘There’s a responsibility being squarely placed on the shoulders of artists in these troubled and dark times.’ Roger Robinson Sun 5 May, 7.30pm Brighton & Hove High School £10

Week One

Safe Places, Places of Refuge, Good Friends and Strangers

Creative Writing Workshop with Miriam Halahmy Who do you stick up for when things get tough? Using themes from two of her books, Hidden and Behind Closed Doors, Miriam Halahmy challenges you by asking: What would you do for a stranger? Who do you turn to when home is no longer a safe place? Starting with these tough questions, this writing workshop will help you see the world in completely different ways. Come along into our Writing Room and join us.

Ages 11–14, Duration 1h

Sun 5 May, 2pm Brighton Dome Founders Room £10

Dream Horse Janet Vokes

Janet Vokes was working behind the bar in her local working men’s club in Cefn Fforest, a small community where hope was dwindling with the closure of mines across the UK. After an overheard conversation, she fixed upon the idea of breeding a racehorse. The story of Dream Alliance, a horse raised by a woman who had only previously raised pigeons and dogs, is so compelling that it got made into a film, Dark Horse, winner of the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. In Janet’s new book, Dream Horse, readers can experience in greater detail the real-life fairy tale of a Welsh barmaid who took on the ‘sport of kings’.

Sun 5 May, 3pm Brighton & Hove High School £10

PEN Translates 250 with Daniel Hahn

Since its launch in 2012, PEN Translates (the English PEN scheme to promote translation for books from other languages into English), has supported 250 titles. Amongst the authors it has brought us are widely recognised award-winners such as Alain Mabanckou, Han Kang and José Eduardo Agualusa. We mark this milestone at Brighton Festival in a panel celebrating the contribution of translation to the UK’s reading culture. Mon 6 May, 7pm Brighton & Hove Prep School £10

Week One

British Paraorchestra

The Nature of Why Inspired by the wildly creative and iconoclastic theoretical physicist, Richard Feynman, this boundary-breaking, immersive experience rejects the formal conventions of orchestral performance, defying expectation. A cinematic live score, composed by Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory, is performed by the British Paraorchestra and Army of Generals, alongside four extraordinary dancers; blurring boundaries between music and dance, performer and audience,

resulting in a deeply personal, emotionally participative event. The Nature of Why is composed by Will Gregory, choreographed by Caroline Bowditch, conducted by Charles Hazlewood, and directed by Caroline Bowditch and Charles Hazlewood. Produced by The Paraorchestra and Friends Duration 1h approx. Integrated BSL. Audio described. Touch tours at 5pm and 7.30pm (see p73)

Mon 6 May, 6pm & 8.30pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall Stage £20 (Standing), Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Granta at 40

Sigrid Rausing and Ian Jack Moving beyond its nineteenth century origins as a University of Cambridge rag, Granta was relaunched as a magazine of ‘new writing’ in 1979. Granta gained a reputation for breaking daring new writers such as Salman Rushdie and Bruce Chatwin – and soon, from 1983, for its sometimes-controversial Best of Young British Novelists list. As the magazine celebrates its 40th year, Ian Jack, a former editor, and Sigrid Rausing the publisher of Granta magazine and Granta Books discuss the trajectory of a literary icon.

Tue 7 May, 6.30pm Brighthelm Centre £10

Week One

Ben Okri

Adventures in Writing Ever since he published his first novel, Flowers and Shadows, Ben Okri OBE has been at been at the forefront of literary innovation and experimentation. Hailed globally, notably for his 1991 Booker Prize winning novel The Famished Road, Okri is accomplished in many forms, garnering acclaim for his short stories, poems and essays. In recent years he has turned his hand to work in film and for stage. Now in his fourth decade as a writer, Ben Okri comes to Brighton Festival to celebrate the release of his latest novel, The Freedom Artist, and, as one of the finest wielders of a phrase in the English language, to share with us some of his enduring adventures in writing.

‘Our future is greater than our past’ Ben Okri

Tue 7 May, 8pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £10

King of Ghosts

Soumik Datta & City of London Sinfonia In an evening of live cinematic music, virtuoso sarod player Soumik Datta and Irish folk percussionist Cormac Byrne give new life to two films, accompanied by Al MacSween on piano with City of London Sinfonia.

Wed 8 May, 7.30pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £15, £18.50, Under 26 £15 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘Magical’ êêêêê The Scotsman

@Pete le May

Experience early films from India edited exclusively from the BFI National Archive by filmmaker Sandhya Suri under the banner Around India with a Movie Camera; then, after an interval, Oscar-winner Satyajit Ray’s cult, off-beat film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne, with a reimagined score, the King of Ghosts.

Week One

Common People In association with New Writing South

‘Working-class stories are not always tales of the underprivileged and dispossessed’ Kit de Waal, The Guardian

Novelist Kit de Waal and publisher Unbound brought together 33 contributors including Malorie Blackman OBE, Louise Doughty and Alex Wheatle to share their experiences growing up working-class through essays, poems and memoir. The resulting book, Common People, is a response to their belief that the people working in and creating our culture are not representative of our nation’s demographics. Join South East writers Damian Barr, Katy Massey and Astra Bloom for a discussion on this fascinating collection of voices. Wed 8 May, 8pm Brighton & Hove High School £10

Song Recital Music Room

Miah Persson Soprano Jeremy Ovenden Tenor Malcolm Martineau Piano

In the splendour of the Royal Pavilion’s Music Room we are privileged to have Malcolm Martineau – one of the finest accompanists of his generation – in recital with two internationally-acclaimed soloists. Swedish soprano Miah Persson and English tenor Jeremy Ovenden will be performing a sparkling programme that includes songs by Purcell, Britten, Quilter, Sjögren, Sibelius and Schumann. Ticket includes an interval glass of wine Duration 2 hours approx.

Wed 8 May, 8pm Royal Pavilion Music Room £35 20

Week One

Kneehigh

Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs) What the hell is the world coming to? Mayor Goodman has been assassinated. And so has his dog. Contract killer Macheath has just married Pretty Polly Peachum and Mr and Mrs Peachum aren't happy. Not one bit.

@Steve Tanner

Kneehigh are back with their theatrical tour-de-force Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs). Based on John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, Kneehigh's wild reinvention of this classical musical satire is bursting with wit, wonder and weirdness. Kneehigh’s extraordinary cast of actor musicians shoot, hoot and shimmy their way through this twisted morality tale for our times. Age 14+ (Contains very strong language and sexual references), Duration 2h 30min Presented by Kneehigh with Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Captioned performance Thu 9 May, 8pm Audio described Fri 10 May, 8pm (see p73)

Wed 8 – Sat 11 May, 8pm Thu 9 & Sat 11, 2.30pm Theatre Royal Brighton Thu 9 May, 2.30pm £10, £12.50, £15, £20 Wed 8 & Thu 9 May, 8pm & Sat 11 May, 2.30pm £12.50, £15, £20, £24 Under 26 £15 Fri 10 – Sat 11 May, 8pm £15, £17.50, £22, £27.50, Under 26 £17.50 Thu 9 May, 2.30pm Schools price £10, Under 26 £10 Members' First Night Offer £15 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘A riot... Would I go and see this again? Like a shot.’ êêêê The Times

Week One

The Unfinished Violin Sam Sweeney

When he was 19, the musician Sam Sweeney found a fiddle in a shop in Oxford. It had been made, but not assembled, by Richard S. Howard of Harehills, Leeds, in 1915. Howard died in World War I and the story inspired Sam Sweeney’s first solo album, released last November. A veteran of contemporary folk band Bellowhead and artistic director of the National Folk Youth Ensemble, Sweeney performs his live show of instrumental music inspired by the Great War.

‘Sweeney’s playing is unearthly at times...an outstanding and deeply moving experience.’ êêêêê Songlines

Wed 8 May, 8pm All Saints Church £18.50, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (cert tbc) Dir: Julien Faraut. France, 2018. 95 mins. Narrated by Mathieu Amalric, director Julien Faraut’s experimental film documents tennis legend John McEnroe’s performance at the 1984 French Open, when he was No.1 in the world. A beguiling and delightful film essay culled from hours of beautiful 16mm footage shot by Gil de Kermadec, this is a fascinating treatise on film, spectatorship and the meaning of perfection.

Unseen Mentor

Jacob Sam-La Rose Almost any successful writer can trace a guide, someone without whom their route to acclaim would have been far more treacherous. For many poets from the UK, for the last decade and a half, Jacob Sam-La Rose has been that unseen mentor. His influence stretches from school workshops, initiatives such as the famed Barbican Young Poets and his work as poetry editor with flipped eye publishing. Here he presents a trio of his poet-mentees including Miriam Nash and Bella Cox.

‘[Raymond Carver] used to call me up every day to see if I had been writing.’ Jay McInerney Fri 10 May, 7.30pm The Basement £12, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Wed 8 May, 6pm Duke’s at Komedia Picturehouse £13.50, Student / Retired £12.50

Week One

Jon Ronson:

Tales from The Last Days of August & The Butterfly Effect Welsh journalist, writer and documentarymaker Jon Ronson explores the curious world of porn in this new show based on his hit podcasts The Butterfly Effect and The Last Days of August. With new stories, never-heard-before audio and some very strange (PG-rated) porn clips, Jon will reveal the mysterious, funny and sometimes sad results of his quest to discover why people are uncomfortable with porn stars when they see them in real life. In Association with Kilimanjaro and One Inch Badge.

‘Eye-opening and oddly uplifting’ The Financial Times Age 16+

Fri 10 May, 8pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £27, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Flexer and Sandiland and Dybwikdans

Curiouser (UK / Norway)

Fri 10 May, 12.30pm, 2.30pm, 4.30pm Sat 11 May, 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm Sun 12 May, 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm Mon 13 May, 10.30am, 12.30pm Brighthelm Centre £18 for one adult with one child Each child needs to be accompanied by one adult. Please ring the box office for any questions

Two performers become your guides, leading you on a journey deep into subterranean caves, through leafy forests and high into the starry night sky. Adults become little and children become great in an interactive imaginary world of ever-changing proportions. Incorporating animated hand-drawn projection, dance, sound, text and digital objects, Curiouser immerses you in an intimate yet spectacular experience. A unique collaboration between UK-based Flexer & Sandiland and Norwegian company Dybwikdans, the show is inspired by Alice in Wonderland and invites curious minds to look at the world from a different perspective. Ages 3–6, Duration 45min

Week One

Eye to Eye World Premiere | Brighton Festival Commission Writer and theatre-maker Sheila Hill was intrigued to find herself craving music during her pregnancy in 1998. That experience, and the rollercoaster of the first seven years of motherhood, became the foundation for Eye to Eye: the story of mother and child. Working from diaries and notes of two decades ago, Sheila created a two voiced text (the child’s voice and an edit of things her son said) to form the piece’s beating heart. Set to music by composer Howard Skempton, with jazz interludes from trumpeter Byron Wallen, heading a band of leading musicians, Eye to Eye will be performed by a 100 voice chorus of women and children, trained by Glyndebourne, with soloist Melanie Pappenheim – in an extraordinary collaboration.

Sheila Hill writer/director Howard Skempton composer (chorus) Byron Wallen composer (jazz)/lead musician Sian Edwards conductor Melanie Pappenheim soloist Jean Kalman lighting designer Curious Space designers Duration 1h Commissioned by Brighton Festival and produced in partnership with Glyndebourne. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and with additional support through Glyndebourne's New Generation Programme and grants from RVW Trust, Performing Rights Society Foundation’s Open Fund for Organisations, and Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust

Sat 11 May, 7.30pm Sun 12 May, 2.30pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £15, £20 Under 16 half price Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Week One

Travelling Traditions Sulaiman Addonia, Chloe Aridjis, Laia Jufresa & Nikesh Shukla Most migrants will tell you that no matter how far you go, you carry a seed of your origins with you. Storytelling is one of the most enduring of these seeds and in Travelling Traditions we celebrate these subtle echoes of home that add nuance to the work of some of the key writers of our times. Focusing on East Africa and Latin America, we are privileged to have Nikesh Shukla, Laia Jufresa, Chloe Aridjis and Sulaiman Addonia – all writers whose work is textured by the traditions of their region of origin.

@Andy Morgan

Sat 11 May, 8pm Brighton & Hove High School £10

AKA Trio

Antonio Forcione, Seckou Keita & Adriano Adewale This international collaboration brings together three world-renowned virtuosos from three continents. Italian guitarist-composer Antonio Forcione has travelled the globe over two decades, releasing 20 albums and collaborating with artists as varied as Angelique Kidjo and The Bulgarian Voices choir. From Senegal, Seckou Keita is renowned as one of Africa's foremost players of the 21-string kora, with international

projects including a ground-breaking duo with Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, while Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale has collaborated with Bobby McFerrin and Joanna McGregor, along with composing works for orchestras and dance theatre. As AKA Trio they are set to release an album, aptly named Joy, reflecting their uplifting and celebratory sound. A Theatr Mwldan / AKA Trio Co-Production

Sat 11 May, 8pm All Saints Church £17.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75) 25

Week One

Without Walls Bring your friends and family and head outdoors for a free afternoon of inventive performances with lots for all ages. Initiative.dkf – Scalped A dance theatre exploration of fashion and conformity, life and otherness through an exhibition piece on Black women’s hair; Scalped channels global icon Grace Jones in a performance that is an affirmation of liberation and defiance. Justice in Motion – On Edge An international cast, including leading parkour athletes, marry exciting choreography and athletics to ask what freedom really means. Join them before their stunning On Edge performance to explore the sensational freedom of moving around the parkour construction site! Motionhouse – Wild What is it to be wild? This daring new dancecircus production explores our disconnect with the natural environment. In our increasingly urban lives, is the wild still shaping our

©Isobel Lundie

Supported by:

Scalped is supported by Without Walls, and commissioned by Brighton Festival. The R&D for Scalped was supported by Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund. On Edge is supported by Without Walls, and commissioned by Brighton Festival and Out There International Festival of Circus & Street Arts. Wild is supported by Without Walls, and commissioned by Freedom Festival, Hat Fair and Out There International Festival of Circus & Street Arts. The Tide is supported by Without Walls, and commissioned by Brighton Festival and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival. Ghost Caribou is supported by Without Walls. The R&D for Ghost Caribou was supported by Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund. Brighton Festival is a partner in Without Walls, working with festivals and artists and bringing fantastic outdoor arts to people in towns and cities across the UK. Find out more on withoutwalls.uk.com One performance of each show will be BSL interpreted on Sat 11 May. See brightonfestival.com for more information

behaviour? Where do we belong? Do we choose to survive as a lone wolf or engage with the pack and the tribe? Talawa Theatre Company – The Tide A dinghy is washed up on a shore, carrying the hopes, aspirations and dreams of its passengers as they clamber out onto land. Co-created by writer Ryan Calais Cameron and choreographer Jade Hackett, The Tide unpicks the stories and imagery of the most pertinent issue of our era: migration. Plus find out about other Without Walls events as part of Our Place on p6 and Thingumajig Theatre’s Ghost Caribou in Queens Park on p40. Sat 11 May, 11am – 8pm Beach level at British Airways i360 Free

Bach Partitas – Piano Recital

Bach's Partitas are among the most demanding keyboard pieces devised by Johann Sebastian Bach, and multi-award winning pianist and conductor Sir András Schiff is simply one of the most sublime performers in the world today. Considered one of the great musical thinkers of our time he now focuses on performing the music of Beethoven, Bach, Schubert and Schumann. In recent years Schiff’s Bach recitals have become an annual feature of the BBC Proms. He says 'Together for those two or three hours, we can somehow change the world in to a better place.' A rare treat to hear such majestic playing in Glyndebourne’s ideal acoustic as Schiff returns to Brighton Festival.

Week One

Sir András Schiff (Hungary)

Grounds open from 1pm for picnicking Duration 3h

Sun 12 May, 3pm Glyndebourne £10, £22.50, £27.50, £32.50, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘exhilarating, confronting and, ultimately, consoling – a musical meditation for our troubled times’ The Independent on Schiff playing Bach

Yeelen (Brightness) (PG) Dir: Souleymane Cissé. With: Issiaka Kane, Aoua Sangare, Niamanto Sanogo. 105 mins. Mali 1987. Bambara with English Subtitles. 35mm presentation In the sun-baked landscapes of West Africa, a young Bambara native, Niankoro (Issiaka Kane), leaves his mother’s house on a quest for spiritual enlightenment. Along the way he negotiates the implications of his magical powers and sexuality before battling the sorcerer father who abandoned him years ago.

Shapeshifters

Zawe Ashton & Candice Carty-Williams

Sun 12 May, 1pm Duke of York’s Picturehouse £13.50, Student / Retired £12.50 At first glance, a child actor and a Black working woman have little in common – until you realise they both work in worlds where they can’t really be themselves. To get paid, to survive, they must perfect the art of shapeshifting. Zawe Ashton, playwright, actress and author of Character Breakdown – a book that chronicles her life in front of the camera since age six – discusses this age-old art with Candice Carty-Williams, whose fictional character for her début novel, Queenie, is a skilled shapeshifter. Sun 12 May, 3pm Brighton & Hove High School £10

Week One

City Reads 2019 S.K. Perry - Let Me Be Like Water S.K. Perry's lyrical meditation on loss, Let Me Be Like Water, is this year's BIG READ for Brighton & Hove. Widely celebrated on its release, Fiona Mozley, author of the Man Booker shortlisted Elmet, praised the Brighton-set novel for its "beautiful reflection

Brighton Youth Orchestra Fiesta of Music from around the World Featuring works by Sibelius and Berlioz, as well as music from Greek Dances, traditional Zimbabwean songs and prolific film composer John Williams, BYO will be joined by players from its Junior Orchestra (BHJYO) and Youth Philharmonia (BHYP).

Apples and Snakes Storycraft A bit of music, wiggling puppets and a whole lot of laughter; puppeteer Jum Faruq tells stories like no one else does. A mix of craft activity with magical stories from around

Holly Smale Meet the Valentines Holly Smale, the award-winning author of the bestselling Geek Girl series, will be at Brighton Festival to talk about her new series The Valentines. Come and meet Holly’s new characters, the Valentine girls: Hope, Faith

on love grief and friendship." Join author S.K. Perry for an intimate conversation, marking the finale of City Reads 2019. S.K.Perry will be in conversation with Bridget Minamore. Produced by Collected Works CIC. Age 14+, Duration 75min

Sun 12 May, 5.30pm Brighton & Hove High School £8

Also included are Brahms’ Double Concerto with soloists: Charles Mutter, Violin (Leader of BBC Concert Orchestra) and Sam Sherwood, Cello (former member of BYO); and the less frequently performed Symphonic Poem, Penillion, by Grace Williams. Sun 12 May, 5pm All Saints Church £12, £9 Concessions Under 18 £5 the world led by Jum, Storycraft is guaranteed fun. Come with your little ones and set your imagination free! Ages 2–5, Duration 1h

Sun 12 May, 11am & 3pm Brighton Dome Founders Room £10 (one adult one child) and Mercy. They seem to have everything: fame, success, money, beauty and a family steeped in movie star heritage. But is it enough? Age 11+, Duration 1h

Sun 12 May, 1pm Brighton & Hove High School £7.50

Week Two One

An Evening with Andy Hamilton In a four-decade career in comedy Andy Hamilton has worked on everything from Drop The Dead Donkey to Have I Got News For You. He returns to Brighton Festival with his first ever up close and personal show An Evening with Andy Hamilton. Expect a funny and revealing night with a master of comedy. Bonus: questions allowed on any topic! Age 14+

Sun 12 May, 7.30pm Theatre Royal Brighton £22 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Chilly Gonzales (Canada) + support Sarah McCoy

Grammy award-winning Canadian pianist and entertainer Chilly Gonzales shares his love for the piano with this take on best-selling pop songs. Gonzales approaches the piano with classical training and the attitude of a rapper. He has performed and written songs with the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Feist and Drake and holds the Guinness world record for the longest solo concert (running for more than 27 hours). Beginning with an intimate hour of pieces from his solo piano album cycle, he’ll then be joined by cellist Stella Le Page and drummer Joe Flory for further hits and some hidden surprises.

‘His compositions are filled with elegant misdirection, gentle dissonance and musical in-jokes’ The Guardian

Mon 13 May, 8pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £22.50, £24.50, £26.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75) 29

Week Two One

Gravity & Other Myths

Backbone (Australia) The internationally renowned circus company, Gravity and Other Myths, takes the concept and perception of strength and (literally) tosses it into the air. In this ‘dazzling and warm hearted’ performance (The Independent), individual and collective resilience is tested as the company tumble, backflip and walk across each other’s heads – Backbone explores the limits of emotional and physical endurance. Winner of the Australian Dance Award (2018) for Outstanding Achievement in Physical Theatre, this is a raw showcase of human ability and connection. With a powerful live soundtrack and stunning lighting design, expect ‘a genre-defying,

‘Poised in space, they’re both superhuman and touchingly human.’ The Independent 30

thought-provoking, visual extravaganza…so intensely beautiful it makes you proud to be human.’(InDaily) This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Major Festivals Initiative in association with the Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals Inc., Adelaide Festival, Sydney Festival and Melbourne Festival. Duration 80min

‘A perfect combination of fluidity, mettle and danger’ Limelight Magazine Wed 15 – Fri 17 May, 7.30pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £15, £17.50, £20, £22.50 Under 16 Half Price (top two prices) Members' First Night Offer £17.50 Festival Standby £10, Under 26 £17.50

Joanne Ramos & Season Butler 'We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness.’ 1984 (George Orwell)

Week Two One

The New Dystopians

Daily claims of ‘fake news’ suggest that old dystopias, of the kind George Orwell cannily describes in his iconic novel 1984, have become the new normal. What, then, does a new dystopia look like? Two hugely anticipated debut novels – Cygnet by Season Butler and The Farm by Joanne Ramos – give us a glimpse of what unsettling futures might await us in an age of easy travel and endlessly accessible technology. Come and hear directly from the New Dystopians. Wed 15 May, 8pm Brighton & Hove High School £10

Bring Me In British theatre has typically been the preserve of the privileged. The S+K Project, through its networking and performance event Bring Me In, engages thousands of people from backgrounds typically underrepresented in British theatre. The event – now a UK-wide series – is designed to facilitate creative collaborations between people of colour. Featuring live performances and discussions with established industry pros, the event leverages the value of face-to-face interaction to better enable genuine personal and artistic connections. Come and support local talent, hear from those already in the game and join the S+K mission to make the arts for everyone.

Tues 14 May, 7pm Brighton Dome Founders Room £8, Under 26 £5 31

Week Two

Birds of Paradise and National Theatre of Scotland

My Left Right Foot: The Musical ‘Leaves the audience breathless with laughter from start to finish’ The Scotsman The local am-dram society is under pressure to comply with the equalities agenda so they plan to create a gripping show starring ‘the disabled’. What could be better than the Oscar-winning ‘My Left Foot’? The only snag? Well, they don’t have any disabled actors – but that never stopped Daniel Day-Lewis! In the world of amateur theatre, winning the one-act festival isn’t a matter of life and death – it’s much more important. Throw out political correctness, throw in a love triangle, and all the drama happens behind the curtains. After sell out success at the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe, My Left Right Foot makes its maiden visit to Brighton

‘Riotously funny, often potty-mouthed’ The Evening Standard 32

Festival. Irreverent, uplifting and provocative, it is a must-see for lovers of humorous musicals. Fringe First and Herald Angel Award Winner. Age 16+ (Contains strong language and strong humour!) Duration 1 hour 30 mins approx. All performances contain integrated BSL, audio description and captioning. Relaxed performance Thu 16 May, 7.30pm. Touch Tour Thu 16 May, 6.30pm (see page 67) Written and Directed by Robert Softley Gale with music and lyrics by Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie and Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer – The Opera). Performed by a cast of leading Scottish musical theatre talent.

Tues 14 May - Sat 18 May, 7.30pm Theatre Royal Brighton Tue 14 – Thu 16 May, 7.30pm: £12.50, £15, £18.50, £22.50, Under 26 £15 Fri 17 & Sat 18 May, 7.30pm: £15, £17.50, £20, £25, Under 26 £17.50 Member's First Night Offer £15 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

that travels aurally from the African continent to the South American subcontinent and Martinique in the Caribbean.

Founded in 2009 by Martiniquan-French composer and pianist Thierry Pécou, Ensemble Variances seeks to link contemporary music to the humanitarian and environmental concerns of our time. Outre Mémoire (Outside Memory) is a 70 minute, 12 movement work scored for solo piano, flute, clarinet and cello that commemorates the impact of the transatlantic slave trade.

Through this work, we are invited to face the truths that the multitude of different colours of people in our cities and the racial inequalities and voicing of anger that arise today are the direct consequence of the slave trade and colonisation.

Outre Mémoire

By playing around the audience, the quartet creates a meditative, spiritually reflective piece

Week Two

Ensemble Variances:

Duration 75min

Thu 16 May, 8pm All Saints Church £20

Festival Standby £10

Adopt An Author An exciting schools initiative which links classes with children’s authors to promote reading for pleasure, build self confidence and inspire creativity. After an enjoyable eight weeks of email exchange the project culminates in a 'Meet your Author' party during the Festival. This year: Carden, Brunswick, Benfield and Cardinal Newman schools are adopting authors Lorraine Gregory, Jennifer Killick, Alex Milway and Patrice Lawrence. You will be able to read a fascinating selection of their emails on the official blog: adoptanauthor.wordpress.com

If your school would like to take part in 2020 please contact: sarah@collectedworks.co.uk Supported by Mrs A Lacy-Tate Trust and The Lynn Foundation

Week Two

Séancers (Nigeria / USA) Jaamil Olawale Kosoko

Performance artist Jaamil Olawale Kosoko conjours themes of paranormal activity, loss and resurrection as he explores black identities through his work. Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Kosoko draws on his own experiences, including the deaths of family members, as well as inspiration from other art forms in a piece that brings together movement, song, spoken word and a live score

from Bessie award-winning composer Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste.

Stile Antico and Rihab Azar

Multiple award-winning early music vocal ensemble Stile Antico joins with remarkable Syrian oud performer Rihab Azar for a unique collaboration inspired by the challenges faced by today's refugees and migrants.

Songs of Longing and Exile (UK / Syria)

Age 14+ (Some strong language) Co-presented with Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. Duration 65min. BSL interpreted performance Fri 17 May, 8pm (see p73)

Thu 16 May & Fri 17 May, 8pm Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts £12.50, Under 26 £10, Festival Standby £10 Post show talk on Thu 16 May

Poet Peter Oswald has written new texts based on migrant testimonies to fit English Rennaissance composer John Dowland's Lachrimae pavans, sung by the 12-strong group. Between these settings, Azar, who is strongly influenced by her Syrian and Arabic roots, plays her own semi-improvised pieces, before she unites with Stile Antico for the premiere of a new work specially written for these performers by Giles Swayne. Duration 75min

Fri 17 May, 8.30pm All Saints Church £20, Festival Standby £10 (see p75) 34

Week Two

Chamber Music Will Ashon with Kevin Le Gendre

After the release of its début album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in 1993, the 9-member Wu-Tang Clan gained global notoriety and an army of fans almost immediately. One of those fans was the founder of UK hip hop label Big Dada, Will Ashon, who has now released an eclectic tribute to the album, Chamber Music: About the Wu-Tang (in 36 Pieces), which covers everything from the urban geography of New York to the history of jazz. He will be in conversation with Kevin Le Gendre, veteran music journalist and author of the recent Don’t Stop the Carnival. Fri 17 May, 6pm Brighthelm Centre £12.50, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘A lot more fun than any straight album biography’ The Guardian

Shelina Permalloo

Flavour Migrations

In the recent storm of migration debates, the focus placed on the negative can make us forget that Britain is a much nicer place to eat right now. Founder of Southampton’s Lakaz Maman in 2016, Shelina Permalloo is one of the reasons that this is true. After wowing TV judges and over 6.5 million viewers to win BBC’s MasterChef in 2012, Shelina published the Gourmand Award winning Sunshine on a Plate (Penguin, 2013) followed by Sunshine Diet (2014). Her foundation has always been the ultimate migration cuisine – Mauritian street food dishes she learned from her mother Shila. In Flavour Migrations, Shelina talks about how heritage, family and travel have shaped her cooking.

‘Move… Across the ocean… The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody’ Anthony Bourdain Fri 17 May, 8pm Brighthelm Centre £12.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75) 35

Week Two

The Storytelling Army Created in 2017 by nabokov to fulfill Kate Tempest's vision of a more inclusive Brighton Festival, The Storytelling Army returns with more tales to tell. For 2019, the theme is food and flavours that people have experienced; stories of where they come from; places they have been; or the places they dream to taste. Join people from all walks of life in an intimate setting – outdoors in a Brighton park or indoors at Worthing overlooking the beach – to enjoy a simple meal together and hear their stories. nabokov will run a of series of community workshops with Cascade Creative Recovery and AudioActive (along with local musicians, poets, storytellers and the Kitchen Academy) to

encourage participants to create and tell their own stories. Whether sung with live music or simply spoken, you will hear recollections of plight, grief, happiness, joy and perseverance. Co-presented with Worthing Theatres. Supported by Brighton and Hove Food Partnership. Duration 2h

Sat 18 May, 6.30pm Queens Park Brighton Free but ticketed Sun 19 May, 4pm Worthing Pavilion Café Bar £4 (proceeds going to AudioActive and Cascade Creative Recovery) Book: Box office 01903 206 206 Or worthingtheatres.co.uk

This project is sponsored by:

Under the Moon

Brighton Festival Youth Choir Inspired by the Museum of the Moon installation (see opposite page) at Brighton Festival this year, our youth choir have assembled an eclectic songbook of moon music ranging from classical to jazz. From Song to the Moon by Dvorák to modern day classics such as Moon River, this recital of choral music and songs weaves a ravishing musical tapestry using the 'lune' for its loom. Duration 1h

Fri 17 May, 6pm All Saints Church £15, Under 26 £10 36

Week Two

Luke Jerram

Museum of the Moon ‘I wanted to… give the public the opportunity to fly to the Moon’ Luke Jerram Imagine having the moon close enough to be able to nip over to the dark side and see what’s happening in its nooks. Luke Jerram’s touring artwork Museum of the Moon allows you to do just that – well almost! A model of the moon, seven metres in diameter, it features mind-boggling detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface, each centimetre of the internally-lit sphere representing 5km of the moon’s surface.

Hanging in the lush Queens Park during Brighton Festival, Museum of the Moon’s blend of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition created by award-winning composer Dan Jones, will offer a unique experience to all. Whether you plan to explore the surface with your family, enjoy a lunar picnic or serenade a lover, don’t miss your chance to be beneath the moon. Fri 17 May, 6pm – Mon 20 May, 12pm Queens Park Free

GM Building is proud to support Museum of the Moon at Brighton Festival

Week Two

Giraffes Can’t Dance 20th Anniversary Dance Party Would you bet on a longlegged, wobbly-kneed giraffe to win a dance contest? We know we wouldn’t! Come and join Gerald the Giraffe at the Jungle Dance, with his illustrator Guy Parker-Rees, as we celebrate 20 years of the classic picture book

Giraffes Can't Dance. There will be drawing, reading and, of course, DANCING!

Ages 4–6 Duration 1h

Sat 18 May, 11am Brighthelm Centre £7.50

Little Green Pig AMPLIFIED Presented by a special guest MC Following a six-week writing and mentoring project, eight young people from Brighton & Hove take to the stage. Representing diverse backgrounds, and with unique tales to tell, the performers inhabit public space and amplify

Bad Nana with Sophy Henn Come and meet the creator of Bad Nana, author and illustrator Sophy Henn. Her title character is a naughty grandma with a twinkle in her eye and a nose for trouble. Find out what mischief Bad Nana and granddaughter Jeanie

Nick Sharratt: The Cat and the King Meet the hilarious heroes of Nick Sharratt's first-ever chapter book, The Cat and the King – the tale of an odd couple who tumble into spectacularly silly adventures when they have to move out of

their castle and start a brand new life in the real world! Nick will be telling all, and drawing lots of funny pictures too, at this right royal event. Age 4+, Duration 1h

Sat 18 May, 3.30pm Brighthelm Centre £7.50

their words as never before. AMPLIFIED is part TED Talk, part YouTube confessional, but ultimately a celebration of the human story.

Age 11+, Duration 1 hour 30 mins

Sat 18 May, 6pm Brighthelm Centre £7.50

get up to together in this fun-filled event. There will be laughs, livedrawing and lots of opportunity to join in. Age 6+, Duration 1h

Sat 18 May, 1pm Brighthelm Centre £7.50

Dream Mandé: Bamanan Djourou (Mali) Rokia presents emerging Malian musicians with a new take on traditional music

Week Two

Rokia Traoré

UK Premiere A decade ago, Rokia Traoré started the Foundation Passerelle in Bamako to guard, inspire and create a platform for young Malian artists, with a long term view of developing their creative output and investing back into the Malian culture from which her work springs. Part of that process has been the fusion of influences and an interplay between the traditional and the contemporary. Bamanan Djourou is a musical show that has roots in this cross-fertilisation. Created around West African acoustic instruments such as the kora, ngoni, calabash, cajon – as well as the acoustic bass and guitar – it is a body of work that highlights the ways in which the traditional can give new life to

non-traditional, modern and contemporary music. Prepare to hear five musicians and six female singers, led by our 2019 Guest Director Rokia Traoré, deliver adaptations of traditional Bambara songs, popular French (Jacques Brel, Léo Ferré, Barbara) and international (Fela, Bob Marley, Miriam Makeba) tunes as you’ve never heard them before. Sat 18 May, 8pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £15, £18.50 £22.50 Under 26s £17.50, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Week Two

Talawa Theatre Company and Royal Court Theatre

Superhoe

written by Nicôle Lecky Sasha Clayton’s 24 and living with her mum, step-dad, and irritating little sister, in Plaistow. She’s gone from being the most popular girl at school, to spending most of her time on her own in her bedroom scrolling through social media. She may not have a job or a flat, and, admittedly her boyfriend’s not answering her calls; but she’s got talent and a dream – when she releases her first EP everything’s going to change. Superhoe is Nicôle Lecky’s Royal Court writing and performing debut and is the first collaboration between Talawa Theatre Company and the Royal Court Theatre.

Sun 19 May, 4.30pm & 8pm Mon 20 & Tue 21 May, 8pm Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts £15 Under 26 £12.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Thingumajig Theatre Ghost Caribou In Ghost Caribou, Thingumajig Theatre’s new night-time street act, giant illuminated creatures, part caribou, part spirit, roam a mystical world after dark, accompanied by a wild herdsperson. As they gather a crowd, they clear a space to perform their otherworldly ceremony. Using music, song and shadow puppets, they tell stories of lost homes, impossible migrations and seeds of hope before continuing the journey into their hauntingly beautiful dreamworld of the night. Duration 40 min Part of Without Walls, supported by Southern Water

Sat 18 May, 4.30pm walkabout 9pm full show Queens Park Free

‘I’m a singer slash rapper. I’m not the sort of girl that will be working in fucking Wetherspoons for 8 pounds an hour.’

@Niall McDiarmid

Age 14+, Duration 90 min approx.

Week Two

Anthony Horowitz The world’s greatest teenage spy is back – seven times over! In Alex Rider: Secret Weapons the boy hero appears in seven thrilling short stories, brought together for the first time, with three completely new adventures. Anthony Horowitz, one of the country’s most prolific writers, leads a lively talk about the inspirations and passions behind his phenomenally successful Alex Rider series. Ages 8–12, Duration 1h

Sun 19 May, 2pm Theatre Royal Brighton £7.50

Joseph Coelho Join children's author and poet Joseph Coelho as he shares from two of his picture books: Luna Loves Library Day about a young girl's magical experience reading books in her local library with her father; and IF ALL THE WORLD WERE…, a story about a girl’s love for her storytelling grandfather. Joseph will also help you create a whole new poem! Age 5+, Duration 1h

Sun 19 May, 11am Brighton & Hove High School £7.50

Ruby Wax How To Be Human We can’t stop the future from arriving, no matter what drugs we’re on. This new show sees the funny side of the tech revolution, providing the ultimate manual on how to upgrade your mind as much as you’ve upgraded your iPhone. Writer, comedian and mental health activist Ruby Wax takes a look at how to be human in an increasingly automated world. In this follow-up to her sell-out shows Sane New World and Frazzled, Wax is joined by a monk, Gelong Thubten and a neuroscientist Ash Ranpura who help us understand the mind and how our brains make us, well, us. Age 14+

Sun 19 May, 7.30pm Theatre Royal Brighton £22, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Week Two

Groove Baby

Under the Sea/ Into Space Structured around movement and adventure and played by professional jazz musicians, Groove Baby is not your average kiddie jam! Created by Cameron Reynolds as a special hybrid performance for 3 to 7 year-olds and their carers, it incorporates appropriately themed storytelling that engages kids. Designed to give parents an opportunity to get out and see a top concert while entertaining the little ones, Groove Baby avoids dumbing down and instead focuses on making each themed live gig as fun, engaging and exciting as possible for children. Whether you Groove Under the Sea or Groove Into Space with us at Brighton Festival, make sure you come with your best moves! Ages 3–7 (and families) Duration 1h (each) Relaxed performance Sun 19 May, 10am (see p73)

Writing Big Themes for Small People Can children’s books tackle the really difficult subjects – grief, loss and sadness? Writers who have taken on these themes – Sita Brahmachari, Joseph Coelho and Alan Durant – discuss with author Giles Paley-

Sun 19 May, Groove Under the Sea – 10am Groove Into Space – 12pm Brighthelm Centre RP £8, Children £6

Phillips why they did, the way children have responded and how stories and poems can help them and their grown-ups through difficult times. Age 18+, Duration 1h

Sun 19 May, 5.30pm Brighthelm Centre £7.50

Cerrie Burnell The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth Minnow, a girl with incredible underwater ability, goes on a journey from Brighton to Barbados on a mission to rescue her mother. Will she survive the enchanted creatures and pirates she meets? Join former CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell as she

presents her magical novel The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth. Cerrie will share her top storytelling tips, and inspire children to go on their own creative writing adventures. Ages 9–12 Duration 1h

Sun 19 May, 3pm Brighthelm Centre £7.50

Week Three

Malian Dance Night (Mali) Since Rokia Traoré’s Foundation Passerelle took its first steps in 2009, it has been nurturing and exploring the creativity and artists of Mali – building partnerships throughout Europe to ensure the wider world can experience the vibrant creativity of Mali’s young artists and hear their stories first hand. Join us for this special presentation of three new dance pieces by Mali’s next generation of extraordinary choreographers. Fatoumata Bagayoko, Bazoumana Kouyate and Daouda Keita are joined by Modibo Konate and Adiara Traoré for an evening of dance you will not want to miss. Mon 20 May, 7.30pm The Old Market £15 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Britten Sinfonia with Thomas Adès Beethoven Namensfeier Overture Beethoven Symphony 1 Beethoven Symphony 2

Britten Sinfonia make a welcome return to Brighton Festival with a concert as part of their three-year Beethoven Symphony Cycle with renowned composer and conductor Thomas Adès. Adès works regularly with orchestras, opera companies and festivals around the world.

Britten Sinfonia is one of the world’s most celebrated and pioneering ensembles acclaimed for its virtuoso musicianship and a versatility that is second to none. Together they bring a new and fresh approach to this all Beethoven concert. Duration 1 hour 35 mins

Mon 20 May, 7.30pm Theatre Royal Brighton £15, £18.50, £22, £25, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘Adès makes you hear things with which you thought you were familiar as if they were completely new’ The Guardian

Week Three

Rokia Traoré

Dream Mandé: Djata (Mali) UK Premiere Dream Mandé: Djata is a masterpiece of oral history using wordsmiths and musicians in the Mandinka tradition. The show melds together traditional griot structures with Traoré’s own narrative, to tell the age-old epic of Mandinka civilisation, using parts of the legend of Soundiata Keïta – the powerful founding father to the Malian empire. The result is a delicate, intimate, profoundly moving musical story of this ancient and underappreciated culture. It is a reinterpretation that celebrates the flexible style and solid structure of handed down oral and written history, music and community of the Mandinka people.

Accompanied by a fina – a bard or cultural master of the word, the kora, the n’goni and a djéli – a musical master, Traoré preserves the dramatics, original essence and meaning of a griot story in a foreign language. Tue 21 May, 8pm Theatre Royal Brighton £15, £18.50, £22.50, £25 Under 26 £18.50, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘…not a simple concert, but a complete show’ Le Monde

TrapTown (Belgium) UK Premiere In TrapTown, choreographer Wim Vandekeybus has created a distinct but unfamiliar world riven by a long-running conflict but where the sparks of freedom are emerging. Joining forces with architect duo Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, he creates a rich dance landscape that continues to look at the universal appeal of myth — an idea his works have continued to investigate since Blush in 2002 and more recently in Oedipus/bêt noir in 2011. Using a variety of artforms – dance, film, spoken word and an original musical score by Trixie Whitley and Phoenician Drive – Vandekeybus creates a complex and sensational multimedia alternative reality that moves audiences from catharsis to euphoria.

Tue 21 May, 7.30pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £10, £15, £18.50, £22.50 Schools £7.50, Under 26 £15 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Week Three

Wim Vandekeybus / Ultima Vez

Wim Vandekeybus Masterclass An incredible opportunity to take part in contemporary dance masterclass with internationally renowned Belgian choreographer Wim Vandekeybus. This masterclass is for advanced dancers (18+). See brightonfestival.org for details. Tue 21 May, 10.30am – 1pm The Studio, Brighton

Post-show meet & greet in Brighton Dome Foyer Age 14+, Duration 1h 45min

Generous funding is provided by the General Representation of the Government of Flanders in the UK

Week Three

TRIBE//

Still I Rise ‘A contemporary dance company that packs some punch’ Culturised.com TRIBE//’s debut work Still I Rise is a call to arms performed by an all-female cast. Raw, gutsy emotive and visceral dance work from choreographer Victoria Fox creates a stark world where the dancers push forwards with uplifting determination. This dance work channels the resilient, unapologetic nature of the seminal poem, written by African-American writer, singer, and activist Maya Angelou. A relentless hope for the human spirit, combined with a

soundtrack from pounding beats to classical arias, drives the journey onwards, falling down, gathering up…until we rise. Presented as part of Brighton Festival’s partnership with Worthing Theatres. Supported by Arts Council England, Pavilion Dance South West, Clearcut.

Wed 22 May, 8pm Theatre Royal Brighton £15, £17.50 Under 26 £12.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75) Thu 23 May, 7.30pm Connaught Theatre, Worthing Tickets from £12.50 Book via: box office 01903 206 206, worthingtheatres.co.uk

Cooped

As Brighton’s Spymonkey celebrate its 20th anniversary, don’t miss the opportunity to catch the show which made them an international comedy sensation. Cooped, a deliciously demented take on the pulp gothic romance – think Hitchcock’s Rebecca meets The Pink Panther – is replete with brilliant characters, rip-roaring farce and virtuoso physical comedy.

Week Three

Spymonkey

Beautiful, fawn-like Laura du Lay arrives in the heart of darkest Northumberlandshirehampton to work for the reclusive Forbes Murdston, but there are unsettling rumours that surround her new boss and his ominous manservant Klaus. A spooky mansion, a plucky young heroine and a handsome English aristocrat. Add a German butler and a Spanish soap star and you're...COOPED with Spymonkey! Directed by Cal McCrystal, the comedy genius behind One Man Two Guvnors. Presented as part of Brighton Festival’s partnership with Worthing Theatres

‘One of the funniest pieces of theatre you will ever see, performed by four of the greatest clowns working in Britain today’ Time Out

Wed 22 – Sat 25 May, 7.30pm Sat 25 – Sun 26 May, 2.30pm Pavilion Theatre, Worthing £12.50 – £25

Young City Reads 2019 Onjali Q. Raúf – The Boy at the Back of the Class The annual BIG READ for Sussex schools is Onjali Q. Raúf’s humorous child's perspective on the refugee crisis, The Boy at the Back of the Class. It is a book that beautifully highlights the importance of friendship and

kindness in a world that doesn't always make sense. Join Onjali to celebrate this wonderful book at a special live, interactive schools event. Teachers can sign up their class for free and receive weekly emails and resources to accompany the book by visiting cityreads.co.uk Produced by Collected Works CIC Ages 7–14, Duration 1h

Wed 22 May, 10.30am Brighton Dome Concert Hall £3

Week Three 48

Teatr Biuro Podrozy

Silence (Poland) Poland's Teatr Biuro Podrozy make their Brighton debut with this extraordinary large-scale spectacle, a moving insight into the lives of ordinary citizens trapped by war. Enduring constant incursions, endless humiliations and the ever-present threat of violence, we see the occupants of a city that could be anywhere and that feels very familiar from our daily news cycle.

Acclaimed for their seminal open-air production, Carmen Funebre, Teatr Biuro Podrozy return to the UK with this critically acclaimed sequel. To a soundtrack of plaintive cello and metallic riffs, this brave and experimental company once again remind us how fragile and yet how strong we are in the face of adversity.

Under threat by soldiers roaring through their lives on motorbikes, intimidated by the extraordinary menace of flaming stilt walkers burning all before them, Teatr Biuro Podrozy use light, sound and pyrotechnics to conjure the visceral reality of war. However, this dystopian tale is also a moving celebration of the resilience of communities and their extraordinary capacity for survival.

Use of strobe lighting effects, stage smoke, open fire and motorcycles

Age 12+

Wed 22 May – Sat 25 May, 8.30pm & 10pm Black Rock £15, Under 26 £12.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Week Three

Ko Saba and Ariwo Ko Saba, a six-strong collective, mixes rural west African heritage with the energy of Bamako, one of the region’s most vibrant cities. It combines the sounds of traditional string and percussion instruments from across Mali, among them the balafon, barra, kamélé n’goni and n’goni with western drums and bass guitar.

Noda, figurehead of London's Cuban music scene; and Ropeadope’s Canadian jazz trumpeter, Jay Phelps. Working at the intersection of ancestral and electronic music to create a hypnotising mix of Cuban rhythms, club electronics and jazz riffs, Ariwo's live shows are exhilarating events.

Ariwo brings together Iranian electronic composer and producer Pouya Ehsaei; Carlos Acosta’s Latin Grammy award-winning percussion virtuoso Hammadi Valdes; Oreste

Wed 22 May, 8pm The Old Market £15, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Hayley Fohr

Salomé Hayley Fohr of Circuit des Yeux’s new soundtrack to the cult 1923 silent movie Salomé makes its way to Brighton following its premiere at Leeds International Festival last year, commissioned by Opera North. It features the otherworldly voice and songwriting of Haley Fohr who has been compared with Nina Simone, Nico and even Scott Walker. Fohr brings a modern context and a more feminist commentary to the controversial Salomé. The silent film was a flop when it was first released but was rediscovered in the '70s and is now seen as the cornerstone of camp, treasured for its weirdly beautiful atmosphere and its notorious Russian star, Alla Nazimova. Thu 23 May, 8.30pm The Old Market £18.50, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘Salomé and Circuit des Yeux feels like a dream combination.’ Opera North 49

Week Three BERLIN

True Copy (Belgium)

UK Premiere | Co-produced by Brighton Festival

Generous funding is provided by the General Representation of the Government of Flanders in the UK

when does it matter, when a fakery is just as accomplished as the real thing? When is it better to play along with an elaborate lie that diverts from the truth? Co-presented with Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. Supported by the Flemish Governement. Co-producers – deSingel (Antwerp, BE), le CENTQUATRE (Paris, FR), Het Zuidelijk Toneel (Tilburg, NL), Brighton Festival (UK), C-TAKT, (Limburg, BE), Theaterfestival Boulevard (Den Bosch, NL), PACT Zollverein (Essen, DE). Duration 80min

Thu 23 May – Sun 26 May, 8pm Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts £15, Under 26 £12.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75) GM Building is proud to support True Copy at Brighton Festival

@Koen Broos

Based on the true story of possibly the most successful art forger in the world, BERLIN uses its genre-curious style to expose the hypocrisy of the art world. When police tracked down Geert Jan Jansen (and more than 1,600 forged works of Picasso, Dalí, Matisse and Hockney) they put a stop to a 20-year career which fooled the art world. Inspired by his story, True Copy explores the constant balancing act required to keep fiction and reality seamless in order to preserve one man’s life – and his deceit of the entire art world. What is the truth, and

SESSION

In this explosive outdoor gathering, Bristolbased performance company Still House joins forces with the Tottenham-based Steppaz Performing Arts Academy and north London’s music production powerhouse Empire Sounds to create a high-energy night of dance and live music.

@Paul Blakemore

Part gig, part social and part dance party, the show is led by an ensemble of young dancers who move across hip hop, contemporary folk and Afrobeats, celebrating community, youth and belonging.

‘The complex choreography, unstoppable spirit and commitment of these young performers is beyond impressive.’ êêêêê To Do List, London

‘Thrilling. Makes you feel alive’ Bristol 24/7, Best dance of 2018 Produced by MAYK. Co-commissioned by LIFT, Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, Bristol Old Vic Ferment and Pavilion Dance South West.

Week Three

Still House/Steppaz and Empire Sounds

Supported by Arts Council England. Duration 50min

Thu 23 May – Sun 26 May, 8.30pm Beach level at the i360 Pay What You Can With thanks to the i360 for supporting this production

'Delighted to sponsor SESSION as part of our commitment to universal equality of opportunity'

Week Three

Chineke! Works by Copland, Gershwin, Ibert and Weill Wayne Marshall conductor Stewart Goodyear piano Nadine Benjamin soprano Peter Brathwaite baritone Copland Music for the Theatre Ibert Divertissement Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue (jazz band version) Weill Suite from The Threepenny Opera Copland Old American Songs Gershwin Songs from Porgy and Bess

Founded in 2015 by Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, the Chineke! Foundation provides career opportunities for young Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) musicians in the UK and Europe. Chineke!'s flagship ensemble is the Chineke! Orchestra which comprises professional musicians from across the continent and further afield, brought together several times a year

to perform at leading festivals in England and abroad. As well as performing standard orchestral repertoire, Chineke! champions the works of BME composers both living and from the past. Making a welcome return to this year’s Festival, Chineke! bring their extraordinary energy and enthusiasm to this evening’s performance, taking us on a journey through the 1920s from New York to Weill’s Vienna. Duration 2 hours approx.

Thu 23 May, 7.30pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £10, £15, £18.50, £22.50, £25 Under 26 £15 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

'Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past' George Orwell

A unique collaboration between award-winning UK Bharatanatyam artist Seeta Patel and Australian choreographer Lina Limosani, Not Today's Yesterday is a one-woman politically charged dance.

Week Three

Not Today's Yesterday (UK / India)

Blending techniques from Indian Bharatanatyam, contemporary dance and theatre (and channelling the tension of a Grimms’ fairytale), the piece questions the distorted narratives we have come to accept as accurate history. In its first appearance at Brighton Festival, Not Today’s Yesterday offers you a chance to engage in the most important geo-political conversations of this decade. Age 12+, Duration 50min Post-show discussion (45 min)

Thu 23 May, 8pm Theatre Royal Brighton £15, Concessions £10 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘This is outstanding, innovative, must-see dance’ êêêêê Adelaide Now

‘An unmissable treat’ British Theatre Guide

Luke Wright: Poet Laureate A new Poet Laureate is due to be announced in 2019 and Wrighty’s up for it. He’s on a mission to write poems to unite a divided nation – a nation riven by austerity and Brexit. Can it be done? Can one poet really represent a nation? Following a sell-out run in Edinburgh, Luke Wright returns to Brighton Festival with Poet Laureate. Come and witness him put his case across with big-hearted poems that reflect his 20th year as a gigging poet. Already a Fringe First and Stage Award-winner, could this be the gig that gets him THE gig? Can he pull it off? Thu 23 May, 7.30pm Brighthelm Centre £12.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75) 53

Week Three

The End of Fear (U) Dir: Barbara Visser. Netherlands 2018. 70 mins. Dutch with English Subtitles. In 1986 one of the most famous crimes against art was committed when a man attacked a Barnett Newman painting in Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum with a box cutter; the large abstract canvas entitled Who’s Afraid of Red, Yellow and Blue III was slashed in an act of anti-modernist vandalism. The American conservator Daniel Goldreyer was hired to restore the painting but when the canvas was returned to the gallery, it had been plastered over with red paint and a roller, finally destroying the work of art. Artist and film-maker Barbara Visser calls into question the value of art, cultural gatekeeping and notions of appropriation and authorship with her playful and innovative investigation into what makes art art. Thu 23 May, 9pm Duke’s at Komedia £13.50, £12.50 Student / Retired

Peacock Poetry Prize Aged 8–19 and love to write? This could be your chance to win our annual poetry competition! The theme, chosen by our Guest Director, Rokia Traoré, is Journeys. Whether you’re writing about your favourite stroll or the distance between you and your dreams, you are invited to submit a poem (20 lines or fewer).

Deadline: Fri 12 Apr Categories: Age 8–11; 12–15; 15–19 There will be a tea party and award ceremony for finalists and their families in Brighton Dome Founders Room where the winners in each category will be announced on Thu 23 May at 5pm. Email your entry with your name and age to: peacock@brightonfestival.org Maximum of three poems per entrant. There is no entry fee. The Peacock Poetry Prize is supported by Brighton, Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) Supported by Higgidy

Played Twice

Sunday at the Village Vanguard After making a big smash last year, East London’s joyous concept night Played Twice returns to Brighton Festival.

@Lucy Brooks

The concept is simple: take a landmark album, listen to it all the way through, then hear a top notch band reinterpret that same recording live on stage. This time it’ll be David Okumu leading a band as they reinterpret the Bill Evans Trio classic Sunday at the Village Vanguard.

Thu 23 May, 7pm All Saints Church £16, Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

Week Three

A Midsummer Night’s Dream ‘Open air theatre as it should be and at its very, very best.’ BBC Shakespeare’s magic-filled comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream is performed in the open air by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the UK’s premiere all male theatre company, to celebrate its 15th year. Bring a chair or a rug to enjoy a glorious May’s evening watching one of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays. Experience this enchanting performance,

Peter Sellars and Rokia Traoré

overflowing with Elizabethan costumes, fairies, sprites, dukes, confused lovers and music and dance. Duration 2 hours 10 mins Touch Tour Sat 25 May, 12.45pm (see p73)

Thu 23 – Sat 25 May, 6.30pm Fri 24 & Sat 25 May, 1.30pm Schools Matinee - Fri 24 May, 1.30pm St. Nicholas Rest Garden £17.50, Under 19 / Festival Standby £10 Members' First Night Offer £15 Family Ticket £50

Two incredible artists, two amazing imaginations, two long-time friends and collaborators. What could come from a conversation between Peter Sellars and Rokia Traoré? Inspiration? Innovation? Passion? We invite you to eavesdrop on these two friends as they explore our world through the lens of humanity, compassion and art. Warm, unfettered and intimate, this is a conversation not to be missed. Fri 24 May, 1pm The Old Market £12.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75) 55

Week Three

Tijmur Dance Theatre

Varhung: Heart to Heart (Taiwan) Ancient Taiwanese cultural traditions are brought up to date by one of the Pacific island's premier indigenous dance-theatre companies. Tjimur presents a richly patterned, open-hearted performance that shows how the Paiwan people, not used to discussing private feelings, use artforms to bring them to the surface.

Such fine-tuned awareness lends the distinctly personal and tribal impulses of Varhung: Heart to Heart an eloquent universal resonance.

Working in close collaboration with the company’s founding artistic director Ljuzem Madiljin, in-house choreographer (and sibling) Baru Madiljin work with dynamic dancers to show how even a simple task such as weaving can lay bare your deepest emotions.

Fri 24 & Sat 25 May, 8pm Sat 25 May, 2pm Theatre Royal Brighton £10, £15, £17.50 Under 26 £12.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

This project has been assisted by

Age 8+, Duration 50 min

Sunday Times

New Daughters of Africa

with Margaret Busby

In 1992, Margaret Busby edited what Carol Boyce Davis described as ‘one of the most significant assemblages of writers across the diaspora’, effectively collating oral and written work from women of African descent, from the female Pharaoh Hatsheput, through poet Maya Angelou and singer Billie Holiday, to emerging writers such as Tsitsi Dangaremba. Many of the writers in the anthology went on to become widely recognised and translated, and the book, Daughters of Africa, is considered ‘an invaluable text’ (Library Journal). A quarter of a century later, Margaret Busby has edited New Daughters of Africa, with over 200 writers and a much greater focus on the contemporary. Compiled with the same rigour as the original, it promises to become a classic.

Week Three

‘…an extraordinary body of achievement… a vital document of lost history’

Fri 24 May, 7.30pm Brighthelm Centre £10

Slow Moving Clouds (Ireland) Slow Moving Clouds are a contemporary acoustic band based in Dublin combining roots in Nordic and Irish traditional music with minimalist and experimental influences to create a sound unlike anything you’ve heard before.

soundscapes of cello, violin and nyckelharpa.

On their new album Starfall on Justin Vernon’s new label People, Slow Moving Clouds blend traditional and contemporary melodies, evocative Nordic vocals, and layered string

Fri 24 May, 8pm The Old Market £17.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

The lush and darkly atmospheric results have drawn comparisons to Icelandic minimalist legends Sigur Ros and Irish traditional supergroup The Gloaming.

Week Three

Another Star to Steer By by Andrew McCaldon

World Premiere | Brighton Festival Commission One day Maya packs her bag, ready to say goodbye to her home. As she leaves, she finds a little paper boat and begins a very big adventure! Join Maya on a magical journey as she sets sail on a voyage full of sea-soaked folktales, discovers fabulous creatures, meets legends of far-flung oceans, and begins searching for her own story out on the rolling waves.

Age 6+, Duration 45min. Wheelchair accessible.

Sat 25 May, 2pm & 5pm Sun 26 May 11am, 2pm & 5pm Brighthelm Centre £10, Under 16 £7.50

Illustration Oliver Smyth

BSL interpreted performance Sun 26 May, 11am Relaxed performance Sun 26 May, 11am

Another Star to Steer By is a brand new live show celebrating the power of storytelling. Co-production with Half Moon Theatre.

‘For every story that’s told a star shines in the sky.’

Our exciting storytelling show for primary children (6+) and their adults can come to you! Our paper boat will sail into your School, Library, Community Centre or Church Hall and our actors will present a 45-minute show just for you and your community. Become a Brighton Festival promoter – just get in touch and tell us you would like the show at your place and we will help you make it happen! The show is available 20 – 24 May with performances in the morning and afternoon to suit your timetable. Please contact: paperboat@brightonfestival.org

Chitra Soundar has collected and retold some ancient trickster tales from India in which young Prince Veera and his friend Suku get into a pickle or two. The king is away, and they have the power to run his kingdom! What will they do? Come and listen to

Week Three

A Jar of Pickles and a Pinch of Justice

Chitra bring these stories alive in Brighton. Chitra Soundar is an Indian-born British author of over 30 books for children. Age 7+ 2018 Eugenie Summerfield Children’s Book Prize Winner

Sat 25 May, 11am Brighton Dome Founders Room £7.50

Nimesh the Adventurer with Ranjit Singh Nimesh’s walk home from school is no ordinary walk! Join him, and you’ll tiptoe past a dragon, swim with sharks, and maybe even see a princess. Author Ranjit Singh leads this

Tomorrow: a story from Syria Nominated for the 2019 Kate Greenaway Medal Nadine Kaadan is a Syrian writer and illustrator who tells lovely, uplifting stories about Damascus, the city she grew

amazing adventure, igniting young readers’ imaginations! Nimesh the Adventurer is nominated for the 2019 Kate Greenaway Medal. Age 6+

Sat 25 May, 3pm Brighton Dome Founders Room £7.50 up in. Come and hear Nadine tell the story of a brave young boy called Yazan from her book Tomorrow, and join in some fun art activities too! Age 6+

Sat 25 May, 1pm Brighton Dome Founders Room £7.50

Acts of Care

Gautam Malkani & Michael Donkor According to Carers Trust, there are over a quarter of a million young adult carers (aged 16–25) in the UK, looking after family members with long-term health challenges. There is also a near-invisible economy of young adults working as domestic help within affluent families. These two novelists present new work inspired by these rarely-tackled Acts of Care. Gautam Malkani and Michael Donkor will read from their respective novels – the ‘engrossing’ (Financial Times) Distortion and ‘accomplished’ (The Guardian) Hold, followed by a discussion led by chair Naana Orleans-Amissah, a counsellor and literary enthusiast.

Age 12+

Sat 25 May, 8pm Brighton & Hove High School £10

Week Three

The PappyShow

BOYS

What do we feel, what do we show, what do you see? We all have ideas of what makes a man, and we’re throwing ourselves headfirst into exploring this question.

preconceptions and uncover the endless possibilities that can make up a man.

Celebrating male tenderness, silliness, vulnerability and community with a cast of young men of colour from England, BOYS gives us a window to share their experiences, their hopes, families and globe-spanning heritage. In their stories, brought alive by a ‘slick and impressive’ (The Reviews Hub) physical performance, you will see reflections of your brothers, friends, parents and lovers. Unscripted, with each story uniquely told in every performance, BOYS is a joyful and tender dance that hopes to unravel

Sat 25 & Sun 26 May, 7.30pm Sun 26 May 2.30pm The Old Market £12.50 Under 26 / Festival Standby £10 (see p75)

‘Disarmingly charming’ Lyn Gardner, Stagedoor 60

Age 10+, Duration 65min BSL interpreted performance, Sat 25 May, 7.30pm

Post-show talk Sat 25 May

‘Tender, strong, funny, vulnerable, charming and so much more’ êêêê Broadway World

Week Three

Neneh Cherry + support In a record that's equal parts angry, thoughtful, melancholic and emboldening, Neneh Cherry's fifth solo album, Broken Politics, asks big questions about a world in flux, patient in the quest, but also acknowledging that sometimes the answers don't exist.

However, in live performance Cherry’s untameable energy and genuine investment in the sentiment of her music makes every song crackle with energy. In the words of The Guardian, Cherry’s music is 'simultaneously beautiful and abrasive, cheerful and deeply sad, much like its maker'.

A continuation of Neneh's collaboration with Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden, with whom she worked on her 2014 release Blank Project, Broken Politics is more reflective and subdued.

Sat 25 May, 8pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £22.50 Festival Standby £10 (see p75) 61

Week Three Lunchtimes

Safe

with Derek Owusu et al What is the experience of Black men in Britain? How expansive is their representation in the media? Does it even begin to capture the complexity of their existence? How many Black men are being failed by not being seen? SAFE: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space is an anthology that seeks to answer those questions. Including essays from leading writers, musicians, actors and journalists, it assembles a range of powerful reflections exploring the Black British male experience and what it really means to reclaim and hold space in the landscape of British society. Derek Owusu, Mostly Lit podcast host and editor, leads a conversation that embraces family, mental health, the LGBT community and grime music.

Sun 26 May, 5pm The Basement £10

Guest Director's Guests

An opportunity for young people aged 16–19 to meet Brighton Festival Guest Director Rokia Traoré.

If you are interested in taking up this opportunity, please write a sentence beginning:

We are looking for up to ten young people who have an interest in pursuing a career in performing arts who would like to meet Rokia over an informal coffee during her time here in May.

‘I would like to meet Rokia Traoré because.......' and send it to pippa.smith@brightonfestival.org by Wed 1 May 2019.

Week Three

@Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1988-078-08 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, https://bit.ly/1GZ3S7R

A Child of our Time Philharmonia Orchestra Brighton Festival Chorus Roderick Cox conductor Trio Isimsiz Gweneth Ann Rand soprano Ronnita Miller mezzo Alexandre Garziglia tenor Jonathan Lemalu bass Beethoven Piano Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C major Op. 56 Tippett A Child of Our Time

Tippett’s A Child of Our Time, was inspired by the assassination in 1938 of a German diplomat by a young Jewish refugee, and the Nazi government's violent reaction against its Jewish population, called ‘Kristallnacht’. The oratorio, which has five AfricanAmerican spirituals at its heart was

composed at the start of WWII and reflects the experiences of oppressed people, carrying a strongly pacifist message of ultimate understanding and reconciliation. Beethoven’s Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C major, popularly known as the Triple Concerto, is performed by young artists Trio Isimsiz. This special concert is performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra alongside Brighton Festival Chorus and a cast of world-class soloists and promises a deeply emotional journey and particularly poignant end to our 2019 Festival programme. Duration 2h 10 min

Sun 26 May, 7.30pm Brighton Dome Concert Hall £12.50, £18.50, £22.50, £27.50, £32.50 63

Lunchtimes

Our series of one-hour daytime concerts featuring classical stars of the future

Siren Duo Claire Wickes flute Tomos Xerri harp Alwyn Naiades Takemitsu Toward the Sea Liam Mattison Folding Stars and Other Love Songs Bax Sonata for Flute and Harp

Claire Wickes and Tomos Xerri have been performing as Siren Duo since 2015, alongside burgeoning careers as soloists and orchestra players. This

Marmen Quartet Haydn String Quartet in B flat major Op. 50 No. 1 Debussy String Quartet in G minor Op. 10

Founded in 2013, the Marmen Quartet is fresh from success in last year’s Royal Overseas League Competition. The ensemble’s artistry is perfectly encapsulated in two contrasting masterworks for the string quartet: the first of

Michael Matthews Michael Matthews guitar Leo Brouwer El decameron Negro Downland Lachrimae, Pavan, Fantasia No. 7

The flamboyant, intensely expressive performances of Michael Matthews reflect his upbringing in Europe, Africa and South America, and his studies with the unorthodox virtuoso Rob

Lines from a Wanderer Marcus Farnsworth baritone Libby Burgess piano Schubert Der Wanderer an den Mond D.870 Auf der Donau D.553 Die Götter Griechenlands D.677 Auf der Bruck D.853 John Casken Lines from a Wanderer Britten (arr.) Folksongs

The internationally acclaimed baritone Marcus Farnsworth

concert, inspired by myths and storytelling, includes Alwyn’s evocation of water nymphs; Takemitsu’s work inspired by Melville’s novel Moby Dick; a love story written specially for the duo by Liam Mattison; and Bax’s evocative flute and harp sonata. In association with The Worshipful Company of Musicians

Thu 9 May, 1pm St Nicholas Church, £10 Haydn’s Op. 50 quartets, an essay in pared-down elegance; and Debussy’s only string quartet, an early work that anticipates the composer’s unique musical impressionism. In association with Royal Over-Seas League and The Worshipful Company of Musicians

Fri 10 May, 1pm Theatre Royal Brighton £10 Johns. Matthews is fascinated by the links between the music of the Renaissance and today; this powerhouse programme will include Leo Brouwer’s El decameron Negro, which fuses inspiration from 14th-century Italy and 20th-century Africa. In association with The Tillett Trust

Mon 13 May, 1pm St Nicholas Church £10 and the pianist Libby Burgess perform a collection of songs that explore places, journeys and wanderings. John Casken’s Lines from a Wanderer, a song cycle that includes settings of poems by Yeats, Browning and Hardy, is flanked by lieder by Schubert and English folksongs arranged by Britten. Supported by the family of the late Professor Sir David Watson (1949-2015)

Wed 15 May, 1pm All Saints Church £10

Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula piano Schubert Moments musicaux D 780 Op. 94 Schumann Fantasie in C, Op.17

One of the most dynamic talents of his generation, the Swiss pianist Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula, a protégé of Sir András Schiff, is fast establishing a stellar international career. In this scintillating

Jerwood Glyndebourne Young Artists Stephanie Wake-Edwards mezzo-soprano Sahel Salam tenor Frederick Jones tenor Harry Thatcher baritone

programme he embraces the concision of Schubert’s six miniatures and the expansive Romanticism of Schumann’s sweeping Fantasie. Thu 16 May, 1pm All Saints Church £10

Lunchtimes

Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula

In association with YCAT

young singers and nurture the great voices of tomorrow. This special concert presents members of the Jerwood Young Artists scheme performing operatic excerpts from every corner of the repertory.

Sam Carl bass baritone

Glyndebourne works with the Jerwood Charitable Foundation to support the development of

Fri 17 May, 1pm All Saints Church £10

Jonathan Radford & Ashley Fripp

A heady mixture of eras and musical styles is brewed by the saxophonist Jonathan Radford and the pianist Ashley Fripp this duo as they ransack the repertoire for this expressive programme.

Debussy Rhapsodie for alto saxophone and piano Cheryl Frances-Hoad New work for saxophone and piano (world premiere) Vitali Chaconne in G minor Christian Lauba Jungle for solo alto saxophone Albéniz Suite Española Op. 47 Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue

Ruisi Quartet Purcell Three four-part Fantasias Beethoven String Quartet No. 8 in E minor Op. 59 No. 2

The winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society Award for Young British String Players, the Ruisi Quartet is rapidly forging a reputation as a powerfully charismatic ensemble. This concert will include the second of

In association with Royal Over-Seas League

Mon 20 May, 1pm St Nicholas Church £10

Beethoven’s three ‘Razumovsky’ quartets, which broke boundaries with their technical and emotional range. In association with Kirckman Concert Society

Tue 21 May, 1pm The Old Market £10

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Leadership Support Leadership Support:

Becoming a Member is a great way to support our work and stay involved with us all year-round. As a registered charity we rely on the generous support of our Members & Patrons to continue to produce and present over 600 events each year, and to continue with a number of community projects in our city.

Membership starts from £30 a year and comes with priority booking on all Brighton Festival events, selected Brighton Dome events, and no per order charge on ticket bookings. We even offer our Members backstage access to the work we present, with invitations to behind the scenes rehearsals.

Support Us

Join & Support

Join online at brightonfestival.org/membership Visit our ticket office or call Victoria on 01273 260827

Thank you to all our Members – we couldn't do it without you. Look out for Members’ offers on top price tickets throughout these pages, available on first night performances wherever you see this icon:

Alongside Brighton Festival

Two new commissions at the University of Brighton Sun 3 March – Sun 12 May

brighton.ac.uk

The University of Brighton is delighted to present two new commissions in the galleries at Grand Parade: the UK premiere of British - Sri Lankan artist Arunasalam’s new film The Tent alongside Fiona Grady’s installation and new public artwork for Brighton Spectra Waves. Tent has been co-commissioned with the Tetley Gallery, Leeds and the Colombo Biennale, Sri Lanka and is supported by the British Council and Arts Council England.

All the King’s Horses: The story of the Royal Stables and Riding School Tue 2 April – Sun 29 Sep

brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton

Brighton Museum This new display showcases rarely seen images of the Royal Stables from the city’s own collections. It tracks the story of George IV’s passion for horses from his first visits to Brighton in the 1780s to the creation of the magnificent new stables complex (now Brighton Dome’s Concert Hall and Corn Exchange), built between 1803 and 1808.

Brighton Fringe Fri 3 May – Sun 2 June

brightonfringe.org

Dare to discover England’s largest arts festival, a month-long extravaganza of cabaret, theatre, circus, music, dance, comedy, visual arts and much more. Choose from over 4,000 performances and events on offer. Begin by exploring Fringe City, our free outdoor Festival on New Road, showcasing hundreds of acts every weekend of the Festival. This year’s Fringe includes innovative work in the International Seasons, an accessible programme of events in the Freedom Season, and many award-winning shows.

Artists Open Houses weekends Sat 4 – Sun 26 May

aoh.org.uk

Visiting local artists in their homes and studios is an unmissable part of the festival season. Over four weekends in May, artists open their doors to offer work from over 1,000 artists exhibiting in 200 venues across the city, out to Rottingdean, Newhaven, Ditchling and beyond. Artists work in media ranging from painting, photography and sculpture to ceramics, textiles and jewellery. With homemade tea and cake on offer too, the Artists Open Houses are a very special weekend treat.

Sat 4 May – Sun 2 June

secretgardenkemptown.co.uk

The Secret Garden Kemp Town The Secret Garden is exhibiting a stunning selection of major works by William Pye, the internationally acclaimed sculptor. William Pye’s sculptures are made principally from stainless steel and cast bronze, and moving water is integral to most of his work. His sculptures may be seen in public places and private gardens throughout the world, and this is a rare opportunity to enjoy an exciting range of his finest pieces, carefully chosen to suit this specific location.

The Great Escape Thu 9 – Sat 11 May

greatescapefestival.com

With over 450 emerging artists performing across 30+ walkable venues and outdoor spaces, The Great Escape is renowned globally as the leading showcase festival for launching new talent in the UK and Europe. On the line-up so far this year are Lewis Capaldi, Connie Constance, Skynd, Indoor Pets, Jockstrap, Steam Down, Body Type and many more.

Alongside Brighton Festival

The Sculpture Of William Pye

Same Sky 30th Anniversary Sat 11 May, 2pm – 6pm, Parade at 8.30pm

samesky.co.uk

Wild Park, Lewes Rd, Brighton Same Sky conjures up an afternoon of folk magic and marvellous moments. A long lazy day in the park for the whole family, including Carousel music stage, wild storytelling, eating things, making workshops and extra-planetary activity. Full on excitement and inspiration for all ages, and free entry.

Charleston Festival Thu 18 – Sat 20 May

charleston.org.uk/festival

Charleston Festival celebrates its landmark 30th anniversary with a line-up of exceptional speakers, including: Gina Miller on Brexit, Caroline Criado-Perez and Cathy Newman on gender inequality, Naomi Wolf on her new book Outrages, Mary Robinson on climate justice, director of BBC News Kamal Ahmed on prejudice, Peter Blake on 1960s art, Maria Balshaw on pop culture and protest, and Mark Urban on the Skripals. Plus Alan Bennett, Tina Brown, Michael Palin and many more.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Sat 18 May – Sun 8 Sep

brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton

Brighton Museum The world-renowned exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum in London, features 100 photographs showcasing extraordinary animal behaviour and the breathtaking diversity of life on Earth. Experience the changing face of nature and uncover the stories behind the photographs.

At a Glance

Art & Film Nwando Ebizie Distorted Constellations (p7) Writers at Risk (p7) Fototala King Massassy Iron Men (p8) Serge Attukwei Clottey Current Affairs (p9) Vox Motus Flight (p10) Newtoy Wet Sounds (p13) John McEnroe: In The Realm Of Perfection (p22)

Our Place (p6)

Classical Pitch Perfect (p14) Ensembles Correspondances (p16) Paraorchestra The Nature of Why (p18) Song Recital Music Room (p20) Sir András Schiff (p27)

Yeelen (Brightness) (p27)

Brighton Youth Orchestra Fiesta of Music from around the World (p28)

The End of Fear (p54)

Ensembles Variances Outre Mémoire (p33)

Books and debates Zena Edwards, with Bridget Minamore, Hibaq Osman and Laurie Ogden Caged Birds Do (p14) Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, Zena Edwards, Sharmaine Lovegrove & Roger Robinson Some Small Isle (p16)

Stile Antico and Rihab Azar Songs of Longing and Exile (p34) Brighton Festival Youth Choir Under the Moon (p36) Britten Sinfonia With Thomas Adès (p43) Chineke! (p52) A Child of our Time (p63)

Janet Vokes Dream Horse (p17) Daniel Hahn PEN Translates 250 (p17) Sigrid Rausing and Ian Jack Granta at 40 (p18) Ben Okri Adventures in Writing (p19) Common People (p20) Jacob Sam-La Rose Unseen Mentor (p22) Sulaiman Addonia, Chloe Aridjis, Laia Jufresa & Nikesh Shukla Travelling Traditions (p25) Zawe Ashton & Candice Carty-Williams Shapeshifters (p27) City Reads: S.K. Perry Let Me Be Like Water (p28) Joanne Ramos & Season Butler The New Dystopians (p31)

Contemporary Music Rokia Traoré Né So (p12) 30 Years Of Mr Bongo (p15) King of Ghosts (p19) Sam Sweeney The Unfinished Violin (p22) Eye to Eye (p24) AKA Trio (p25) Chilly Gonzales (p29) Rokia Traoré Dream Mandé: Bamanan Djourou (p39) Groove Baby Under the Sea / Into Space (p42) Rokia Traoré Dream Mandé: Djata (p44)

Bring Me In (p31)

Salomé (p49)

Will Ashon with Kevin Le Gendre Chamber Music (p35)

Ko Saba and Ariwo (p49)

Shelina Permalloo Flavour Migrations (p35)

Played Twice Sunday at the Village Vanguard (p54)

Luke Wright Poet Laureate (p53)

Slow Moving Clouds (p57)

Peter Sellars and Rokia Traoré (p55)

Neneh Cherry Broken Politics (p61)

Margaret Busby New Daughters of Africa (p57) Gautam Malkani & Michael Donkor Acts of Care (p59) Derek Owusu Safe (p62)

Circus Gravity & Other Myths Backbone (p30)

Comedy Jon Ronson (p23) An Evening with Andy Hamilton (p29) Ruby Wax How To Be Human (p41)

Flexer and Sandiland and Dybwikdans Curiouser (p23) Malian Dance Night (p43) Wim Vandekeybus / Ultima Vez TrapTown (p45)

Berlin True Copy (p50) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (p55) Another Star to Steer By (p58) The PappyShow Boys (p60) Our Place (p6)

TRIBE// Still I Rise (p46) Not Today's Yesterday (p53) Tjimur Varhung: Heart to Heart (p56) Still House/Steppaz and Empire Sounds SESSION (p51) Our Place (p6)

Young Literature Miriam Halahmy Creative Writing Workshop (p17)

At a Glance

Dance

Holly Smale Meet The Valentines (p28) Adopt an Author (p33) Guy Parker Rees Giraffes Can't Dance (p38) Little Green Pig AMPLIFIED (p38)

Lunchtimes Siren Duo (p64) Marmen Quartet (p64) Michael Matthews (p64) Lines from a Wanderer (p64) Jean-Sélim Abdelmoula (p65) Jerwood Glyndebourne Young Artists (p65) Jonathan Radford & Ashley Fripp (p65) Ruisi Quartet (p65)

Outdoor Our Place (p6) Children’s Parade (p11)

Sophy Henn Bad Nana (p38) Nick Sharratt The Cat and the King (p38) Anthony Horowitz (p41) Joseph Coelho (p41) Writing Big Themes for Small People (p42) Cerrie Burnell The Girl with the Shark’s Teeth (p42) Young City Reads The Boy at the Back of the Class (p47) Peacock Poetry Prize (p54) Chitra Soundar A Jar of Pickles & a Pinch of Justice (p59) Ranjit Singh Nimesh the Adventurer (p59) Nadine Kaadan Tomorrow (p59)

Without Walls (p26)

Plus

Luke Jerram Museum of the Moon (p37)

Your Brighton Festival (p66)

Thingumajig Theatre Ghost Caribou (p40) Teatr Biuro Podrozy Silence (p48)

Spoken Word Apples and Snakes Storycraft (p28) The Storytelling Army (p36)

Theatre Kneehigh Dead Dog in A Suitcase (p21)

Other icons to help you navigate the brochure Young Brighton Festival Free event Members’ First Night Offer

My Left Right Foot: The Musical (p32) Jaamil Olawale Kosoko Séancers (p34) Talawa Theatre Company and Royal Court Theatre Superhoe (p40) Spymonkey Cooped (p47)

Booking Information

Join In: this is YOUR Brighton Festival We know that the arts can inspire, motivate and positively impact people’s lives. That’s why we have created a number of ways to encourage everyone to join in; from those giving the arts a first try to locals wanting to volunteer or artists developing creative skills. We’ve something for every walk of young life – from infants to instagrammers – in our Young Brighton Festival Programme (p5), a host of artist talks and workshops for the curious and inquisitive throughout May and many ways to connect with your community and help bring the magic of Brighton Festival to others. Full details at brightonfestival.org/joinin

Brighton Festival Local Discounts Take advantage of these exclusive offers from some of our friends in the city for Brighton Festival ticket holders or Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival Members.

Best of Brighton Holiday Lettings Best of Brighton Holiday Lettings are offering Brighton Festival ticket holders 10% off all of our properties. bestofbrighton.co.uk 01273 308779 3 Kensington Place, BN1 4EJ enquiries@bestofbrighton.co.uk

Terms and Conditions: • Valid for bookings made between 15th Jan 2019 and 31st July 2019. • For holidays taken before 31st Dec 2019. • Standard booking terms apply. • The promotional code BFEST19 can be redeemed online and by phone by calling the Best of Brighton office. • We reserve the right to withdraw or amend this offer at any time without prior notice. • Discount only applicable on presentation of a Brighton Festival 2019 ticket

Bill’s Brighton Enjoy any bottle of wine up to the value of £20 when buying two mains and showing your Brighton Festival ticket or Membership card between Sunday bills-website.co.uk | 01273 692894 100 North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YE

Moshimo Pre-show 25% discount on all eat-in food, on production of a valid BDBF Membership card or Brighton Dome moshimo.co.uk | 01273 719195 Bartholomew Square, Brighton BN1 1JS

Terre à Terre 10% off food only, from the a la carte menu with your Brighton Festival ticket or valid membership card. terreaterre.co.uk | 01273 729051 71 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HQ

British Sign Language Interpreted Please confirm when booking if you require this service, so that we can book you a seat. Without Walls (p26) One performance of each show will be BSL interpreted on Sat 11 May. See brightonfestival.org for full information. The Nature of Why (p18) Mon 6 May, 6pm & 8.30pm (Integrated BSL) My Left Right Foot: The Musical (p32) Tue 14 May - Sat 18 May (Integrated BSL)

The Nature of Why (p18) Mon 6 May 5pm & 7.30pm My Left Right Foot: The Musical (p32) Thu 16 May, 6.30pm Midsummer Night’s Dream (p55) Sat 25 May, 12.45pm

Relaxed Performance Open to everyone, these performances welcome audiences with an Autistic Spectrum Condition or a learning disability.

Groove Under the Sea (p42) Sun 19 May, 10am

Anthony Horowitz (p41) Sun 19 May, 2pm

Another Star to Steer By (p58) Sun 26 May, 11am

Some Small Isle (p16) Sun 5 May, 7.30pm

My Left Right Foot: The Musical (p32) Thu 16 May, 7.30pm

Another Star to Steer By (p58) Sun 26 May, 11am Séancers (p34) Fri 17 May, 8pm BOYS (p60) Sat 25 May, 7.30pm. See brightonfestival.org for full information

Captioned Please confirm when booking if you require this service, so that we can book you a seat. Dead Dog in a Suitcase (p21) Thu 9 May, 8pm My Left Right Foot: The Musical (p32) Tue 14 May - Sat 18 May (Integrated captioning) For more information: brightonfestival.org/access

Suitable For Blind And Visually Impaired We have highlighted the following performances as having high audio content. You can also look out for Contemporary Music, Classical Music and Books & Debates for events with a high level of audio content. Anthony Horowitz (p42) Sun 19 May, 2pm Groove Under the Sea and Groove Into Space (p36) Sun 19 May, 10am & 12pm Storytelling Army (p36) Sat 18 May, 6.30pm (Brighton) & Sun 19 May, 4pm (Worthing) Wet Sounds (p13) Sat 4 May

Touch Tours (free but ticketed) These events allow blind and visually impaired audiences to visit the set and feel the props ahead of the performances. Touch tours are free but must be accompanied by a ticket for the show. Please book for touch tours via the ticket office: in person or by calling 01273 709 709

Booking Information

Assisted Performances & Events

Audio Description Live commentary interspersed with the actors’ dialogue via a discreet headset. Please request this service when booking. Dead Dog in a Suitcase (p21) Fri 10 May, 8pm My Left Right Foot: The Musical (p32) Tue 14 May - Sat 18 May (Integrated audio description) The Nature of Why (p18) Mon 6 May, 6pm & 8.30pm

Highly Visual Events We have highlighted the following events as having few or no words. You can also look out for Dance and Art & Film for events with a high level of visual content. Curiouser (p23) Fri 10 - Mon 13 May Museum of the Moon (p37) Fri 17 - Mon 20 May Distorted Constellations (p7) Sat 4 - Sun 19 May Current Affairs (p9) Thu 18 Apr - Mon 27 May Iron Men (p8) Sat 4 - Sun 26 May

Get In Touch To book tickets for all these events please call our ticket office on 01273 709709 or email tickets@brightondome.org If you have a specific access enquiry please feel free to get in touch. You can call us on 01273 261541/525 or email access@brightonfestival.org For more information: brightonfestival.org/access

Large print & audio brochure available on request. Re-sizeable font can be viewed at brightonfestival.org 73

Venues

Programming partners

PHOENIX brighton gallery

artists studios

education

Venues Brighton Dome Concert Hall Founders Room

Church Street, BN1 1UE Access info: 01273 261525 / 261541 brightondome.org

Brighton & Hove Prep School Radinden Manor Road, BN3 6NH Glyndebourne Near Lewes, BN8 5UU The Basement Kensington St, BN1 4AY

Worthing Theatres – Pavilion Theatre Marine Parade, Worthing, BN11 3PX

Duke's at Komedia Gardner St, BN1 1UN Theatre Royal Brighton New Road, BN1 1SD The Old Market Upper Market Street, Hove, BN3 1AS

Brighton & Hove High School Montpelier Rd, BN1 3A

All Saints Church The Drive, Hove BN3 3QE

Queens Park West Drive, BN2 0QU Prince Regent Pool Church St, BN1 1YA Royal Pavilion Music Room Royal Pavilion, BN1 1EE Duke of York’s Picturehouse Preston Rd, BN1 4NA

Black Rock Maderia Drive, BN2 1DZ The Studio 39 Whippingham Road, BN2 3PF

Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RA

Worthing Theatres – Connaught Theatre Union Place, BN11 1LG

St Nicholas Church Church St, BN1 3LJ

The Manor Gym Manor Rd, BN2 5EA Hangleton Community Centre Harmsworth Crescent, BN3 8BW

Worthing Theatres – Pavilion Café Bar Marine Parade, Worthing, BN11 3PX i360 outdoor site Lower Kings Road, BN1 2LN St Nicholas Rest Garden Dyke Road, BN3 6QA King Alfred Ballroom Kingsway, Hove BN3 2WW

Brighthelm Centre North Rd, BN1 1YD

Fabrica Gallery 40 Duke St, BN1 1AG Lighthouse 28 Kensington St, BN1 4AJ Phoenix Gallery 10-14 Waterloo Place, BN2 9NB

brightonfestival.org 01273 709709 Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival Ticket Office East Gate, Church Street, Brighton BN1 1UE Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm (6pm on performance days at Brighton Dome until Sat 5 May) Mon – Sun, 10am – 7pm (Sat 4 – Sun 26 May) Public booking opens: Fri 22 Feb, 9am

Pay-It-Forward 2019 Once again, we’re asking you to join the celebrated Pay-It-Forward movement and help more people experience Brighton Festival. Pay an extra £5 when you book your tickets and we’ll match it to give a £10 Pay-It-Forward Festival Ticket Voucher to someone who might not otherwise be able to attend. Vouchers will be distributed at Your Place (p6), local schools and our partner organisations.

Multi-buy offers Buy tickets for six different Brighton Festival events and we’ll give you the cheapest free. Terms & conditions: One transaction, through the Ticket Office only. Not available online. Only tickets for different events are valid (i.e. not six tickets for the same event). The number of free sixth tickets tallies with the equivalent number of paid tickets in your transaction (i.e. you get two free if two tickets are bought for each of the other five events). Also groups of 10+ save 10% and groups of 20+ save 20% on most events.

£10 Festival Standby Subject to availability Book best available seats in person from the venue just before the show on many events. Festival Standbys are only available to under 26’s, over 60s, JSA/ESA or Universal Credit, registered disabled/DLA or PIP, Equity/ BECTU/SDUK, Members, Brighton Festival artists and those with Pay-It-Forward vouchers. Festival Standbys can be booked in person.

Free and £10 or Less

Charges

Don’t miss our range of free events and over 100 performances with tickets for £10 or less to help you see more of this year's Brighton Festival programme.

There is a £2.50 per order charge for all phone and online bookings (not applicable to Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival members). Plus: 60p standard post, £1.75 signed for mail. If collecting tickets, please bring the same card (or its replacement) used to purchase online or by phone. For standing events, tickets can only be posted out by signed-for mail.

Festival Volunteers Help make the festival happen and join our invaluable team of volunteers. Email volunteers@brightonfestival.org to find out how you can be part of this year’s Brighton Festival. Brochure correct at time of going to press. Brighton Festival reserves the right to alter the programme without prior notice if necessary. Full terms and conditions available at brightonfestival.org Brighton Festival would like to thank all the artists, partners, venues, sponsors and individual supporters, and the entire team of staff and volunteers at Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival. Brighton Festival is

produced and promoted by Brighton Dome and Festival Ltd. Registered Charity number 249748. 12a Pavilion Buildings, Castle Square, Brighton BN1 1EE

Book Your Tickets

Book your tickets

Brighton Festival Chief Brochure concept/ Executive cover Andrew Comben Johnson Banks johnsonbanks.co.uk Festival Executive Illustration Producer Simon Prades Beth Burgess simonprades.com Brighton Festival Brochure design Programmers Eva Bowan Bee Sparks, Philippa Barr, evabowan.com Sally Scott, Tim Brown, Brochure editor Lucy Monkman, Jo Burnham Sally Cowling, Lead copywriter Danni Colgan, Hilary Cooke, Rosie Crane, Nii Ayikwei Parkes Gill Kay, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Tanya Peters, Pippa Smith

Meet. Listen. Pass it On.

brightonfestival.org 01273 709709 #brightonfestival

Art & Film Books & Debate Circus Classical Contemporary Music Comedy Dance Outdoor Spoken Word Theatre Lunchtimes Young Literature Free Young Brighton Festival Members Assisted Performances 76

BRIGHTON FESTIVAL 2019 GUEST DIRECTOR: ROKIA TRAORÉ

Welcome to Brighton Festival. Three weeks of music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature and spoken word events across Brighton & Hove and Sussex. Great art from around the world and a celebration of our local communities.