It’s March and the big thing about March in Cornwall is that it’s the month in which we celebrate our patron Saint – St Piran. There are various activities and events around Cornwall that mark our Saint’s Day on Saturday 5th March and below are details of a few. March also heralds the whisper of Spring and in the spirit of joy & life, we have noticed that many places have at least 2 great things to do! Having experienced the magic of Canoryon Lowen singing in the Carnglaze Caverns once before, and having loved Dalla forever, we cannot urge you more strongly to get tickets for ‘The Story of Cornwall’ – a partnership of many talents in a very special place. The Royal Cornwall Museum exhibition ‘Walk.Stop.Walk’ is just one way to experience our beautiful coastline (especially if it’s raining) and whilst there you can visit the incredible exhibition: ‘Metamorph’. I’m not sure if I’m the only person not to have studied ‘An Inspector Calls’ for GCSE, but I can’t wait to see the production at the Hall for Cornwall. Then of course there’s dance company C-Scape’s ‘Taste’. Oh, and of course Miracle Theatre’s ‘Zonk FM’, ‘Citadel’ at The Exchange – so much to do, so little time…
Celebrate St Piran’s Day on the weekend of 5th / 6th March in locations across Cornwall. Visit these websites to find out where & when: www.visitcornwall.com and www.calendarcustoms.com
Trelawney Shout
Saturday 5th March, 9pm ON THE DOT
At a pub near you…
A shout is the term used for Cornish pub singing, A hundred pubs, a thousand voices, one song, one magical hour. What better way to celebrate the strength of Cornwall’s amazing communities (not to mention tipping our hats to Cornwall’s patron saint) than to take part in a mass singing of the Cornish anthem, or The Song of the Western Men, to give it its proper name? Penned by Robert Stephen Hawker in 1824, the song continues to bind us today.
The event already has the help of The Fishermens’ Friends, as well as local shanty choirs, male and female voice choirs, barber shops, folk groups and Cornish bands. These wonderful voices are ready, willing and able to lead the singing, so the less confident among us don’t have to worry. In other words, crows and nightingales of all ages welcome.
Visit the website for details: www.cornwallfoundation.com
A Story of Cornwall at Carnglaze Caverns
12th March, 7:30pm
A Story of Cornwall is a new work by Cornish Bard Nick Hart, written especially for his much-acclaimed choir Canoryon Lowen and the renowned folk group Dalla – a merging of contemporary choral singing with innovative folk music forged from the county’s great traditions. The piece includes foot-tapping folk tunes, stirring anthems and whimsical songs of mermaids and monsters, the latter featuring choirs of Cornish children.
Visit the Carnglaze Caverns Website: www.carnglaze.com
Boo Beaumount and Walk.Stop.Walk at Royal Cornwall Museum
18th March – 30th June
Boo Beaumont is an award-winning XRay artist, film-maker and photographer with works in many prestigious public and private collections worldwide. Environmental artist Tony Plant has created a body of drawings, paintings and sketches based on the Cornish coastline – day and night – this work is rooted in the Cornish landscape and the experience of moving through it, one step at time which is inspiration for exhibition title WALK, STOP, WALK.
Visit the Royal Cornwall Museum Website: www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk/exhibition
Transition 2016 and Citadel at Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange
Transition 2016 Newlyn Art Gallery until 12th March
Citadel by David Blandy The Exchange until 16th Apr
Transition is an opportunity for artists to use the gallery space to consider how a series of works is developing or to try out ideas for an installation or interactive project. Throughout their week the artists re-evaluate their work and respond to visitors’ comments. The spring exhibition at The Exchange, Citadel, features two linked installations by David Blandy that explore global and personal archives. The exhibition is formed of two contrasting immersive installations, both statements on global culture’s impact on the individual.
Visit the Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange website: www.newlynartgallery.co.uk/exhibitions/
Zonk FM Miracle Grow Miracle Theatre
Touring 20th March – 3rd April
Zonk FM is the first Miracle Grow project. It’s the first play written by performer, Angus Brown, and the first play directed by musical comedian, composer and performer, Tom Adams. Zonk FM is a poignant new comedy featuring a cast of well-known Miracle performers including Sally Crooks, Keri Jessiman and Steve Jacobs. This roller coaster of a show explores other people’s reality with fast paced physical humour, tenderness and disco lights
Visit the Miracle Theatre website: www.miracletheatre.co.uk
An Inspector Calls and Duchy Ballet The Snow Queen at Hall for Cornwall
An Inspector Calls 1st March – 5th March
Duchy Ballet The Snow Queen 11th – 12th March
Directed by Stephen Daldry, the Oscar nominated Director of The Reader, The Hours and Billy Elliot, comes the multi award-winning West End production of J.B. Priestley’s classic thriller, An Inspector Calls. Hailed as the theatrical event of our generation winning more awards than any other play in history, this landmark production from the National Theatre has thrilled audiences in the West End, on Broadway and throughout the world with its epic and wildly imaginative staging, raw emotion, evocative score, lashing rain and chilling suspense. While Duchy Ballet showcases the multiple talents of its dancers in the style of the 1930s musicals , celebrating the music of the great George Gershwin.
Visit the Hall for Cornwall website: www.hallforcornwall.co.uk
Taste C-Scape Dance
The Poly 23rd March
The Acorn 24th March
A delicious romp of a show with some tour dates in Cornwall this month including The Poly, Falmouth and The Acorn, Penzance. TASTE is inspired by the tapestries of Grayson Perry, and relishes in our national obsessions with social class and the cultural extremities of food, fashion and style. Blending theatre, dance, writing and music TASTE explores what defines our identity and ponders the intricacies behind our choices. A dance show with a difference that’s as refreshing as a nice cup of tea!
Visit the Carn to Cove Website: www.carntocove.co.uk
The Canterbury Tales Cornwall Youth Theatre Company
Grampound Community Hall 5th March
Bodmin College Studio Theatre 23rd March
Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is a comedy romp through a collection of classic tales! The Tales move quickly and the dialogue is fast and furious, if you want humour and pathos in one story then it’s in the Tales. If you want tragedy and sin then you’ll find it here! It’s a frantic combo of medieval Morcambe & Wise and it’s modern-day Eddie Izzard; it’s live music and song. Join the pilgrims for fun, music, talking chickens and burnt bottoms! This show is pure medieval mayhem for all the family!
Visit the crbo website for tickets: www.crbo.co.uk
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