Corsham Fringe Festival 2010

Following its success in 2009, Corsham Fringe Festival returns with an even bigger selection of community focused performances, events and activities. Please see below for Fringe Festival highlights.

Book online now for Fringe events!

Alternatively please ring the box office on 01249 701628

Monday - Friday, 10am - 7pm, Saturdays, 10am - 4pm

Fringe Highlights

On Saturday 19 June, the opening Saturday of Corsham Fringe Festival, there will be a fun drop-in family workshop in the High Street , some great street performance from ActNoW youth theatre and a Mad Hatter's Tea Party! Other street theatre events during the week include I Scream Van, Sheelanagig and Honey.

Amongst the great variety of events are concerts by Corsham Windband Association, Corsham Choral Society, some live gigs at The Royal Oak, some atmospheric theatre by Finding The Will and even some poetry in pubs - there's sure to be something for everyone!

Corsham Civic Society

Dr Eric Robinson: Corsham and Geology

Friday 18 June, 8pm

The Pound, Corsham

Members £1, Non members £2 on the door

For generations, stone found in the Corsham area has been widely regarded as some of the best building materials in the UK. Dr Robinson is an expert in this field and his talk will illustrate why the geological features in this area are so important to the industry of producing good stone for buildings, monuments etc.

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Claire Baker Ceramics

Exhibition

Saturday 19 June - Saturday 26 June

The Pound Cafe, Corsham

Free

The Pound's resident artist Claire Baker, is exhibiting an electic selection of work for the Fringe Festival in The Pound arts cafe. A contemporary take on Victorian chintz; Claire's work has been exhibited internationally and has recently been highlighted by David Nicholls, Design editor for The Telegraph in his weekly Design Notebook. http://www.bakerart.org.uk/

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I Scream Van

Saturday 19 June, 10am - 1pm

High Street, Corsham

Free

A fine array of surprises and shocks from the smallest mobile cinema in the world. Sit back in one of the gold braided seats and enjoy an excellent mock horror movie in the beautiful decor of a traditional cinema. This particular screening has more frights in store than you might expect so watch out!

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Sheelanagig

Saturday 19 June, 10.30am & 12pm

High Street, Corsham

Free

Performing high energy klezmer, folk and north African music, Sheelanagig combine virtuosic musicianship with a dynamic and irreverent stage show. This lively quintet is sure to have everybody in the High Street clapping their hands and tapping their feet! Equally at home on festival stages and street corners, the band has developed a devoted following.

Mish Mash Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Saturday 19 June, 11am - 12pm

High Street, Corsham

Free

Meet all sorts of talented Wiltshire creatives at a quirky art performance organised by Mish Mash, the collective for the county's sculptors, writers, painters, jewellers and other artists. The Mish Mash Mad Hatter's Tea Party, with a recycling theme, will give visitors a chance to witness the spectacle, enjoy a fairy cake - and to find out more about the collective, its members and their work.

ActNoW: Tale Break

Saturday 19 June, 11.30am - 12pm

High Street, Corsham

Free

Calling all vigilantes!

There has been a mass break out at The Pound's ActNoW Library. It would appear that the characters from all the popular fictional books have jumped out of the pages and onto the streets of Corsham, leaving the pages blank and the fictional fugitives on a rampage. Members of The Pound's youth theatre present a street theatre experience that will take you on a journey of stirring stories and tall tales across the high street.

Festival Family Worskshop

Saturday 19 June, 12pm - 2pm

Martingate Centre, Corsham

Free

A fun drop-in session for all the family.

Everyone is invited to come and do some sticking and gluing to create a giant wall hanging (or maybe more!) to mark the start of the Fringe Festival. This is a community project so come and make something special for Corsham! Materials provided.

CoMA Corsham Live!

Saturday 19 June, 6pm - 7.30pm

The Pound, Corsham

Free

Unexpected music in unusual places from Corsham's own music factory affiliated with CoMA (Contemporary Music Making with Amateurs), the national organisation promoting involvement in new music. CoMA Corsham meets regularly throughout the year, exploring and developing new sounds and music. This performance will feature some of the work developed over the year and take place in various locations at The Pound.

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Fringe Festival Walk: Corsham's Lost Frontier

Sunday 20 June, 11am

Starting location to be confirmed on ticket, ends at Neston Farm Shop at approximately 1pm

£3

Join the Corsham History Group in a fascinating walk along Corsham's dead straight southern boundary which takes you on a journey back to the first millennium. This is the lost Roman road from Londinium to Aqua Sulis. Explore this route which is also the mysterious 'Wansdyke', a possible boundary between Wessex and Mercia as well as the long-established boundary of the parish. Ends with optional lunch at Neston Farm Shop.

Note that this is a one way walk and walkers are responsible for making their own arrangements to the start and return. Further information will be provided on booking. Stout walking boots recommended.

'Oh What a Lovely War!'

Sunday 20 June, 3pm - 6pm

The Pound, Corsham

£5 including cup of tea (£3 concessions)

Join Corsham's Play Reading Group for a rehearsal and reading of the 1963 stage musical Oh What a Lovely War! Portrayed as a summary and harsh comment on the historical and societal forces at work during World War 1, the shocking statistics of war are juxtaposed with the comedy of the action and light heartedness of popular songs of the time.

Readers, singers and musicians are all welcome. Pre-booking is essential. Further information will be provided on booking.

Corsham Choral Society

Horrortorio in Corsham!

Sunday 20 June, 7.30pm, finishes approximately 9.45pm

Town Hall, Corsham

£12, Patrons £10, Children £1

Following their success in last year's Fringe, Corsham Choral Society is performing Horrortorio by Horovitz. Ghouls, witches and zombies appear in this choral extravaganza, a wonderfully entertaining take on a classical oratorio. Bach, Handel and Verdi all come in for some wonderful pastiche writing, as do Gilbert and Sullivan. Be prepared to witness the nuptials of Miss Dracula and Frankenstein. In contrast to this Gothic 'Hammer-horror' spectacular there will be a group of colourful and atmospheric Yugoslav Folk-songs and Three Nonsense Songs by Matyas Seiber along with other items.

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Film@The Pound & Transcoco

Food Inc, 94mins

Monday 21 June, 7.30pm

The Pound, Corsham

£5

These two local community groups join forces to bring you this must-see Academy Award-nominated documentary revealing the truth about the American food industry. Food Inc reveals surprising, and often shocking truths, about what we eat and how it is produced. As part of a global food economy, with fast food outlets on every street corner, the UK is not immune to this industry. If you care about the food on your plate, we urge you to come and see this compelling film, to show that everyone, as individuals, can make a difference by voting, three times a day, with the food you choose to eat.

The Pound Sound and Friends

Monday 21 June, 8pm - 9pm

Town Hall, Corsham

£3, £10 Family (2 adults, 2 or 3 children)

The Pound Sound is Corsham's first and largest Community Choir performing a diverse range of pop, gospel, jazz and world harmonies. This is their first time at the Corsham Fringe, although they have sung at the Wiltshire Music Centre, Trowbridge Civic Hall and Stourhead Festival of Voice with other local choirs as The Wiltshire Wailers.

They are supported by The Mighty AK47s, a bunch of blokes from Ashton Keynes who meet over a beer on occasional Sunday evenings for male-bonding, foolishness and a bit of singing. Expect the unexpected. www.chris-samuel.co.uk

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Time to Move

Tuesday 22 June, 2.30pm

Claremont Residential Home

Claremont residents only

The over 70s dance workshop is back for a second time following the success of last year! Join Kara for an hour of movement and gentle dance, which can be enjoyed sitting or standing.

For non-Claremont residents Dancing Through Time with Kara is at The Pound every Tuesday, so if you fancy trying it out, come along as the first session is free!

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CLMC @ The Oak

Wednesday 23 June, doors open 7.30pm, music from 8pm - 11pm

Upstairs at The Royal Oak, Corsham

£3 (£2 concessions)

Come and support your local live music scene! Corsham Live Music Club presents three top notch local rock bands in the intimate surroundings of the Upstairs Room at The Royal Oak. Sure to sell out, so get your tickets early!

The line up includes: Julian Carosi with an acoustic set of original songs performed by the singer songwriter; Subsonic A Lyenham based 4 piece modern rock and indie covers group who will be covering various tunes from Biffy Clyro to Kings of Leon and more! www.myspace.com/subsonicrockuk ;and finally, Kickash, a brilliant band with influences by the likes of The Small Faces, Beatles, Prisoners, Fratellis, Trashmonkeys, Kasabian and the Fuzztones, will be performing an energy filled set of their own brand of original rock music. http://www.kickash.co.uk/
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Folk @ The Oak: Corsham Festival Week Special

Thursday 24 June, doors open 8.15pm, music from 8.30pm - 11pm

Upstairs at The Royal Oak

£2

Folk at The Oak is a friendly and energetic acoustic club and for their first Fringe appearance they will be performing and featuring special guests The Jim Tigwell Old Time Blues Band. Come along to have a pint and listen to some excellent acoustic music or if you fancy joining in under the spotlight!

Finding The Will: Bard Heads

Friday 25 June, 7.30pm

The Old School Room, Almshouses, Corsham

£7 (£6 concessions)

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'Twelfth Night' are two of Shakespeare's most famous plays. But have you ever wondered what happened next? Meet Hermia 20 years on, living in domestic drudgery and having a mid-life crisis (she's not the only one); and Marvolio three months later - he promised he'd get revenge but how has he done it? And at what price?

'The Dust Behind the Door' and 'The Whirling of Time' are two monologues full of humour, pathos, revelations and some serious surprises!

Poems in Pubs: Poetry Pub Crawl

Friday 25 June, 9pm - 11pm

The Royal Oak and The Flemish Weaver, Corsham

Free

Corsham Fringe gets its' first taste of spoken word from Poems in Pubs. Let our poets be a side-splitting accompaniment to your pint. Follow Jennifer Walter and her poets on a pub crawl through Corsham's favourite pubs and enjoy a night of chortle-inducing poetry or dip in and out as you please.

Honey

Saturday 26 June, 10am - 3pm (various times) The Pound, Corsham

Free

Honey is an entertaining journey into the world of a bee and its relationship with mankind. Join Bombus and Borage the Bee Guides as we venture into the Giant Hive for an unforgettable journey to the end of the world and back. Suitable for all the family, this 30 minute show will take the audience on a magical journey with the help of mechanical inventions, a specially comminssioned score, incredible video projections and song.

Freedom of the Town and Armed Forces Day

Saturday 26 June, 12pm - 6pm

Town Centre and Springfield Recreation Ground, Corsham

Free

Come and celebrate a historic day in Corsham!

From 12pm: Armed Forces march through the town and official presentation at the Town Hall.

From 1pm: Armed Forces Day Celebration and Corsham Summer Fete at Springfield Recreation ground.

Enjoy the Band of the Prince of Wales Division, MoD Police Dogs, Emergency Vehicles, a Flypast, Kid Assault Course, RAF Weapons Stand, Help for Heroes, local Community Groups' stalls, Beer Tent, refreshments and lots, lots more. http://www.corsham.gov.uk/