January is here, and with it starts a new year of exciting cultural and creative happenings in Cornwall.
Read on for our Top Picks for what’s on in Cornwall this month, from classical concerts to Old Christmas celebrations, sublime ballets to modern dance and even a chance to go back in time at Bodmin’s Army Keep.
For more events in Cornwall, visit www.whatsoncornwall.co.uk.
New Years Day Family Brunch
Trebah Garden
Sunday 1 January
The perfect thing for those of us who might be waking up a little later in the New Year than others… Trebah will be serving their delicious breakfast menu until 2.30pm.
Visit the Trebah Garden website.
The Sea Show
Squashbox Theatre
The Minack Theatre
Monday 2 January
Storytelling with puppets and songs for families with young children. Meet crazy characters like Morwenna the ‘beautiful’ mermaid, Ruan the reformed seagull and salty seadog Captain Pemburthy, as well as a cast of mischievous sea-squirts, anemones, limpets, crabs and pilchards.
Visit The Minack Theatre website.
Truro Choral Society New Year Concert
With the Truro Symphony Orchestra
Truro Cathedral
Monday 2 January
Truro Choral Society is starting a new tradition – they hope to make this an annual event, so come and enjoy some glorious music and experience what could become a regular feature of New Year celebrations in Truro. The programme will include:
Handel — Zadok the Priest and Hallejuah Chorus
Vivaldi — Winter from The Four Seasons (solo violin: Michael Foyle)
Bach — “Come ye daughters”, opening chorus of St Matthew Passion
Strauss — The Blue Danube Waltz
Puccini — the aria Nessun Dorma (tenor: Anthony Mee)
Tchaikovsky — Waltz of the Flowers
Visit the Truro Choral Society website.
Buy tickets from the Hall for Cornwall.
Chalking of the Mock and Ghost Stories for Old Christmas
Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, Boscastle
Friday 6 January
Visit the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic before joining Circle of Spears productions at 5pm for a performance of traditional ghost stories collected from all over the world.
After this, at 6.30pm, the fantastic ‘Guize Beasts’ will make an appearance and there will be masked merry-making, traditional Cornish guising, music and processions followed by the spectacular folk-custom of ‘Chalking the Mock’ (an ‘oss will choose someone from the crowd to draw a “stick man” onto the Boscastle Yule log.) Symbolising the end of the old and the beginning of the new, the ‘Mock’ or log will then be burnt in the Harbour outside the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic.
Buy tickets for Ghost Stories for Old Christmas here.
IMS Prussia Cove Concert
St Pol de Leon Church, nr Mousehole
Thursday 12 January
IMS brings together many of the finest musicians from around the globe to explore the rich legacy of the chamber music repertoire in the inspiring landscape of West Cornwall. The resulting nine concerts form one of the greatest celebrations of chamber music in the world.
Free tickets for under 25s.
Buy tickets from the Hall for Cornwall.
Lavolta Ensemble
Calstock Arts, Friday 13 January
St Endellion Church, Port Isaac, Saturday 21 January
A new ensemble of professional Devon-based musicians performing exceptional 20th century musical works. The songs, from the US, Armenia, France, Sicily and Sardinia, were chosen from old records, printed anthologies, or collected from folk musicians and friends.
Visit the Calstock Arts website.
Living History & Sir John Moore Commemoration Day
Cornwall’s Regimental Museum
Saturday 14 January
Experience living history of the Waterloo era at Cornwall’s Regimental Museum inside Bodmin’s Historic Army Keep. Meet the soldiers of the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot as they recreate garrison life of the early 1800’s. See their musket drill and musket-firing displays.
A memorial volley will be fired at 12 noon to mark 207 years since the death of Sir John Moore, founder of the Light Infantry.
Visit the Cornwall’s Regimental Museum website.
Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet: Swan Lake & The Nutcracker
Hall for Cornwall, Truro
Swan Lake, Wednesday 18 & Thursday 19 January
The Nutcracker, Friday 20 & Saturday 21 January
Enjoy the romance and beauty of Tchaikovsky’s sublime soaring score at one of the greatest classical ballets of all time, Swan Lake.
While hunting, Prince Siegfried sees an amazing swan. As he takes aim to shoot, the swan turns into a beautiful woman, Odette, who tells the prince that she is a princess who has come under the spell of evil sorcerer. During the day she must be a swan and swim in a lake of tears. At night she is allowed to be a human again. The spell can only be broken if a virgin prince swears eternal fidelity to her or she must remain a swan forever.
Re-live the Christmas magic with The Nutcracker: It’s Christmas Eve and Dr Silbergaus has arranged a party for his daughter Clara. Her Godfather, dressed as Santa Claus, arrives with gifts for the children, including a Doll, a Mouse King and a Nutcracker. When the party ends and guests leave, Clara goes to bed. But after midnight, the Nutcracker and Mice come to life and Cara’s magical journey begins.
Visit the Hall for Cornwall website.
Graffiti Classics
The Tolmen Centre, Constantine
Thursday 19 January
16 strings, 8 dancing feet and 4 voices with one aim: to make classical music wickedly funny and fantastically exhilarating for everyone, young and old. Graffiti Classics burst the elitist boundaries of the traditional string quartet with their hilarious all-singing, all-dancing musical comedy show. It’s a classical concert, a gypsy-folk romp, an opera, a stand-up comedy set and a brilliant dance show all rolled into one! From Beethoven to Bluegrass, Baroque to Pop, Mozart or Offenbach to Elvis, Strauss to Saturday Night Fever, there really is something for everyone and Graffiti Classics never fail to get audiences laughing, clapping and singing along. Kids and adults alike love the uplifting and virtuosic variety of musical styles, all tied together with cheeky audience interaction.
Visit the Tolmen Centre website.
The Very Important Child
The Mostly Everything People
The Acorn, Penzance
Saturday 21 January
The Mostly Everything People present a bold and comic dance theatre show that blends movement, text and music.
You are a child. Trapped inside an adult’s body. You learnt to mistrust when you were 9 months old, and you have been engaged in a battle with the outside world ever since.
This is a show about the development of the ego, psychological warfare, throwing one’s toys out of the pram.
Little Women, Big Balls
Cheap Date Dance
AMATA, Falmouth
Saturday 28 January
Are you ready to rumble?
In this ultimate fighting tournament between dancer and ball, who will triumph? Will it be one ball too many, can they overcome life’s obstacles without throwing in the towel?
Figuratively and literally we all have a lot of balls to balance. Cheap Date attempt to bounce, balance, beat and bash as many balls as they can manage in this heart-warming, empowering look at life’s ups and downs. From waking up a winner, to losing it all by lunchtime. Debbie and Lauren fumble their way through stories of match day glory to red card rejection. The two dancers’ opposing sporting backgrounds provide an ideal playground for dance, comedy and theatre to come together in a match that’s only won by stepping up to the plate.
Visit the Cheap Date Dance website.
Book tickets and visit the AMATA website.
A View from the Edge
‘Owdyado Theatre
The Tolmen Centre, Constantine
Saturday 28 January
With sharp wit, quick pace and a heavy dose of noir style, the story is told of private eye Charlie Daniels, hired by seductive Elise Hillerman to find her missing husband. Meanwhile writers Charlotte and Daniel struggle to write a script for their new show. A mindbending journey through the world of dreams, imagination and ‘real life’.