WOW Jan/Feb 2012

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Transmanche Enterprise Network (TEN) is delighted to be working with WOW to support local businesses NIGEL GRANT TRAINING LTD

Clear business English: training, editing, coaching, writing Clients include Kent Fire and Rescue, Charities Aid Foundation and Medway Hospital www.nigelgrant.co.uk Tel: 01634 855 534 / 07949 910 375 Twitter: @ClearLanguage

POSITIVE PROGRESSIONS Learn Today - Succeed Tomorrow

Need help with CVs/Application Forms/ Interview Techniques?

Then give us a call on 0776 485 3474 or email:- julie.kemsley@gmail.com

TEN encourages young entrepreneurs to explore new business opportunities and to develop their business into Europe.

The project provides language training, tri-lingual website development and workshops on core business skills.

It also offers exhibition space at trade fairs and access to business events in Kent, Nord-Pas de Calais and Western Flanders. Contact: estelle.timothy@medway.gov.uk

Contributors Philip Kane is a writer, storyteller and artist who has been a central figure in Medway’s cultural life for the past thirty years. He is a founding member of the London Surrealist Group, and his recent writings include The Hicklebaum Papers. He lives in Chatham.

Sam Froudist is a writer, blogger, and Bunting Enthusiast. Hailing from the Colonies (Australia), she’s a fresh Medway resident and has recently co-launched bunted!, a small bespoke bunting business in Rochester. Sam loves watching great theatre, getting overly passionate about things, and feeling so bourgeois that she has to throw red wine all over herself. Contact Sam at goodbyesamantha@gmail.com

Photograph of the Editor by Peter Still

Nick Walker is an events director, film critic and filmmaker. His flagship Medway project, The Other Cinema, is a weekly event held every Thursday at the Chatham Odeon. Nick also set up the Screen Classics programme at the Central Theatre, Chatham. He writes, directs and produces short films and is the editor of Film Essay, for cinéastes wanting to write about film culture. Nick has worked for The Guardian and the London Film Festival.

Currently he is Events Director at Film Education and Director of National Schools Film Week.

Please mention WOW if you use our advertisers’ services or attend an event found in our listings

www.wowkent.co.uk

Cover image and above: Stills from ‘Magwitch’, a new film inspired by Dickens’ novel ‘Great Expectations’. See article p12

WELCOME TO ANOTHER JAM-PACKED ISSUE OF WOW! We really have hit the ground running in 2012, with a plethora of fantastic arts and entertainment events to keep you occupied during the winter months in Medway, Maidstone and the accessible beyond.

Most exciting for us is the launch of our newlook website, which will be a lively affair where the current listings information will be more easily accessible; you can watch trailers and sneak previews of featured movies; read all about your favourite local artists and much more. You’ll find it at www.wowkent.co.uk.

Your comments, suggestions and wishlists would be most welcome.

Our circulation is also rising to 4000 print copies, so if you have the perfect place for a WOW pickup point, just let me know.

Lastly, don’t forget to enter the WOW Design a Cover Competition. The deadline has been extended until 31 March to give you more time.

Open to all.

I wish you all an arts-happy new year.

Enjoy reading!

Emma Dewhurst, Editor

Find us on Facebook facebook.com/WOWMedway

@EmmaDewhurst7

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TIME and TIDES

The nationally respected development agency for disabled and Deaf artists, DadaSouth, has started the year running with a fantastic name-change, to ‘Ardent Hare’.

Ardent Hare’s vision is to create a vibrant community of imaginative, confident and creative people contributing to a fairer, more inspiring world. To donate £3 towards their work creating work opportunities for disabled and Deaf artists, text DADA11 £3 to 70070. www.ardenthare.org.uk

WELCOME THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON! Festivities take place in Chatham High Street from 11.30am-2.30pm on Saturday 21 January and there will be a Chinese New Year Parade starting at 12 noon in Military Road on Sunday 22nd, followed by a performance of dragon and lion dancing at 2.30pm at The Central Theatre.

Sam Hall, founder of 17Percent, which supports and promotes female playwrights, will be giving a talk at Rochester Community Hub (at Rochester Library) on 8 March at 7:30pm about the changing roles of women in theatre. Bookings essential via 01634 337411

Medway Council Arts Development Team is working with Icon Theatre to bring an exciting community art and history project to three rural communities – Cuxton, High Halstow and Upnor.

The project offers participants a chance to research their local history and take part in arts and drama activities.

The first sessions are drop-in taster events.

Cuxton: 24 & 28 Jan High Halstow: 31 Jan & 4 Feb Upnor: 4 & 10 Feb Contact Nicola at ICON Theatre 01634 813 179 or email Nicola@icontheatre.org.uk

SMART OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN If you are a professional looking to relaunch your career, or thinking about returning to work following a career break, SMART RELAUNCH is the event for you.

The evening promises opportunities to pitch directly to local employers in a professional and structured environment; network; have a free CV review; enjoy soup and a roll and leave feeling motivated.

The event is taking place on 26 January at The Old Town Hall, Gravesend. Registration costs £27 but WOW readers are entitled to a 50% discount, so that you pay just £13.50. Email info@smartopportunites. co.uk to register, quoting discount code SMARTWOW. www.smartopportunities.co.uk

EXPERIENCE ‘Awowness’ in 2012!

Long-time Quaker John Spencer and qualified counsellor Frances Barnes are running a series of spiritual workshops in 2012 in the experience of ‘awowness’ – mindfulness based on the senses in order to introduce greater stillness into our lives.

A unique place for celebration and business The Old Town Hall in Gravesend is available for hire for all your special occasions.

The selection of tastefully designed rooms is ideal for all types of private functions, community activities and business events. We offer the flexibility of one room, a couple of rooms or the entire suite.

We will work with you to ensure every aspect of your event meets your vision and budget.

The first workshop is on Sat 28 January, 2.30-5.30pm at Hextable Heritage Centre, College Road, Hextable BR8 7LT. Drinks and nibbles provided. Cost £10.

01474 550023

Email frances.barnes@hotmail.co.uk or tel 0779 2975 863 for booking details

www.gravesendoldtownhall.co.uk WOW 5

WELCOME TO A FABULOUS NEW PAGE! WOW’S VERY OWN SAM FROUDIST PICKS THE VERY BEST LOCAL EATERIES, SPIES THE STYLE BARGAINS AND ROOTS OUT THE PEOPLE AND PLACES TO WATCH IN 2012

“SAM SAYS”

We all pretend that we’re too cool to get excited about Valentine’s Day, but let’s face it there’s the potential for gifts and chocolate here, so I’m throwing caution to the wind and going all out on the excitement front. Here’s my pick of local treats for all you lovers out there…

For the coolest flowers in Medway with potentially the cutest website I have ever seen, look no further than Rochester’s very own Sweetpea & Olive.

Based on the Rochester Maidstone Road, they offer an exceptional design service and free same day delivery on orders placed before 2pm. Check them out at sweetpeaandolive.co.uk or on 01634 843024

CE ROMAN

If you’re so in love you want to sing it from the rooftops pop along to Gillingham Library for 2pm on Tuesday 14th for Memory Makers, where you can join in (with gusto) some time honoured classic love songs including Red Roses for a Blue Lady and My Funny Valentine. Bookings are requested so call 01634 337340 and I’d recommend a few vocal stretches beforehand!

Prize for Most Romantic Setting must go to the Edith May barge, which is hosting two evenings to celebrate the romantic season.

Harpist Tessa Billington and guitarist Sam Palacios will serenade you in the cosy, coalfired hold while you casually and attractively work your way through a three-course meal.

You can order champagne in advance and they’ll even accommodate your own personal touches at the table. Sat 11 and Tues 14 February. Places are limited at £40 a head, so call 01634 365343 or email info@edithmay bargecharter.co.uk this instant to book.

And if the question has already been popped…

The new Demelza Boutique at 72 Rochester High Street is presenting a Wedding Fayre on Saturday 11 February from 9.30am. Vintage wedding dresses, shoes and accessories are on offer, and local company Tea-licious will be serving yummy teas.

Valentine Delights at Sweetpea & Olive!

Here we try to do things with a little twist Every floral desire catered for!

From Sexy Luscious Single roses, tightly ribboned to loosely boxed Flower Cup Cakes - calorie free!

Pop into our lovely shop, give us a call or order on line

Still booking Workshops for March 118 Maidstone Road, Rochester 01634 843024 www.sweetpeaandolive.co.uk

COMING SOON!

A new book of poetry by Medway Poet BILL LEWIS Out March 2012

Artists & Makers

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CLUB

Sewing courses and workshops for beginners and improvers. Equipment and refreshment provided, friendly and fun. suepritchard@tesco.net; 01622 677151; cantsewclub.co.uk

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Your fabric or ours Email Sam or Sarah: buntedlifestyle@yahoo.com Tel: 07401 362621 bunted.wordpress.com

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THE OTHER NICK WALKER takes a look at MY WEEK WITH MARILYN and ANONYMOUS, two very different films about the secrets behind two very different real lives

M Y W E E K W I T H M A R I LY N Simon Curtis’ film ‘My Week With Marilyn’, tells of an unlikely but real life love affair between one of Sir Laurence Olivier’s employees, third assistant director Colin Clark and actress Marilyn Monroe during the making of ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’ (1957), a comedy that looks back to the pre-1914 era as a lost golden age.

The movie, being directed in England by Laurence Olivier, the nearest thing to royalty among British actors, was fraught with attrition and bad blood over Monroe’s acting style as she was a method actress, a device Olivier despised. Clark documents the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe with amazing poetry and precision. This skill of diary writing clearly ran in the family, as his elder brother Alan wrote one of the greatest 20th century political diaries!

Olivier was director, producer and star; the film itself was based on the Terence Rattigan play and the film’s look was completed by the beautiful cinematography of the late-great Jack Cardiff; so, all-in-all it had all the makings of a success.

Marilyn Monroe as Elsie Marina, the showgirl, was arguably the most recognisable female icon of the 1950s, tantalising the world with her beauty and presence. For one troubled week, while Monroe’s husband, the playwright Arthur Miller, was absent in Paris and production was on hiatus she and Clark escaped into a fantasy world, where we are given a glimpse into Monroe’s fragility and femininity.

‘My Week with Marilyn’ works because of its very real affection for the filmmaking process, as it also interestingly gives what we can only assume to be an accurate re-creation of the making of a film at Pinewood Studios in that period with small details that matter. The film also lovingly portrays the characters with real care and attention to detail. Michelle Williams captures Monroe’s qualities superbly, with fierce artistry and feeling, illuminating Monroe’s insights and insecurities about herself at the height of her fame. Kenneth Branagh is also typically superb as Olivier. Who better to play him than someone so associated with Olivier’s work in his re-working of Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’ and ‘Hamlet’? Branagh has the wit and the vitality of Olivier and controls the screen with ease.

The supporting cast to Williams’ Monroe also shine.

Eddie Redmayne plays the young, brash Clark with great vigour. Dougray Scott as Arthur Miller and Zoe Wanamaker as Paula Strasberg; Julia Ormond as Vivien Leigh and Dame Judy Dench as Rochester’s own Dame Sybil Thorndike all give credibility to the film.

‘My Week with Marilyn’ is an enjoyable inside look at old-time filmmaking and a British travelogue, but it’s very much Williams who makes it special.

Despite the immense amount of Marilyn-abilia that has flooded the marketplace since the star’s tragic death, Michelle Williams, in what’s sure to be an Oscar-nominated performance, renews her allure.

CINEMA

theothercinema.info

ANONYMOUS German director Roland Emmerich’s ‘Anonymous’ is essentially a political thriller with a great all-star cast. However it raises a massive question, namely who actually wrote the plays of William Shakespeare? The director defends his position on the film: “Art has to provoke!” and this certainly does.

To some, a terrible injustice has been done to the Bard and to others a fascinating debate as to the correct authorship of the great works has begun… Very few commoners of his time are as well-documented as William Shakespeare and that the director of such films as ‘Independence Day’ and ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ should delve into such matters seems rather a surprise.

The supposition here is that it was Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare’s plays.

‘Anonymous’ plunges us into the rich intrigue of the first Elizabethan age, beautifully set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her.

Spanning a century of cinema, from the earliest silent short of ‘The Tempest’ (1908) there have been a multitude of genres which have utilized the works of Shakespeare, including Westerns and even a Samurai film, Akira Kurasawa’s ‘Throne of Blood.’

‘Anonymous’ has an ingenious screenplay, sports an all-star cast that includes memorable thespians Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, Rafe Spall and David Thewlis; and it delivers an intriguing and exciting experience: the dialogue, the acting, the depiction of London; the lust, jealousy and intrigue.

Anonymous is being shown on 26 January and My Week with Marilyn on 16 February.

Both films are being screened at The Odeon, Chatham at 7.45pm. There is a post-screening chat led by Nick Walker over a free glass of wine WOW 9

FILM MAIDSTONE FILM SOCIETY Hazlitt Theatre, Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL 01622 753922

A diverse range of world cinema from classics to contemporary greats. Licensed bar. Special fixed rate parking in Fremlin Walk Shopping Centre after 7pm.

Subscription rates for year: Adult £24; Couples Membership £42; Senior/Student £19; Guest per film £3.50. Concs available maidstone-film-society.org.uk

BIUTIFUL (15) 2010 Mon 30 Jan, 8pm Dir: Alejandro González Inárritu Cast: Javier Bardem Bardem won Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for this study of a man in free fall who finds redemption. 147 mins HEARTBREAKER (15) 2010 Mon 6 Feb, 8pm Dir: Pascal Chaumeil Cast: Romain Duris, Vanessa Paradis French romantic comedy.

105 mins ANOTHER YEAR (12) 2010 Mon 20 Feb, 8pm Dir: Mike Leigh Cast: Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville Four seasons in the lives of a happily married couple and their friends. 130 mins

ANONYMOUS (PG) 2011 Thu 26 Jan, 7.45pm Dir: Roland Emmerich Cast: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis Elizabethan political thriller. See Nick Walker’s article. 130 mins THE IDES OF MARCH (15) 2011 Thu 2 Feb, 7.45pm Dir: George Clooney Cast: George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman Political drama thriller set during the last days before a presidential primary. 101 mins

THE RUM DIARY (15) 2011 Thu 9 Feb, 7.45pm Dir: Bruce Robinson Cast: Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart Based on Hunter S. Thompson’s novel about a rum-soaked journalist in 1950s Puerto Rico.

120 mins MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (15) Thu 16 Feb, 7.45PM Dir: Simon Curtis Cast: Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh See Nick Walker’s article.

99 mins

THE OTHER CINEMA Chatham Odeon Cinema, Maritime ME4 4LL 0871 22 44 007

A weekly showcase of quality films from around the world, with a post-show discussion led by Nick Walker over a free glass of wine. £8.25/£6.25. theothercinema.info

SLEEPING BEAUTY (18) 2011 Thu 23 Feb, 7.45pm Dir: Julia Leigh Cast: Emily Browning, Rachael Blake, Ewen Leslie Leigh’s adaptation of her novel about a student drawn to prostitution. 104 mins

BEST OF GENERAL RELEASES J.EDGAR (15) Clint Eastwood directs Leonardo DiCaprio. Rel 20 Jan A MONSTER IN PARIS 3D (U) Delightful animation set in 1910 Paris. Rel 27 Jan THE DESCENDANTS (15) Comedy drama starring George Clooney. Rel 27 Jan CARNAGE (15) Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster in a black comedy of manners by Roman Polanski. Rel 3 Feb EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (12A) Stephen Daldry directs Tom Hanks in post 9/11 drama.

Rel 10 Feb A DANGEROUS METHOD (15) David Cronenberg’s period drama about a forbidden love affair between psychiatrist and patient.

Screenplay by Christopher Hampton. Rel 10 Feb Showing at the following: ODEON CHATHAM, Dickens World, Leviathan Way, Chatham Maritime, Chatham ME4 4LL. 0871 22 44 007. odeon.co.uk ODEON MAIDSTONE, Lockmeadow, Barker Road, Maidstone, ME16 8RG. 0871 22 44 007. odeon.co.uk ROCHESTER CINEWORLD MULTIPLEX Medway Valley Leisure Park, Chariot Way, Strood,ME2 2SS. 0871 200 2000. cineworld.co.uk THE ROYAL CINEMA, Faversham, Kent, ME13 7AG. 24hr info line: 01795 591211, Box Office: 01795 591211. From £4.50-£5. royalcinema.co.uk SHOWCASE BLUEWATER, Water Circus, Bluewater, Greenhithe, Kent, DA9 9SG. 0871 220 1000. showcasecinemas.co.uk/ bluewater

STARRING

SAMUEL EDWARD-COOK CANDIS NERGAARD DAVID VERREY

A FILM BY SAMUEL SUPPLE

ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY RECEPTION 6.30PM FOLLOWED BY MAGWITCH AND DAVID LEAN’S GREAT EXPECTATIONS BOX OFFICE 01634 810074 A FILM PRODUCED BY DEBRA MCGEE, PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALAN BEECH, EDITED BY SEAN COLE, SOUND DESIGNED BY ROBERT JARVIS SOUND RECORDED BY SIMON BYSSHE, COSTUMES BY DAVID HAWES, JENNIE DOUGLAS, PRODUCTION DESIGN BY LARA HATLEY, HAIR AND MAKE UP DESIGN BY AISHA TORAP, INSPIRED BY THE CHARLES DICKENS NOVEL GREAT EXPECTATIONS

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2012 Celebrations are being planned all over the world to mark the bicentenary of the great writer’s birth, which falls on 7 February 2012.

In the UK, a plethora of famous literary and theatrical names have pledged their support as Patrons of the project, including Simon Callow, Derek Jacobi and Miriam Margolyes.

Here in Medway Dickens has long been held especially dear, due to the extended periods of his life spent here and the number of local landmarks which are recognisable settings in his works. This year, in addition to the annual summer and winter Dickensian Festivals, an impressive programme of eclectic events have been planned to commemorate the area’s connection to the man.

www.dickens2012.org

There’s a curious sense that Dickens is the best of England. His stories are examples of what I suppose one could call the higher sentimentality…… in that they break your heart, but in a terrific kind of way. They’re fantastic pieces of storytelling that are designed precisely to make you laugh and cry.

Simon Callow

D i re c to r S up ple says: ‘The brilliance of ‘Great Expectations’ for me isn’t necessarily the story of Pip. What really grabbed my imagination was the wonderfully formed characters around him such as Magwitch, Molly and Jaggers, characters who have had their own life in a time gone by…

To travel back using the back story Dickens created himself has been a real treat indeed.’

MAGWITCH Heading up the programme of events is ‘Magwitch’, the first short film by Violafilms, a new Kent based company co-founded by Debra McGee and ‘Magwitch’ writer/director Sam Supple. The pair first met when Debra was working at Rochester Cathedral, where Sam was filming in his day job as Assistant Producer with BBC’s Inside Out. At the time of the shoot Sam mentioned he had an idea for a prequel piece about the character of Magwitch and how he had ended up on the hulks at the start of Dickens’ classic novel, ‘Great Expectations’. The idea was left on the backburner until a plan was mooted to screen David Lean’s iconic 1946 version of ‘Great Expectations’ at the Cathedral in February 2012.

Debra remembered Sam’s idea and thought that it was a great opportunity to create something new for local Dickens 2012 celebrations. With modest financial support from Screen South, Rochester Cathedral (which Dickens knew and loved and wrote about frequently in his work), and Medway Council and supported by Creative England and the BFI, ‘Magwitch’ was born.

The shoot took place over four balmy days in September. Upnor Castle, Eastgate House, Bishopstone Beach, the Salt Marshes of the River Medway, The Guildhall in Sandwich, Plaxtol Church and the countryside of the North Downs all feature as key locations. Locals were involved as extras, and principal parts were played by rising young actors and seasoned professionals.

With a strong commitment to giving mentoring opportunities to those looking for careers in the industry, Violafilms also offered ten internships to young people from Kent who worked on all aspects of the production.

Beautifully shot and powerfully acted, the film has its world premiere at Rochester Cathedral on 11 February, after which it will be entered into a number of short film festivals and screened at events around the country, including Medway’s own Dickens festival in June.

Saturday 11 February, Rochester Cathedral 6.30pm Reception, ‘Magwitch’ followed by David Lean’s ‘Great Expectations’ Box Office: 01634 810074 WOW 13

DICKENS 2012 - F E B R U A R Y A T A G L A N C E S U N DAY 5 T H F E B : 7.45pm Actor Simon Callow reads excerpts from his new book ‘Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World’ at the University of Kent’s Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury. £14

M O N DAY 6 T H F E B : 11.15am Reading from ‘Great Expectations’, Eastgate House, free 2.30pm ‘Dickens: Man of Medway’ A talk by Thelma Grove, former International President of the Dickens Fellowship. Eastgate House, free 7.30pm ‘The Inimitable Dickens’, the writer’s life story by Gwen Grindley. Medway Little Theatre, £5

2.30pm A Dickens of a Cream Tea, with readings and entertainment. Eastgate House, £3 7pm The Cricket and the Kettle.

Traditional pantomime by Broadstairs’ Welcome Players inspired by ‘The Cricket and the Hearth’. Britannia Theatre, Dickens World, £5 7.30pm ‘The Inimitable Dickens’, the writer’s life story by Gwen Grindley. Medway Little Theatre, £8 T H U R S DAY 9 T H : 11.15am Reading from The Pickwick Papers, Eastgate House, free

11.15am Reading: ‘The Bastille’ from A Tale of Two Cities.

Eastgate House, free

2.30pm The Caged Lady Victorian costumes and attitudes

by Lee Ault, Chairperson of Canterbury Dickens Fellowship.

Eastgate House, free

2.30pm Readings, memorials and the laying of remembrance flowers at the Dickens Family Churchyard of St.Mary’s Church, Dock Road, Chatham

7pm for 7.30pm Bicentenary Dinner at The Show Room, Dickens World. Victorian costume and pre booking essential.

Tickets £20.50

7.30pm ‘The Dickens Birthday Show’ Victorian style variety and entertainment. Britannia Theatre, Dickens World, £5

7.30pm ‘The Inimitable Dickens’, the writer’s life story by Gwen Grindley. Medway Little Theatre, £8

7.30pm ‘The Inimitable Dickens’, the writer’s life story by Gwen Grindley. Medway Little Theatre, £8

F R I DAY 1 0 T H F E B :

T U E S DAY 7 T H F E B :

W E D N E S DAY 8 T H F E B : 11.15am Reading: ‘The Signalman’, a short story by Dickens. Eastgate House, free

11.15am Reading from David Copperfield. Eastgate House, free 2.30pm Undressing a Victorian Lady: A lighthearted look at everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask!

Eastgate House, free

7.30pm Say Cheese to Mr Dickens: the man and his cheese… Eastgate House, £5 7.30pm ‘The Inimitable Dickens’, the writer’s life story by Gwen Grindley. Medway Little Theatre, £8 S AT U R D A Y 1 1 T H F E B : 11.15am Reading from ‘Nicholas Nickleby’. Eastgate House, free 2.30pm Dickens’ Friendships: Home and Abroad read by Anne Marie Vukelics. Eastgate House, free 7.30pm Mr Fezziwigs Ball, Dickens World. Caller-led old style country dancing to Skinners Rats, with a buffet supper and entertainment - Victorian costume encouraged! Tickets £15, booking advised 7.30pm ‘The Inimitable Dickens’, the writer’s life story by Gwen Grindley. Medway Little Theatre, £8 7.30pm ‘Magwitch’ World Premiere of new short film by Violafilms, Rochester Cathedral An exhibition called ‘Dickens Childhood Years in Medway’ will show daily throughout the week in Eastgate House between 11am and 4pm. Free. Please note: Unfortunately Eastgate House does not have wheelchair access.

Many of these events were organised by the Rochester and Chatham Dickens Fellowship in conjunction with UCA Rochester.

LATER IN THE YEAR theatregoers are in for a true theatrical treat, when Maidstone’s Valley Park School bring their twopart production of David Edgar’s acclaimed adaptation of ‘Nicholas Nickleby’ to The Courtyard at Dickens World between 9-14 July

THE FLIP SIDE PHILIP KANE REMINDS US THAT MEDWAY’S LITERARY HERITAGE IS NOT ALL ABOUT DICKENS 2012 will be all about Charles Dickens, apparently. At the bicentenary of his birth, he is also Britain’s supreme cultural icon for the year of the London Olympics. Here in Medway, of course, the Dickens Festival and Dickensian Christmas Weekend are already annual fixtures, while even Indian restaurants in Rochester take inspiration from his books.

We might be forgiven for thinking that nobody else associated with Medway has ever picked up a pen.In fact other places - like Portsmouth, his birthplace - have at least an equal right to bask in Dickens’ fame. Meanwhile we have other writers we can, and should, celebrate for their relationships with Medway.

Although I’m not sure celebration would be quite appropriate in the case of Louis-Ferdinand Céline.

Undoubtedly a great writer, and his confessional style hugely influential, the Frenchman was also famously and vilely anti-Semitic, and a collaborator with the Nazis. During his teens he was sent to boarding school in Rochester for a year. His description of Rochester, in Death on the Instalment Plan, hangs in the streets on a foggy autumn day.

William Saunders, a Rochester postman and trade unionist, published his utopian novel, Kalomera, in 1911. He derived the title from the Hebrew kholam, for dream, and wove the story in his imagination while on his delivery rounds.

Some Medway writers have been more prosaic. William Coles Finch was a waterworks engineer who wrote books about… you might have guessed… water.

A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again. Enid Bagnold

There are women writers with Medway connections, too. Enid Bagnold, born in Rochester in 1889, was an author and playwright best known for her story National Velvet, later made into that film starring the young Elizabeth Taylor.

The novelist, biographer and poet Elizabeth Benger grew up in Chatham from 178297; her poems, such as The Abolition of the Slave Trade, often had a reforming social message. The unfortunately named Phyllis Bottome, born in Rochester in 1884, wrote novels – including The Mortal Storm (1938), which was set in Nazi Germany, and warned of the dangers and horrors of that regime – and a biography of the psychologist Alfred Adler.

Finally, let’s not forget that many good writers, some with international reputations, still live and work here. Medway is brimming over with creative talent. And we don’t need Dickens to remind us of that.

My trouble is insomnia. If I had always slept properly, I’d never have written a line.

Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Death on the Instalment Plan

MUSIC THE BRITANNIA THEATRE

Dickens World, Leviathan Way, Chatham Maritime 01634 890421

HOT CHOCOLATE Fri 10 Feb, doors open 7pm. All the old hits. £25 www.dickensworld.co.uk MEDWAY MUSIC 2012 THREE CONCERTS celebrating music in Medway Saturday 3 March at 7.30pm Chatham Historic Dockyard Church: Harmony, Walderslade Primary School Choir, Medway Schools Wind Band, VOX (Walderslade Girls’ School Choir), Medway Singers.

St Mark’s Church, Gillingham town centre: Kaleidoscope String Orchestra, Kingfishers Choir, Rainham Ladies Choir, the Brook Concert Orchestra.

St Margaret’s Church, Rainham town centre: Medway Brass, Barry Kemp (Organist), St Margaret’s Church Choir, Medway Opera, Medway Band.

Tickets £5, £2 for students under 19 from the churches, from Sunburst Books, Station Road, Rainham, on the door or call 07570 064933.

Email: malc2010@talktalk.net The concerts have been organized by a small group of Rotarians and all proceeds go towards the education of young musicians in Medway THE BARGE 63 Layfield Road, Gillingham, ME7 2QY 01634 850485

GAFFER & HORSE Sat 21 Jan SUR LES DOCKS Sat 28 Jan BARDS @ THE OPEN MIC Wed 1 Feb FATE THE JUGGLER Sat 4 Feb MAKER Sat 18 Feb GREG McDONALD & GEMMA GAYNER Sat 25 Feb Entry to gigs is free. Doors open 7pm, music starts c. 8.30pm www.thebargepub.co.uk

THE BROOK THEATRE

Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338

FOLK AT THE BROOK: JACKIE OATES AND KAREN TWEED Sun 5 Feb, 8pm Oates is winner of two BBC Folk Awards. £10 JAZZ AT THE BROOK: JANETTE MASON TRIO Tue 7 Feb 8pm Inspired keyboard player. £11 KENT YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA Sun 26 Feb 7pm With Dash Nash, front line sax with Jools Holland Rhytym & Blues Orchestra. £12, seniors £10, students £5

LV21

Pier Approach Road, Gillingham ME7 1RX

TEA presents DARREN HAYMAN Sat 28 January 2012 7.30pm Front man of 90s indie rock band, Hefner. Support from Pity Party + one tbc. Bar on board.

18+ only. Please contact TEA before you buy a ticket if you have access needs. £12 www.lv21.co.uk www.teaconcerts.co.uk THE ORCHARD

Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED 01322 220000

THE CENTRAL THEATRE

170 High Street, Chatham, ME4 4AS 01634 338338

JOE BROWN IN CONCERT Fri 24 Feb 7.30pm Veteran rock ‘n’ roller. £22, £20 New bookings website: www.medwayticketslive.co.uk THE EAGLE

124 High Street Rochester, ME1 1JT 01634 409040.

LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS From rock ‘n’ roll to indie, soul and more: HEAD GAMES Thu 26 Jan THE SUBSTITUTES Thu 2 Feb THE WEEKENDERS Thu 9 Feb BITTEN BY MONKEYS Thu 16 Feb RED ROOSTER Thu 23 Feb No entry fee www.theeagletavern.org.uk EDITH MAY THAMES BARGE Lower Halstow Dock 01634 365343

FOLK FORTNIGHT bands: SKINNERS RATS Sat 25 Feb THE BUBBLEBAND Sat 3 Mar MOVEABLE FEAST Sat 10 Mar Booking essential by phone or online at www.edithmay.com

BELLOWHEAD: Folk with Attitude Fri Jan 27 8pm Eleven piece rockin’ folk band. £23+£2 booking fee, some premium seats at £24

SUGGS: My Life in Words and Music Madness frontman entertains. Tue 31 Jan 8pm. £20.50, some premium seats at £24 GRIMETHORPE COLLIERY BAND Sun 19 Feb 3pm. 15th Anniversary ‘Brassed Off’ tour. £21, £19.50, some premium seats at £24 www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

The Man of Kent Ale-House 6-8 John St. Rochester ME1 1yn 07772 214315 www.manofkent.com Janaury 2011 Wed 25th Funke & the Two Tone Baby Thurs 26th The Dave Ferra Band Sun 29th Jam Night

February 2012 Wed 1st Triskele Thurs 2nd Kingsize Slim Sun 5th Jam Night Tues 7th Ukulele Jam

Wed 8th Keith James Thurs 9th Porchswing Blues Sun 12th Jam Night Wed 15th Bowstring Boys Thurs 16th Dave Sharp (The Alarm) Sun 19th Phil Beer (Show of Hands) Wed 22nd David Celia (USA) Thurs 23rd Hobo Jones & the Junkyard Dogs Sun 26th Jam Night Wed 29th Sarah McQuaid

THEATRE THE BROOK THEATRE

THE BRITANNIA THEATRE

Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338

CABARET OF CURIOSITIES Jan 20 8pm Extremely popular evening presented by Dizzy O’Dare featuring indoor circus, burlesque, music and more. £11, not suitable for under 16s

Dickens World, Leviathan Way, Chatham Maritime ME4 4LL 01634 890421

THE DICKENS BIRTHDAY SHOW Tue 7 Feb 7.30pm Victorian style variety and entertainment. £5 THE CRICKET AND THE KETTLE Wed 8 Feb 7.30pm Pantomime by the Welcome Players inspired

by Dickens’ The Cricket on the Hearth. £5 dickensworld.co.uk EXCHANGE THEATRE, HAZLITT ARTS CENTRE Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL 01622 758611

WAKE by ACROJOU Fri 27 Jan 7.30pm A dark, humorous and uplifting study of one man’s DIY relationship with his own existence. Fast-moving storytelling and highly skilled wheel acrobatics. £12 concs available MEDWAY COMEDY CLUB TERRY ALDERTON Mon 6 Feb 8pm Tickets £12, comedy club members £11

WAKE by ACROJOU Tue 31 Jan 7.30pm See The Brook Theatre. £12, concs £10 AN INSTINCT FOR KINDNESS Sat 11 Feb 8pm One-man show written and performed by Chris Larner about accompanying his wife to the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland. £12, concs £10 See opposite for the Hazlitt Theatre’s children’s shows at half term. hazlittartscentre.co.uk THE MARLOWE THEATRE

The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS 01227 787787

PETER PAN ON ICE 31 Jan-5 Feb, various times. From £14, concs available

THE CENTRAL THEATRE

170 High Street, Chatham, ME4 4AS 01634 338338

CHINESE NEW YEAR Sun 22 Jan 2.30pm Medway’s very own dragon and lion dance team with special guests from Fosham in China. £8, concs £6 OMID DJALILI - TOUR OF DUTY Sun 12 Feb 7.30pm Multi award-winning stand-up, television and movie star.

Tickets £19, £18 New bookings website: medwayticketslive.co.uk

RICHARD ALSTON DANCE COMPANY Wed 8 and Thu 9 Feb, 7.30pm. Danced to Benjamin Britten’s A Celebration of Carols sung live by Canterbury Cathedral’s choir. From £11, concs available CALENDAR GIRLS Mon 13-Sat 18 Feb 7.30pm, Thu & Sat Mat 2.30pm From £16.50, concs available marlowetheatre.com

MEDWAY LITTLE THEATRE

256 High Street Rochester ME1 1HY 01634 400322

THE INIMITABLE DICKENS by Gwen Grindley 6-11 Feb, 7.30pm £8, Mon all seats £5. Concs available Original re-telling of the writer’s life story for the bi-centenary of his birth (revival). mlt.org.uk THE ORCHARD

Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED 01322 220000

SESAME STREET LIVE Elmo Makes Music Sat 4 & Sun 5 Feb £14, child £11

REGINALD D. HUNTER Mon 13 Feb 8pm One of the most brilliantly unpredictable comics in the country: The Sunday Times. £21+ £2.50 booking fee.

Premium seats also available orchardtheatre.co.uk SPOTLITES AT KINGS THEATRE 338 High Street, Chatham ME4 4NR 01634 829468

A selection of interactive shows for kids at half term, including MERLIN’S DRAGON, MAGIC PORRIDGE POT and RAPUNZEL – May the Force Be With You! Also, a wide range of holiday drama workshops for 5-12s. See www.spotlites.co.uk or telephone as above WOODVILLE HALLS THEATRE Woodville Place Gravesend DA12 1DD 01474 337774

ROBERT POWELL in A VICTORIAN CELEBRATION Sun 22 Jan 7.30pm An evening of words and music evoking the Victorian era through the writings of Dickens, Kipling, Hardy and more. £15 woodvillehalls.com

FINE ART, PHOTOGRAPHY, 3D, FASHION AND TEXTILES, GRAPHIC DESIGN, FILM AND MEDIA, THEATRE STUDIES

visual and performing arts STUDY AT GCSE AND A LEVEL

www.rochester-college.org STAR HILL ROCHESTER ME1 1XF 01634 828115

YEAR 7 TO SIXTH FORM ISC ACCREDITED

Hazlitt Half Term Treats Red Riding Hood

Sun 12 February 2.30pm Tickets: £8.50 Concs £6.50

4+

The Elves And The Shoemaker Wed 15 February 2.30pm Tickets: £8.50 Concs £6.50

The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers Fri 17 February 2.30pm Tickets: £8.50 Concs £6.50

3+

Hazlitt Youth Theatre - Film In A Week Workshop Mon 13- Sat 18 February 10.30am- 3.30pm (Ages 6-11yrs) Learn about all aspects of film production from acting, directing, special effects and much, much more! £75 (Price includes 2 FREE film premiere tickets) 6-11

Hazlitt Box Office: 01622 758611 www.hazlittartscentre.co.uk

VISUAL ART THE BROOK THEATRE GALLERY

NUCLEUS ARTS, ROCHESTER

Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338

75 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 780932

NATHAN DADSWORTH: Bleeding Bloody Brain 1-29 Feb, Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Inspiring artwork and talks by an ex-teacher from Rochester suffering from acquired brain injuries. Free

Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm Artworks, cards and jewellery by local artists at affordable prices.

THE DEAF CAT COFFEE BAR & GALLERY

New gallery shop.

Times as Rochester nucleus-arts.com

83 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX

Open all week 9.30am-5pm SCOTT JASON SMITH - Solow 23 Jan-5 Feb 2012 Free thedeafcat.com NUCLEUS ARTS 272 High Street, Chatham ME4 4BP 01634 812108

Gallery opening hours 9-5pm, closed Sunday Free

NUCLEUS ARTS, MAIDSTONE 2-4 Granada House, Gabriel’s Hill, Maidstone ME15 6JR 01622 690337

PIZZA EXPRESS 21-23 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LN 01634 812171

HOME TOWN To 24 Feb Exhibition of works by A Level photography students from Rochester Independent College.

From 27 Jan Ben Sharma, also of RIC. Free

ART FOR LIFE 20-26 Jan Works by artists with learning difficulties.

DAVID MINTON The Bird Series 4-16 Feb Paintings and drawings MAGGIE OSBORN 18 Feb-1 Mar Portraits and figures. See The Artist’s Space

ROCHESTER ART GALLERY & CRAFT CASE Medway Visitor Information Centre, 95 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 338319 Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, closed Sun to April

ROSE YARD WINDOW GALLERY Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS January showcases MVAN artist Julieanne Long, Rose Dickinson and Sue Batt. February: Rif Rowland, Janneane Drew and Jo Devlin. Free TURNER CONTEMPORARY Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG 01843 233000

TURNER AND THE ELEMENTS From 28 Jan to 13 May. Free The gallery’s first major show of the artist’s work, featuring 95 landscapes and watercolours.

3pm on 28 Jan: Talk by the exhibition’s co-curator Inés Richter-Musso £5, concs £4 (inc free cup of tea) HAMISH FULTON: WALK To 7 May Kent-based artist Fulton has made walking the basis of his practice: “no walk, no work”, he has stated. This new show features work made as a result of walks taken in the run up to TC’s opening. TuesSun 10am-6pm plus Late Night Live to 10pm one Friday every month. Closed Mon (except Bank Holidays) Plus Rodin’s THE KISS (to Sept 2012). Free turnercontemporary.org

IMAGO: SILVERPOINT DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS – Reza Ben Gajra To 3 Feb

NUCLEUS ARTS CAFÉ CRAFT CASE January: Lora Parmor, Julia Cory and Erica LanfordThomas. February: Heather Haythornthwaite’s stationary; Lil Corbu’s jewellery & ZuzzannaDenesova’s ceramics.

FAMILY ANIMATION WORKSHOP: Sat 28 Jan, 12.30-3.30pm. Under 16s must be accompanied.

Materials provided. Free, booking essential: arts@medway.gov.uk

UCA POP-UP GALLERY

PASSING REFLECTIONS 10 Feb – 3 Apr Figurative thread drawings and screenprints by textile artist Rosie James. Ceramics and glass by Andrea Walsh and textiles and glass by Alison Lowry in the Craft Case. Free

Open Mon, Wed, Sat 10am-6pm.

SURVIVAL 28 Jan-21 Mar Exhibition, lectures and performances addressing man’s reconnection with Nature.

Private view (all welcome) on 27 Jan, 4-7pm. Free

Unit 67, Upstairs at Pentagon Centre, Chatham, ME4 4HW 07551 037695 or email: uca.popupgallery@gmail.com

EMMA DEWHURST TAKES A LOOK AT THE WORK OF RIKARD ÖSTERLUND, PHOTOGRAPHER EXTRAORDINAIRE AND GUEST JUDGE OF WOW’S COVER COMPETITION If you don’t know the work of Rikard Österlund, you soon will. Regular readers of WOW have experienced his photographs many times over, as his images have graced the pages of almost every issue. His ravishing photograph of a model in a Zara Carpenter hat remains one of our most memorable covers.

Born and raised in Sweden, Rikard’s love for all things photographic started early, when he worked in a second-hand camera shop and as a photographer’s assistant in Gothenburg. He moved to England 10 years ago. Since then he has grown a vibrant, two-pronged career, impressively managing to develop a successful practice in both fine art and commercial photography. He has also worked in Higher Education for some years, teaching Photography on the BA (hons) Photography (Contemporary Practice) course at UCA – a job which he is about to leave in order to focus entirely on his freelance career.

Whether creating images for a high end fashion shoot or making a fine art photograph of a vase of flowers, Rikard’s images have startling definition of purpose, betraying a steady eye with a love of detail. His series of portraits of local creative people, blown-up into prints so

large they lent the sitters near- iconic status, stunned visitors to his exhibition of fine art photographs at Rochester Art Gallery in 2010; as did his large-scale images of flowers and fruit in ‘a contemporary rephrasing’ of the Dutch flower paintings. His images have also showcased at the International Photography Festival ‘Les Rencontres d’Arles’ in Arles, France and 2011 saw exhibitions in Whitstable and Wales.

You can also catch Rikard’s work in an extensive Lighting Masterclass in the February 2012 issue of Photo Professional magazine. For someone who has worked with names such as Karen Millen OBE and Cesar Millan, the ‘dog whisperer’, he is remarkably modest and calmnatured, which is probably what enables him to bring out the best in his subjects.

Astonishingly, this pool of talent in one man is available to hire! Now that he is free to pursue his freelance career, Rikard will be concentrating on developing all areas of his practice and is happy to consider private commissions. He has also agreed to be Guest Judge for the WOW Cover Competition: we are honoured to have him. rikard.co.uk

DESIGN A COVER COMPETITION Closing date extended to 31 March 2012.

For rules see November WOW or contact editor@wowmedway.co.uk

The ARTIST’S Space

MAGGIE OSBORN Maggie Osborn is an artist who exhibits and works at Nucleus Arts Centre in Chatham. She works primarily with oil and paints portraits and figures, her influences being life and politics and their effects on people.

There is an exhibition of her work from 18 February to 1 March at the Nucleus Arts Gallery, 272 High St, Chatham, Kent ME4 4BP www.osoarty.co.uk

Contact us EDITORIAL: editor@wowmedway.co.uk FREE LISTINGS: listings@wowmedway.co.uk ADVERTISING: sales@wowmedway.co.uk 0845 388 2243 (local rate from BT landlines) DESIGN: A Stone’s Throw astonesthrowdesign.co.uk WEBSITE: Sue Davis Web Design & Consultancy, www.sue-davis.net PRINTING: PB Group Sittingbourne, 01795 413880, www.pbgroup.co.uk

PUBLISHER: Emma Dewhurst Distributed locally to Medway households and public pick-up points throughout the Medway towns and Maidstone. Current print circulation: 4000 copies.

Great introductory ad rates available to all first time advertisers. All advertisers also featured in e-edition of the magazine and in our online directory at www.wowkent.co.uk Copy/listings deadline for March issue is 20 Feb 2012 ©WOW Medway magazine.

All rights reserved. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that details in this publication are accurate, we cannot accept responsibility for such. Readers are advised to check listings information to avoid disappointment.

Views expressed by contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and publisher. www.wowkent.co.uk

Please mention WOW Medway if you use our advertisers’ services or attend an event you found in our listings

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@EmmaDewhurst7 WOW Medway is printed on 100% recycled paper

Opening Times Mon – Sun 10am – 4.30pm (last admission 3pm)

Dickens World, our exciting indoor visitor complex based around the life, books and times of Charles Dickens. We take you on a fascinating journey to Dickens’ World as you step back into authentically themed Dickensian England.

Annual Passes now available from just £10

CHARLES DICKENS BICENTENARY 2012 EVENTS The Dickens Birthday Show

Tuesday 7th February 2012 @ 7:30pm - Tickets £5 A host of Victorian style variety & entertainment.

The Cricket & The Kettle

Wednesday 8th February 2012 @ 7:30pm - Tickets £5 A pantomime by the welcome players inspired by ‘The Cricket on the Hearth’

The Bicentenary Dinner

Thursday 9th February 2012 – 7:00pm for 7:30pm dinner.

Victorian costume to be worn. - Tickets £20.50

Mr Fezziwig’s Ball

Saturday 11th February 2012 - Tickets £15 To conclude Dickens festivities, enjoy caller led old style country dancing.

Victorian costume MUST be worn.

BRITANNIA THEATRE EVENTS Indie Night - A Showco/RBTV Production Friday 27th January @ 9:30pm - Late

Playing live ‘Slydigs’ & ‘The Craven Braves’- Guest list only, please email in advance showcoprod@gmail.com, www.showco.co.uk

Jongleurs Comedy Club

Next Dates: Friday 3rd February - Friday 2nd March - Friday 30th March Doors open @ 7:30pm, Show starts @ 8:30pm - Tickets from £10.80

Hot Chocolate - Friday 10th February 2012 Performing live with their hits including ‘It Started with a Kiss’ & ‘Sexy Thing’ Doors open 7:00pm - Tickets £25

www.medwayticketslive.co.uk 01634 338338 Fri, 27 Jan 7.30pm

Wake by Acrojou Visceral storytelling, giant wheels, striking acrobatics and absorbing visuals.

Thu, 23 Feb 8pm

The Singing Loins Medway’s own bare-knuckle punk/folk poets, combining wit and heart-rending acoustic ballads.

Mon, 5 Mar 8pm

Lee Hurst

Man v Woman Back on tour for the first time in over 10 years with his new stand up show.

Tue, 6 Mar 8pm

Paul Malsom Trio Latin American roots injected into new arrangements of popular and contemporary tunes.

Sat, 17 Mar 7.30pm

Great Expectations A new, innovative adaptation of one of Dickens' greatest novels.

Sun, 18 Mar 1pm and 3pm

Kids' Cabaret of Curiosities Dazzling cabaret acts, from magnificent magicians to cracking circus artists. Suitable for the whole family.