upfront
Blysh Summer Festival
Wild, fun, bold and daring, Blysh is a creative melee of vaudeville, cabaret, theatre, music and more. Jo Price profiles this year’s month-long spectacular at the Wales Millennium Centre.
the public, Blysh Festival returns to Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre for the third year running as it seeks to provide another rich month-long programme of vaudeville, theatre, burlesque, carnival, music and a fair amount of clowning around. The innovative And The Birds Fell From The Sky (Tues 5-Sun 10 July, Weston Studio, times vary, tickets: £6) kicks off this year’s festival with a performance that combines technology and the limits of imagination in an engrossing video-goggle experience that places the audience member in the heart of a story; a dreamy experience where you’re able to decide where the journey takes you. Looking for something even more out of this world? Then go and see George Orange, an extra terrestrial clown who claims to be from the Moon and has apparently brought some of it with him. He will be creating mis- chief and cosmic capers in Half Moon (Sat 9-Sun 10 July, outside the WMC, 2pm and 5pm, admission: free). If you’re after a theatrical performance that’s a little more thought-pro- voking, then come back down to earth with The Infant (Tues 19 July, Weston Studio, 7.30pm, tickets: £8-£12). As winners of a Fringe Review Award, Les Enfants Terribles launch a dark, satirical attack on the ‘War On Terror’ that spells out the destruction of society. Of course, a Blysh festival would not be complete without the presence of a ukulele courtesy of the Gaudy Orde (Weds 20 July, Glanfa Stage, 6.15pm, admission: free). And in an intriguing, quirky, musical concoc- tion that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Gaudy Orde will be playing a bouzouki, a washboard and even thimbles. You may think that you’ve seen it all, but when a giant 30-foot-long inflat- able pig appears outside the Wales Millennium Centre as the set of a the- atrical performance, you’ll perhaps have to admit that you are mistaken. Ten audience members at a time will get the chance to enjoy a 10-minute show played out inside the belly of this giant inflatable sleeping farm ani- mal. Bizarre! (Sat 23 July, outside the WMC, 1-3pm + 4-6pm) Producer of the Blysh Festival, Gareth Lloyd Roberts, confirmed PIG as one of this year’s highlights along with the “intimate cabaret experience, Port Of Amsterdam, inspired by Cardiff Bay’s rich dockland history.” A shady backstreet setting fuelled by the presence of a bar creates a dra- matic, bawdy and thrilling slice of cabaret (Fri 22-Sat 23, Weston Stu- dio, 7.30pm, tickets £8-12). Magick: The Last Royal Wizard offers a spellbinding carnival atmosphere as it manages to combine elaborate costumes, Brazilian dance traditions, African master drummers, samba and reggae flamboyance (Sun 24 July, outside the WMC, 3pm, admis- sion: free). Don’t miss old festival favourites Johnny Cage And The Voodoo Groove (Sat 30 July, Glanfa Studio, 6.15 + 10pm, admission: free) as they let loose and bring a party to the Bay. And if bizarre dance fever is more your idea of a night out, then Bourgeois And Maurice (Sat 30 July, Weston Studio, 7.30pm, tickets: £8-£12) will be performing their sensational neo-cabaret routine in which they demonstrate how brilliantly they can’t dance but still manage to captivate a crowd. The Follie Dollies, Wales’ Pre- mier Burlesque and Cabaret Troupe mix a touch of sugar and spice with an extensive repertoire to present a naughty but nice close to the festival (Sat 30-Sun 31 July, various times, Glanfa Stage, admission: free). If you’re feeling inspired by all the revelry – or you simply fancy testing out your own circus skills – No Fit State stand ready to teach you all that they know with free workshops taking place during the festival (Sat 9-Sun 10, Glanfa Stage, 12 + 3pm, admission: free). The workshops will involve fun theatre games, balancing acts and impressive tricks that are certain to improve your street credibility among friends. Alternatively, why not take a backseat and enjoy the eccentric variety and copious she- nanigans this unique festival has in store before you have to wait another year.
M
Blysh, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, Tues 5-Sun 31 July. Tickets: events individually priced (free-£12). Info: 029 2063 6464 /
www.wmc.org.uk/blysh
BUZZ 22
eet Blysh, a vibrant personality that promises an eclectic summer extravaganza certain to keep you entertained on lazy afternoons or warm summer evenings. Once again introducing a range of peculiar and fantastical acts to
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