WOW Medway June 2011

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Contributors

Emma Dewhurst (Editor) is an actress, drama facilitator, writer and mother. She founded WOW Medway six months ago, out of a desire to change her life and a frustration that all the great things going on had already happened by the time she heard about them. She has certainly achieved the former, and now knows about all the great things going on but never has any time to go to them. She hopes a happy balance could be just around the corner.

Sam Froudist is a writer, blogger, and Bunting Enthusiast. Hailing from the Colonies (Australia), she’s a fresh Medway resident and has recently co-started 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

Chopsticks! by Andrea Docksey. Andrea uses the psuedonym Angelkillerz and is based in Kent. She describes her work as Abstract Colourist, seeking to “Paint with the camera”. Examples can be found at www.wix.com/angelkillerz/wwwwixcom and at www.thedeafcat.com. Email: adocksey@fsmail.net WELCOME TO ISSUE 6, complete with a four-page booklet to pull-out and keep from Chatham’s Historic Dockyard with all you need to know about their jam-packed year of events.

For this month’s must-see, make sure that you get to The Deaf Cat to view a selection of Art Hate 2011 works

by Billy Childish; Sara Norling’s photographs (see The Artist’s Space) and Daisy Parris’ portraits.

Elsewhere we have a brilliant Giveaway from Oliver’s, Rochester’s new Wine & Cocktail bar, and Thames Barge Edith May’s £5 off voucher can be found on page 7.

Cover painting of Billy Childish by Daisy Parris

And I’ve started Tweeting, for my sins! Join the Nick Walker is an events director, film critic conversation on Twitter, or via our Facebook page, email and filmmaker. His flagship Medway project, or the feedback form on the Contact page of The Other Cinema, is a weekly event held every the website.

Thursday at the Chatham Odeon. He went on WOW Medway is half a year old! to set up the Screen Classics programme at the Central Theatre, Chatham. Nick also writes, directs and produces short films and is the If you attend an event or use one of our advertisers editor of Film Essay, for cinéastes wanting to because of WOW Medway – PLEASE MENTION US! write about film culture. Nick has worked for The Guardian and the London Film Festival.

Currently he is Events Director at Film Education Find us on Facebook @EmmaDewhurst7 facebook.com/WOWMedway and Director of National Schools Film Week.

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RELAY FOR LIFE There is still time to register for the local version of this nationwide fundraiser in aid of Cancer Research UK. Cancer survivors and those who want to raise money for Cancer Research fundraise in teams/family groups before the event. All groups then come together over the weekend of 2 and 3 July at the running track at Deangate Ridge, Hoo to run/walk their relay round the track; camp overnight; celebrate survivors and place candles round the track in the Candle of Hope Ceremony.

Registration costs £15 per person (£5 for under 18’s) - includes T Shirt and welcome pack. Contact Nancy Waller: nancy_waller@ btinternet.com 01622 221254 (daytime).

SUNDAY 26th June 2011 RECOLLECT MUSIC FAIRS – records, CDs, DVDs, memorabilia and bargains. Rochester Corn Exchange on June 26 (10am-4pm) and Rainham Mark Social Club on June 12 (9.30am-3.30pm). Free admission

ZUMBATHON®

MAKE EVERY MOVE COUNT

www.EssenceDance.co.uk

SOUTH EAST OPEN STUDIOS 2011

takes place between 3rd and 19th June. Working artists throw open the doors of their studios to the public, who may watch work in progress, ask questions and have the opportunity to buy artworks.

Within easy reach for Medway dwellers are countless studios.

Among the artists most local are: NICK TIDNAM (Acrylic Painting & Drawing - pictured) at 16 Roebuck Road, Rochester NICK EVANS (Oil painting) at Studio 8/9, Nucleus Arts Centre, 272b High Street, Chatham, ME4 4BP JENNY STITCHBURY (Oil, Pastel & Mixed Media), whom you can find at 9 Officers Terrace, The Historic Dockyard, Chatham, ME4 4LJ. For dates and times, Guides and Art Trail maps visit www.seos-art.org

‘UNEARTHED’ REVIEWED dickens ad 2011_Layout 1 13/04/2011 13:36 Page 1

DICKENS FESTIVAL ROCHESTER 3,4 and 5 JUNE Three days of parades, music, drama and dance inspired by the great writer

Rochester

Dickens

3, 4 and 5 June, 2011

A spectacular festival of colourful parades, music, dance, drama and street theatre

New for 2011 is Play on Words Theatre Company’s Catch Dickens If You Can, which is billed as ‘racy, pacy, fun and interactive’!; Dizzy O’Dare’s Cabinet of Curiosities featuring eccentric duo Floggit and Skarper and Dickipedia – The Beginners’ Guide to Dickens.

More information: Phone: 01634 843666 Email: visitor.centre@medway.gov.uk www.whatsonmedway.co.uk

For more information phone 01634 843666 or email visitor.centre@medway.gov.uk

THE COCKTAIL CLUB PRESENTS ‘BERTIE GREEN’S 1920S BOSTON TEA PARTY’

SATURDAY 9 JULY AT 7.30PM 1920s themed cocktail event held in a secret venue in Rochester High Street Tickets (in advance only) £18 the-cocktail-club.co.uk

Following Philip Kane’s article in April’s WOW Medway about his experiences as a dancer with Wolfshead Morris side, ALICE MORGAN reviews the newly released Wolfshead and Vixen Morris CD Many readers will have seen Medway’s own black-clad Gothic Morris side, Wolfshead and Vixen. Many will have noticed, as well, their resident band, usually fronted by Jack Sparrow and the Artful Dodger – sorry, I mean Danny Graham and Jim Rycroft, of course.

They’re a raggle-taggle bunch, wielding a motley array of instruments from guitars and squeezeboxes to the more esoteric hurdy-gurdy. They’ve always been a crucial part of the WH&V set-up, and now they have their own album.

It’s a lively affair, for all the sombre imagery (band members are represented as skeletons on the cover!), though without losing any of the power of these tunes when played live alongside actual dances. I was amazed at how many of them are original creations by past or present members of the band - ten tracks out of twenty-three are credited this way.

Unearthed is an excellent folk-rock album in its own right and part of Medway’s culture. Go buy it!

Wolfshead and Vixen Morris, Unearthed £5 from various outlets in Medway, or email unearthed-album@hotmail.co.uk Wow MEDWAY 5

THIS IS

CHATH

The ARTIST’S Space

HAM Sara Norling

As a photographer, Sara’s interest lies mainly with people, their stories and the relationship between a person and its place.

In 2005 she worked on a set of portraits of the people in her home village Aspåsböle in the north of Sweden. By going back to her roots and documenting the place and the people among whom she grew up, she could make sense of her own identity and also identify a community that has been part of the ‘making of her’. Based in Medway since 2002 this was naturally followed by a continuing documentation of people in Chatham, her new home, of which she exhibited some portraits in Sweden under the working title ‘This is Chatham’ in 2008, and a second set of town photos in 2009. She hopes to continue this work and eventually exhibit it as a larger piece somewhere in Medway.

Not only is the story behind an individual’s face intriguing to Sara: she has always found creativity, art and making a necessity in her life and loves to create using her hands - hair pieces, jewellery, purses and more can be found under her making name, One Little Bird.

Alongside her own creative practise, Sara runs creative workshops in schools and for the community, creating anything from pinhole cameras to recycled sensory sculpture gardens.

Her portraits of Billy Childish are being exhibited at The Deaf Cat, 13 June-3 July (see article p 8).

Also keep your eyes peeled for ‘Pop Up Portrait’ photo sessions at the Deaf Cat’s pop up shop.

For more info and portrait bookings www.saranorling.com www.onelittlebird.blogspot.com www.thedeafcat.com

EXPECTATIONS Dickens Festival:

Saturday 4 June Roy Golding 3-7pm Sunday 5 June Roy Golding 3-7pm And Friday and Saturday nights throughout June: Karaoke with Charlie Driver and Michael 8.30pm to close 15 HIGH STREET, ROCHESTER ME1 1PY Tel: 01634 848182 Wow MEDWAY 7

ART HATE 2011 – BILLY CHILDISH AT THE ART HATE CAFÉ (formerly known as THE DEAF CAT)

Childish’s venue of choice to exhibit a selection of ART HATE ‘propaganda’, in anticipation of a wider exhibition of works in London.

The press release by the L-13 artists who comprise ART HATE is a hilarious mixture of polemic, tongue-in-cheek rhetoric and gobbledegook: ‘ART HATE is a non-organised, semi-fictional movement against all art, that, through systems of poetic polemics, utilises the corruptive systems and devices of art to propound and debunk its own ideology; thus creating new vacuums of thought and massive combustions of meaning.’

For those not already in the know, 2011 sees the beginning of THE THOUSAND YEAR ART HATE, the latest event in the erratic and deliberately subverted history of the ‘non-organisation’ known as ART HATE, of which Medway’s most infamous artist son, Billy Childish, international painter, poet and musician, is a founding member.

Rochester’s very own Deaf Cat Coffee Bar and Gallery has secured something of a coup in being

The ideology behind ART HATE stands side-byside with Childish’s previous alignment with (and subsequent distancing from) The Stuckists, a radical art movement which he co-founded with Charles Thomson in 1999. Driven by a loathing of conceptual Brit Art as personified by Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, the Stuckists famously protested on the steps of Tate Britain, where they handed out a Manifesto denouncing The Turner Prize, and championed a return to exhibiting artists who actually paint.

ONE TO WATCH:

COVER ARTIST DAISY PARRIS

“These artists are interested in the historical context of hatred, such as the relationship of art (especially modernism) with fascism, the history of advertising and the history of propaganda.” Taken from MEDITATIONS ON ART HATE SERIES NO. 1 by Neal Brown

Daisy Parris is only 17 but already has an impressive track record.

This will be her second professional outing in a year: the first was ‘Two Sides of the Same Coin’, presented by Medway Eyes at the Brook Theatre Art Gallery in February, where her work was shown alongside photographs by Phil Dillon. She has just completed her Foundation course year at UCA, and has won a place at Goldsmiths to study Fine Art.

“I’ve always painted portraits of artists and musicians I like,” she says, when asked what drew her to paint Childish, “and I realised he has such a good face to paint. His moustache helps me to plan out the face!”

The works in this exhibition are a far cry from the earthy woodcuts and emotionally-charged self-portraits often associated with Childish. Instead, you’ll find a series of postcards, posters and artworks borrowing the iconography of the Third Reich. They are powerful, uncomfortable and occasionally humorous. Certainly, the artworks do not fail to provoke (ART HATE has taken as its emblem of anti-authoritarianism a hung swastika, seen painted onto a wall during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944).

THE DEAF CAT

Childish is the artist most often cited by other Medway painters as an influence in their work. After years on the fringes of the mainstream art world, doing what he pleases and producing a consistently high output of paintings, poetry, writings and songs, last year saw his first major public exhibition, at London’s ICA. Since then the price tags on his artworks have rocketed accordingly.

Named for Dickens’ favourite moggy who reputedly sat on his desk as he wrote, The Deaf Cat’s mission is simple: owners Kevan Middleton and Laura Brown aim to provide artists of all types a place to exhibit their work and meet like-minded individuals to inspire and spark opportunities. Making the coffee bar integral to the gallery space also means that punters can’t help but be made conscious of artists who have chosen to base themselves in Medway. Visitors might purchase a work of art, others are inspired to go off and have ideas of their own.

Don’t miss this showing at The Deaf Cat - we may be about to lose Billy Childish to the wider world: who knows when you will have the chance to be provoked by this legend again. Emma Dewhurst The exhibition runs from June 13 – July 3 2011. Also exhibited will be images of Billy Childish by cover artist Daisy Parris (see opposite) and

by Sara Norling, the featured artist in this month’s Artist’s Space.

More of Daisy’s work can be seen at www.wix.com/daisyparris/art

If you haven’t yet discovered Rochester’s Deaf Cat Coffee Bar and Gallery, make it a priority to find this most popular of haunts next time you hit the High Street. You’ll find good coffee, yummy cakes and something interesting to talk about on the walls.

Thus far The Deaf Cat has hosted exhibitions, acoustic gigs, filmed interviews, Makers Markets and more. The idea has been extremely well received: The Deaf Cat was awarded Best Newcomer in the Medway Culture and Design Awards 2010.

‘There is and always has been a lot of creativity in the Medway area, and The Deaf Cat is just one of the new ventures trying to expose this and offer a platform.’ says Middleton. And of the future? ‘We hope we can continue to grow. There are pockets of creativity everywhere, and all artists need a variety of opportunities to gain recognition and further their work.’

83 High Street, Rochester, ME1 1LX. Open 9.30am-5pm.

10% off all hot drinks to wearers of TDC badge (50p at the counter) thedeafcat.com Wow MEDWAY 9

FILM l HAZLITT STARTLE ART & FILM FESTIVAL Hazlitt Theatre, Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL CASABLANCA (1942) Mon 6 June, 7.30pm £5 Timeless classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Best 1940s costume wins tickets to a Hazlitt comedy night. 102 mins

THREE WISE MEN – contemporary film night

collaborator Paul Laverty, this anti-war thriller deals with the morally compromising world of private security contractors in Iraq. 109 mins SUBMARINE (15) 2010 Thu 16 June, 7.45pm Dir: Richard Ayoarde Cast: Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins Coming-of-age comedy drama. Great reviews for first-time director Ayoarde.

Recommended. 97 mins ORANGES AND SUNSHINE (15) 2010

Thu 23 June, 7.45pm Dir: Jim Loach Tue 7 June, 7.30pm £3 Cast: Hugo Weaving, Directed by UCA student Michael Emily Watson Intziegianni and produced by Nottingham social worker Craig Turner. Explores art and Margaret Humphreys (Watson) religion through the eyes of three uncovered one of the worst social artists. For over 15s. scandals of recent times.

120 mins l THE OTHER CINEMA Chatham Odeon Cinema, LITTLE WHITE LIES (15) 2010 Maritime ME4 4LL. Thu 30 June, 7.45pm 0871 22 44 007 Dir: Guillaume Canet A weekly showcase of quality Cast: Fancois Cluzet, films from around the world, Marion Cotillard with a post-show discussion Fine ensemble playing in led by Nick Walker over a free this drama about a group of glass of wine. £8.25/£6.25.

40-something friends. 154 mins theothercinema.info.

ANIMAL KINGDOM (15) 2010 Thu 2 June, 7.45pm Dir: David Michôd Cast: Guy Pearce, James Frecheville, Jackie Weaver This Australian crime drama has garnered rave reviews and a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for Weaver.

113 mins ROUTE IRISH (15) 2010 Thu 9 June, 7.45pm Dir: Ken Loach Cast: Mark Womack, Andrew Lowe, John Bishop Written by long-time fellow-

l SCREEN CLASSICS, The Central Theatre, 170 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS 01634 338 301 A big-screen celebration of cinema classics introduced by programmer Nick Walker. £6/£5 (booked online). Students £3.50.

See four Screen Classics and get a fifth free. medway.gov.uk/ theatrebookings SOME LIKE IT HOT (12) Tuesday 14 June [7.30pm] Dir: Billy Wilder Cast: Marilyn Monroe,

Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon Much-loved classic comedy.

See Nick Walker’s article on page 15. 116 mins BEST OF JUNE RELEASES X MEN: FIRST CLASS (Cert tbc) Rip-roaring Marvel superheroes action adventure.

Rel 3 June JLS 3D: EYES WIDE OPEN (12A) Concert movie. Rel 3 June SENNA (12A) Documentary about the legendary racing driver.

Rel 3 June GREEN LANTERN (Cert tbc) Another classic Marvel superhero movie.

Rel 17 June KUNG FU PANDA 2 – 3D (Cert tbc) Action-packed animated sequel. Rel 24 June BAD TEACHER (15) Comedy starring Cameron Diaz. Rel 24 June BRIDESMAIDS (15) Wedding comedy mayhem.

Rel 24 June To be shown at the following cinemas: ODEON CHATHAM, Dickens World, Chatham ME4 4LL. 0871 22 44 007. odeon.co.uk ODEON MAIDSTONE, Lockmeadow, Maidstone, ME16 8RG. 0871 22 44 007. odeon.co.uk ROCHESTER CINEWORLD MULTIPLEX Medway Valley Leisure Park, 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, Bluewater, Greenhithe, DA9 9SG. 0871 220 1000. showcasecinemas.co.uk/ bluewater

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Pay once and visit again and again and again and again an The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a unique, award winning maritime heritage destination with a fantastic range of attractions, iconic buildings and historic ships to explore, PLUS a fabulous programme of temporary exhibitions at No.1 Smithery.

Incredible value for money!

With so much to see and do at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, you can come back again and again with your 12 month ticket.

(Terms and conditions apply).

INC Included in price of your 12 month ticket Visit www.thedockyard.co.uk or telephone 01634 823807 for details of our programme of special events, prices and gallery opening and closing times.

Make rope on the Victorian Ropery Tour; be gripped by stories of life aboard our Three Historic Warships, be absorbed by the sights, sounds and smells of the dockyard of 1758 recreated in the Wooden Walls of England and be inspired by 400 years of history in the Royal Dockyard Museum, BIG ‘things’ in 3 Slip The BIG Space and heroic stories in RNLI Historic Lifeboat Collection. Visit the beautiful Commissioner’s garden for a little peace and quiet and allow the children to let off steam in the Railway Workshop Picnic and Play indoor soft play or the outdoor adventure play areas.

No. 1 Smithery: National Treasures Inspiring Culture is an all round treasure house for the whole family. It has brilliant new galleries displaying world class maritime treasures from two national museums and a changing programme of interesting temporary exhibitions and family activities. During the school holidays, ‘The Courtyard’ is home to family fun including Pirate Play Days and Myths and Monsters.

nd again and again and again and again and again and again a year of events RIVETING ROBOTS 30 May to 5 June

In addition to the exhibition ROBOT, a Collection of Robots, Cyborgs and Androids - from Monday 30th May to Sunday 5th June, families can join in the fun in the ‘Riveting Robots’ workshops with robots to make, art and craft activities and prizes to win in robot themed party games plus a giant robot sculpture to make and a have-a-go obstacle course using radio controlled robots.

INC

THE LADY PIRATE STORYTELLING 30 May to 5 June

Storytelling of the daredevil piracy and mischiefmaking of the Killigrews of Falmouth. Lady Killigrew was arrested and thrown in the Tower of London by Elizabeth I but she lived to tell the tale!

INC

PIRATE PLAY DAYS IN NO. 1 SMITHERY: THE COURTYARD 23 July to 29 August

A pirate extravaganza for families. Young visitors will be able to enjoy the delights of the specially created ‘Pirates’ Play Place’, with stimulating creative activities, family learning opportunities, story-telling, puppet shows, and costumed characters – including Captain Flint, the mischievous parrot who is always on the lookout for treasure to steal! When the little pirates have finished helping to make a giant pirate sculpture, they can try their hand at building a model pirate ship and testing it in our new testing tank. Can their ghastly galleon withstand stormy conditions? Or will it be consigned to Davy Jones’ locker at the first sign of wind and waves? With a giant pirate themed inflatable obstacle course and a desert island where little ones can dig for treasure, there is something for children of all ages!

INC

MYTHS AND MONSTERS 22 to 30 October

Mythical creatures of the deep and marvellous maritime monsters are the centre of this week of family fun activities.

INC

EVENT

SALUTE TO THE ‘40S

Photo: Daniel Turner

SCHOOL HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES

17 & 18 September, 10am – 6pm Step back in time for a weekend of nostalgia and life on the Home Front.

Full of atmosphere, song and humour there is plenty of entertainment for the whole family and it’s a great event for youngsters too! 1940’s street scenes, military encampments, fire engines, river trips, period hair and fashion, Ration Book cooking, air raid shelters and farming all come together with over 700 participants and 100 vehicles against the dramatic backdrop of the preserved Historic Dockyard and its historic warships.

Salute to the ’40s has really joined the ranks of the best 1940s event in the country, aided by its authentic historical setting and enthusiastic re-enactors and performers of the period.

This is a real trip down memory lane for some and also a fantastic open-air classroom for all youngsters keen to learn more about Britain at War. For youngsters hoping to get a head start with their Second World War studies, ‘Salute to the 40’s’ is just the place to be.

With more than ever on offer for families, learning about the past has never been so much fun. In the specially themed ‘Play Bunker’ there will be activities for kids young and old alike. They can try their hand at mine detecting and find the ‘explosives’ in the desert display, or budding naval engineers can build a landing craft and see if it survives the wind and waves tests in the new special simulation tank. With face painting, party games, and ‘make and do’ activities for the younger ones, visiting ‘evacuees’ won’t want to go home!

Event prices apply.

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a year of events TEMPORARY EXHIBITION PROGRAMME IN NO. 1 SMITHERY: THE GALLERY

ROBOT –

A Collection of Robots, Cyborgs and Androids Showing now until 17 June Come face to face with metallic stars the Terminator, Robocop, R2D2, Star Wars droids and more in this amazing collection of robots from film and real life! Robots come in all shapes and sizes; some friendly, others helpful…and a few simply scary!

Find out more in this fantastic exhibition.

INC

TITANIC HONOUR AND GLORY –

The story of the tragic liner and her sister ships 1 July to 30 September Arguably the most famous ship in history, Titanic set off on her maiden voyage 99 years ago, never to return. Amazing exhibits, combining original White Star Line artefacts with memorabilia from the 1997 movie including the “Heart of the Ocean” necklace worn by Kate Winslet.

INC

STREET ART –

V&A Touring Exhibitions 13 October - 27 November From derelict buildings, hoardings and bus shelters, back to the gallery Banksy, Jamie Hewlett and Miss Tic are just a few of the artists that contributed to this exhibition of original street art from around the globe.

Photo: V&A

INC

Exceptional Value!

All individual full price tickets are valid for 12 months from the date of first visit allowing visitors to visit again and again throughout the year. All school holiday family activities and Temporary Exhibitions as above are included in normal admission prices and return visits with 12 month tickets are valid for use.

‘Salute to the ‘40s’ is not included in the 12 month ticket as event prices apply. Discounted admission prices are available for 12 month ticket holders.

Terms & conditions apply. See website for further details.

Group admission tickets and some promotional offers are valid for a one day visit only.

Take two struggling musicians, a Saint Valentine’s Day massacre, Chicago gangsters, two millionaires (one phoney and one real), some female impersonation and a great Jazz soundtrack and you have one of the most entertaining and rewarding films of all time.

NICK WALKER GLORIES IN

SOME LIKE IT HOT

BILLY WILDER’S ENDURING MOVIE TREASURE

On the run from gangsters, Jack Lemon and Tony Curtis disguise themselves as women, playing in an all-girl musical band headed to Florida. There ensues a series of double entendres and mismatches of gender where the boys, who now refer to themselves as Josephine and Daphne, mix it with the wonderfully named ‘Sugar Cane’; played with aplomb by Marilyn Monroe.

Director Billy Wilder, a Jewish Austrian émigré, always had a difficult relationship to the English language and this showed on set, where he struggled to convey his direction to actors. However, his trademark style, which incorporated off screen narrations, sharp wit, identity changes and intense close ups all ensured that a Billy Wilder film, in whatever genre, would be instantly recognisable and easily communicate a strong sense of empathy to the human spirit. It was this which helped earn him a reputation as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollwood’s golden age.

The studios did not always like Wilder – he often fell out with executives over control of the pictures – but the actors always liked him. Lemon and Curtis loved him and Monroe suggested he’d looked after her on set.

Monroe has become an icon, someone unattainable yet someone inventing herself as we watch her on screen, often exchanging dialogue with her on-screen partners like she couldn’t wait to get rid of the words – here she purrs them out with helpless desire as the chemistry bristles with excitement.

Curtis’ impression of the phoney millionaire, all done via a fantastic impression of Cary Grant, is placed into sharp focus as he seduces the inevitably worldly-wise yet naïve Sugar on his yacht as they played out an off-screen romance during the filmmaking. Rumours of Curtis likening kissing Monroe to kissing Hitler seem rather premature and apparently untrue! The casting was a stroke of genius, with the three principal actors throwing themselves into their parts with gusto. The principal cast is completed by a wonderful performance by tough guy George Raft and a lovely cameo by Joe E Brown, the latter stealing the ending with cracking one-liners.

The film is classic screwball in style and has rightly become an enduring treasure of the movies, a film of meticulous craft, about nothing but sex and yet pretends to be about crime and greed. All underwired with Wilder’s cheerful cynicism, which forces us, the audience to want the slapstick as much as the kisses, to desire Monroe’s curves as much as we lust after the gun fire of Raft’s mob. Screen Classics showing on 14th June.

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MUSIC

DEAL

l CLASSICAL THE CENTRAL THEATRE 170 High Street, Chatham,

www.dealfestival.co.uk

ME4 4AS 01634 338338

CITY OF LONDON SINFONIA Sun 5 June, 7.30pm.

Elgar, Mozart, Schubert and Grainger. £21, £19, £17 (concs available) medway.gov.uk/theatrebookings

FRIDAY 24 JUNE

Deal Pier Apron, 7.00 - 9.00pm

Paprika, Balkan Genius

Toe-tapping, soul-searing mayhem with six virtuosos on violin, accordion, guitar, bass and percussion

DICKENS WORLD COURTYARD, Leviathan Way, Chatham Maritime, ME4 4LL 01634 890421

THE MAGIC FLUTE by Mozart. Performed by Mantissa Opera. Sat 11 June, 8pm. Show only, £25; or £39 for a 3 course silver service meal at 7pm followed by show. dickensworld.co.uk

SATURDAY 25 JUNE

St George’s Church, Deal, 7.30pm

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

A return visit by thunderous popular demand, shedding new light on this maligned but Oh! so versatile instrument

METHODIST CHURCH,

SUNDAY 26 JUNE

Union Street, Maidstone ME14 1ES

St George’s Church, Deal, 7.00pm

MAIDSTONE SINGERS Sat 11 June, 7.30pm. Choral works at their best. Part of the StARTle 11 Festival.

Dame Felicity Lott & Sir Thomas Allen

MOTE HALL, Mote Park, Willow Way, Maidstone ME15 7RN OPENING CONCERT, 19th International Maidstone Music and Dance Festival. Sun 12 June, 6.30pm Maidstone Singers and local children performing in aid of Kent Association for the Blind. Book both the above through Hazlitt Box Office: 01622 758611 hazlittartscentre.co.uk ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL, ME1 1SX. 01634 810061 ROCHESTER CHORAL SOCIETY CONCERT Sat 11 June, 7.00pm Purcell and Rossini conducted by Roger Sayer. £7-£15. Book online at rochesterchoral.co.uk

Old Town Hall, 5 The Brook, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338

JOE STILGOE, Tue 7 June, 8pm Pianist & singer. £11 FOLK AT THE BROOK HOBO JONES &THE JUNKYARD DOGS, Thu 16 June, 8pm £10 THE CENTRAL THEATRE 170 High Street, Chatham, ME4 4AS

NILS LOFGREN ACOUSTIC DUO, Sat 11 June, 8pm Legendary American songwriter, virtuoso guitarist and pianist. Two hour set with no interval. £28.50, £26 THE EAGLE, 124 High Street Rochester, ME1 1JT 01634 409040. UK and international finest LIVE MUSIC Thursdays, from rock and roll to indie, soul and more CLUB NIGHT Fri and Saturdays to 12am LIVE JAZZ Sunday lunchtime from 12 noon SKA, REGGAE & NORTHERN SOUL DJS , last Sunday of every month 7-10pm No entry fee theeagletavern.org.uk 32 Earl Street, ME14 1PF 01622 683548

PAUL DUNTON AND GUESTS, Thu 16 June, doors 7pm, show 8pm.

Two of the established stars of the great Opera Houses and Concert Halls

SATURDAY 2 JULY

BOX OFFICE Sound House, Deal 01304 381134 24 JUNE -3 JULY 2011 St George’s Church, Deal, 7.30pm

Taiko Meantime

Strike at the heart of Taiko drumming magic -- an enthralling show mixing traditional Japanese rhythms and techniques

Kent-based Dunton’s regular night showcasing new 09/04/2011 local talent. Paul Dunton’s Quintet play alongside Sorrel Nation and Coca Jem with The Violet Jive headlining.

Advance booking only. Tickets £7, call 0845 6027017 pizzaexpresslive.co.uk

Deal Festival ad big deal.indd 1

l GIGS JAZZ AT THE BROOK THEATRE

THE MUSIC ROOM, PIZZA EXPRESS MAIDSTONE,

FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & THE ARTS

ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL, ME1 1SX 01634 810061 THE LEVELLERS Sat 18 June, 8pm Brighton-based folk-punk band with huge following. £19.50 + booking fee from seetickets.com/tour-Levellers-Acoustic THE TWO BREWERS 113 High Street Rochester, ME1 1JS 01634 812448

Thursday 2 June, 9pm - BLUES NIGHT WITH THE BIG BLUE Sun 12 June, 4pm - BREAKTHRU Sun 19 June, 4pm - BRAVADO Sun 22 June, 4pm RUN V.T. twobrewersrochester.com SING YOUR HEART OUT! join the Hazlitt Choir - over 70 people have joined so far! It doesn’t matter what level you are, from an absolute beginner to experienced singer, the Hazlitt Arts Centre’s Musical Director, Eric Lund, will loosen your vocal chords and ease you into singing your heart out. Learning to sing is fun, a great way to meet new people and a satisfying skill. It’s also a brilliant stress-buster. To join, just turn up at the HAC on a Wednesday at 7pm.

For further information please contact Natalie Price at natalieprice@maidstone.gov.uk. £20 per term payable in advance. hazlittartscentre.co.uk

19:53

June 2011

Wednesday 1st: Keith James Thursday 2nd: Glenn Barnes Originals Wednesday 8th: Los Salvadores Thursday 9th: Sideshow Gez Wednesday 15th: The Simon Hopper Band Thursday 16th: Kingsize Slim Wednesday 22nd: The Songs of Lorca Thursday 23rd: Denise Black & The Loose Screws Wednesday 29th: Tattie Jam Thursday 30th: Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs

The Man of Kent Ale-House 6-8 John Street. Rochester. ME1 1YN themanofkent.com 07772 214315

Wow MEDWAY 17

THEATRE Shake Up Your Summer with Shakespeare’s COMEDY OF ERRORS Identical twins, crazy capers and fezzes are the flavour of this year’s open air production of The Comedy of Errors that will be touring from 30 June- 7 August throughout Kent.

The Hazlitt Arts Centre together with The Changeling Theatre Company have been producing outdoor productions of the Bard’s work in the South East for over 10 years.

Their reputation has grown widespread for producing funny and more importantly accessible theatre for all the family to enjoy.

Their inaugural production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was staged at Boughton Monchelsea Place to much success, not least because of the picturesque background with views overlooking the Weald and authentic Elizabethan house built during Shakespeare’s lifetime.

Marice and Dominic Kendrick, owners and occupiers, have supported the event every year and are delighted to be throwing open their lawns once more on 15-17 July and 5-7 August.

The show will star Jake Hendricks (Father Kieran Hobbs of Hollyoaks) as Antipholus and is directed once again with humour and a great deal of irreverence by Rob Forknall. The production will also feature an original musical score by Dougal Irvine who is currently enjoying much acclaim following his show the Departure Lounge in the West End last October.

To book your tickets or for further information contact the Hazlitt Arts Centre Box Office: 01622 758 611 hazlittartscentre.co.uk

l THE CENTRAL THEATRE 170 High Street, Chatham, ME4 4AS. 01634 338338

SHAOLIN WARRIORS Thu 2 June, 7.30pm 22 Kung Fu masters strutting their extraordinary stuff. £21, £19.50, children £15 THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA Fri 24 June at 1.30pm and Sat 25 June at 10.30am and 1.30pm Teatime mayhem for the over 3s. Tickets £10, Family of four £36 l THE BROOK THEATRE

REGINALD D. HUNTER Thu 16 June, 8pm One of the UK Comedy circuit’s best loved performers. £15 hazlittartscentre.co.uk l THE FESTIVAL THEATRE AT HEVER CASTLE, Hever

Lake side Theatre, Hever Castle, Edenbridge TN8 7NG 01732 866114

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

by Jane Austen, adapted by Laura Turner Thu 2 and Fri 3 June, 8pm. Regency delights from Chapterhouse Theatre Company. £16.50

Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338

AN EVENING OF TWO ONE ACT PLAYS: Drinking Companion by Alan Ayckbourn and Wish I Was Special by Steve Perrin Wed 8 June, 8pm Alternate Shadows Theatre present this evening of light and shade. £6, concs available HOW TO BE A HERO Sun 12 June, 11am, 1pm and 3pm Magical new puppet show for children by Scratch Built Productions. Adults £5.50, Child £4.50 medway.gov.uk/ theatrebookings l HAZLITT THEATRE

Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL 01622 758611

TCHAIKOVSKY GALA presented

by The Vienna Festival Ballet Thu 9 June, 7.30pm An evening of highlights from the best known and most loved Tchaikovsky ballets, including Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. £19.50, concs £16 MARK THOMAS: EXTREME RAMBLING Fri 10 June, 7.30pm Award-winning comedian tells the story of his 750km walk along the Israeli Separation Barrier. Moving and funny. £15, concs £10

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Sat 4 June and Sun 5 June, 8pm.

Shakespeare’s romantic comedy with new musical score.

Sat £18.50, Sun £16.50 CRANFORD by Elizabeth Gaskell, adapted by Laura Turner Tue 21 June, 8pm Delightful tale of snobbery, gossip and social scandal. £16.50 heverfestival.co.uk l MEDWAY LITTLE THEATRE

256 High Street Rochester ME1 1HY 01634 400322

PRIVATE LIVES Directed by Andy Taylor.

26 May – 4 June, 7.30pm Glorious Noël Coward comedy. £7, concs available. Monday all seats £4.50 mlt.org.uk l SPOTLITES AT KINGS THEATRE,

338 High Street, Chatham ME4 4NR 01634 829468

THE ENORMOUS TURNIP 1 June and 16 June, 1pm Interactive theatre for little ones. For 2-5s. Adults £6.50, Child £5.50, £22 family www.spotlites.co.uk

EATING OUT Sam Froudist does brunch at the Britannia Bar and Café It’s not often that you go to meet someone for brunch, only to find that they are already sitting there, enjoying their first beer of the day while they wait. Although a pre-noon ale is not particularly my style, getting the things you want seems to be a pretty regular occurrence at the Britannia Bar and Café in Chatham.

Whilst my partner decided on a fresh ham and beetroot salad (his idea of brunch consistently surprises me), I chose to go with the more traditional fare of scrambled eggs and bacon. Admittedly, the breakfast menu is not the most adventurous I have encountered, but my food was cooked well and more than satisfied those Saturday morning cravings.

Their ‘What’s On’ board boasted a completely soldout Greek Night, and it’s not surprising, given that prices are very reasonable and the service is friendly and attentive. To see the Britannia at its best, I’d have to recommend an evening jaunt. The place comes alive when it’s absolutely stuffed with people and I’m sure you’ll find the atmosphere is just as satisfying as the food.

376 High Street, Rochester, Kent ME1 1DJ. Tel: 01634 815204 britannia-bar-cafe.co.uk

I’d venture to say that their breakfast menu doesn’t really do them justice. From what I saw of their popular lunchtime and we-strongly-recommendyou-book Sunday lunch menus, there are plenty of delicious treats to be had, for all appetites. There was even borscht, a Russian beetroot soup that is guaranteed to make my Dad have an alarming Fiddler-on-the-Roof moment.

Wow MEDWAY 19

VISUAL ART l THE DEAF CAT 83 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX Open all week, 9.30am-5pm MEDWAY PRINTMAKERS 16 May-6 June BILLY CHILDISH - ART HATE 2011 13 June-3 July See centre page article. Free thedeafcat.com l FRANCIS ILES GALLERIES Rutland House, 103 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 843081 ROWLAND HIDER OBE 7 May to 11 June inc Sun 8 May, 11am4pm English landscape painter.

From 18 June: GOLDEN EXHIBITION to celebrate their 50th year. Free frances-iles.com l FUSE MEDWAY FESTIVAL GRAYSCALE WORLD INSTALLATION Mon 13-16 June, High Street, Rochester.

An otherworldly performance and installation by Moogie Wonderland celebrating the colour grey. Medway’s architecture, industrial sites and public areas transformed using varying symphonies of grey.

GRAYSCALE WORLD JOURNEY Sun 19 June, 11am High Street, Rochester.

Starts at the Star Hill end of Rochester High Street. Free fusefestival.org.uk l HAZLITT STARTLE ART & FILM FESTIVAL MAIDSTONE VISUAL ARTISTS NETWORK (MVAN) ART TRAIL Sat 4 June-Sat 2 July. Find amazing artworks by local artists throughout the town.

‘Eye-Spy’ competition.

Download a copy of the trail at www.mvan.info. Free

FREE FAMILY ART WORKSHOPS led by MVAN members Sat 11, 18, 25 June, 10.30am-12.30pm, drop in.

Maidstone Museum, St Faith’s St, ME14 1LH THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Window in Rose Yard. Local MVAN members Janet Jackson, Jo and Ken Savage exhibit in June. Free MAIDSTONE ART SOCIETY’S EXHIBITION Sat 11 June-Wed 29 June MonFri 9am-6pm, Thu to 9pm, Sat 9am-5pm. Work by local artists.

Free. Maidstone Library, St Faith’s Street, ME14 1LH

PAPER, POETRY & PRAISE Rosheen Browning 28 May-2 June BREAKIN’ CHAINS – David Faltrego 3-9 June Pseudosurrealist paintings and more introspective material focusing on childhood and family THE VINES GROUP – Various artists 11-23 June Preview/Meet the artists Fri 10 June, 6-8pm - all welcome nucleus-arts.com l ROCHESTER ART GALLERY & CRAFT CASE Medway Visitor Information Centre, 95 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 338319 VESSEL: STILL POINTS/ TURNING WORLDS From 17 June: WENDY SMITH l TURNER CONTEMPORARY RENDEZVOUS Margate CT9 1HG 01843 233000

REVEALED: TURNER CONTEMPORARY OPENS To Sept. Tues-Sun 10am-7pm, Fri 10am-10pm. Closed Mon (except Bank Holidays 10am-7pm) Inaugural exhibition THE VITALITY PROJECT Tue 7-Sun 12 June Last month’s in iconic new building. Free cover photographer Chris Brunt turnercontemporary.org showcases his photographs of ETCHY SKETCHY 4 June, 1–4pm women over forty involved in Clore Learning Studio £2.50 per the arts. Mall Chequers person, just turn up Learn about Shopping Centre artist Ellen Harvey’s work, then try your hand at etching onto 24 WEDDINGS AND A Perspex.

FLOWER FESTIVAL Opens Fri 11 June at 10.30am.

STAR GAZING - PORTABLE Union Street Methodist Church, Maidstone. Pedestals of flowers, PLANETARIUM 18 June, 1–4pm Clore Learning Studio £3.50 wedding dresses from 1940s to per person. Explore space in present day and a photographic the Astrodome, an amazing exhibition! Free inflatable planetarium.

Presented by Kent astronomer l NUCLEUS GALLERY Peter J Golding. Shows start 272 High Street, Chatham at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm, ME4 4BP 01634 812108 2.30pm, 3.30pm and 4.30pm.

Gallery opening hours 10-5pm Places limited: book in advance.

Not all independent schools are the same.

At Rochester

we have an average class size

an inspiring team of teachers,

of 8,

no uniform, no entrance exams,

a warm & friendly environment, an outstanding

ofsted

rating, 27 years’ experience preparing students for top universities, great food,

an award winning

wildlife garden, minibus

services and we focus on academic achievement while still encouraging independent thought

and creativity.

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

YEAR 7 TO SIXTH FORM ISC ACCREDITED

MAIDSTONE ART TRAIL

June 4th to July 2nd 2011 Follow the map to see a range of diverse, affordable, quality art and discover Maidstone’s hidden shopping gems 42 shops hosting the work of 34 artists ‘Eye-Spy’ Competition Maps and further information available at www.mvan.info

Wow MEDWAY 21

LIGHT THE FUSE! WOW MEDWAY TAKES A LOOK AT FUSE MEDWAY FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

This year FUSE Medway Festival takes place over one dynamic weekend, encompassing the centres of Gillingham, Chatham and Rochester. There is a vast array of entertainment on offer – it’s family-friendly, fun, funny and best of all, FREE! ILLUMINATION PARADE Friday 17 June from 4.30pm, Gillingham High Street Much-loved, life size illuminated silver puppets, Sparky Champion and Magma Eternal will lead a celebration parade CHATHAM STREET ARTS DAY Saturday 18 June, 12 noon-5pm, Chatham High Street. A feast of the best in street art, including Weirdy Beardies (hairy performance), funny usherettes Pearl, Swank & Deanie and Dan The Hat (awesome hat manipulation). Our very own Loop Dance perform and the Bicycle Ballet sounds amazing.

Watch out also for Alana Jones in Dizzy O’ Dare’s The Tiny Travelling Tightwire Show.

Pan Gottic’s award winning Full Twist is definitely worth seeking out: it’s an upbeat silent physical comedy, which follows a quirky couple stumbling into love.

On Saturday evening, internationally renowned pyrotechnicians All Hands return to Fuse to transform Rochester Castle’s grounds with a live show incorporating fire, fireworks and music. Has to be a ‘don’t miss’. 9.45-10.30pm

TAKE THE POSE (pictured) sounds fun: a sideshow reviving the tradition of the seaside snapshot, combining puppetry, live art, and photography.

Alice? is presented by students from Central School of Speech & Drama at 4.30pm in Rochester Castle Moat. In a new take on the classic, the creatures of Wonderland have followed Alice home and now they’re lost, searching the Medway parks for the way back to Wonderland. (For further performances of Alice? see the FUSE website). Wonderland hatmaking accompanies this performance. fusefestival.org.uk

THE BIG TEA PARTY, Sunday 19 June, 12 noon to 5pm, Rochester Castle Gardens. Promises to be even bigger than last year’s bash. There’ll be the world’s largest underwater laboratory from Airquarium, a real Secret Garden and a Troll’s kitchen among the joys here; also, a WI tea tent and some rather stranger tea ladies courtesy of Wet Picnic.

DESIGN: A Stone’s Throw www.astonesthrowdesign.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)

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. Current print circulation: 3000 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.wowmedway. co.uk Copy/listings deadline for July issue: 20 June ©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.

WOW Medway is printed on 100% recycled paper

Berkeley House, the elegant white building set back from the pavement up a curving flight of steps at the Star Hill end of the High Street, has been transformed into a classy new addition to Rochester’s night time scene.

Oliver’s Wine & Cocktail Bar is part of the Rochester Coffee Co., and its raison d’être is underpinned by the same belief which has ensured the Coffee Shop is such a success: that going out for a bite to eat or a drink should be an enjoyable and relaxing experience.

Like the RCCo, Oliver’s philosophy is to offer customers quality, ethically sourced products and superior customer service: staff are being trained in superior customer service by a top London hotel.

The Bar boasts an impressive range of wines and champagnes, premium beers and spirits. There are also mixologists on hand to create a cocktail specially for you in the cocktail bar. You can lounge on a sofa and enjoy the specially commissioned pop art style paintings of Dickens characters (the result of a happy partnership with Nucleus Arts, which as regulars will know have supplied the art to RCCo’s walls for years).

COCKTAILS AND CANAPES FOR TWO with the WOW Medway June GIVEAWAY: Experience a luxurious evening for two at Oliver’s Wine & Cocktail Bar. The prize includes free entrance for two for one night and complimentary Cocktails and Canapés.

To enter the draw, simply email the Editor at editor@wowmedway. co.uk or send your name and address to 23 Elmhurst Gardens, Chatham, Kent ME4 6UL by 30th June.

Oliver’s Wine & Cocktail Bar, 186 High Street, Rochester ME1 1EY For membership details call: 01634 540031 Email: hello@oliversrochester.co.uk Web: oliversrochester.co.uk

What also marks out Oliver’s as being a little different is its exclusive members only door policy, so that punters have to join. With the introductory offer giving 66% off the regular membership fee, annual membership currently stands at £30 per year.

Wow MEDWAY 23

13 ~ 16 JULY

SQUEEZE

PETER ANDRE

N-DUBZ

PROMS

Wednesday, 13 July

Friday, 15 July

Thursday, 14 July

Saturday, 16 July

www.castleconcerts.co.uk

01634 338338

Peter Andre photograph: Can Associates Limited

ROCHESTER CASTLE GARDENS