
WITH thousands of people flocking to Frome to enjoy over 200 events, this year’s Frome Festival, now in its 18th year, has once again proved to be one to remember.
Festival director, Martin Dimery, described this year’s festival as “a huge success”. “We also feel we reached a wider audience this year and involved people who would not ordinarily attend community festivals. It was wonderful to meet people from all over the country, attracted to Frome at this busy time. We’re already planning for a very special celebration in 2019.”
At the time of going to press, in excess of 7,000 tickets had been sold for 120 ticketed events, many of which are workshops and talks with a limit of 10 or 15 customers, suggesting that performance events were extremely well supported. 80 events, including exhibitions, the Art Trail and pub gigs were free of charge.
The Frome Festival got off to a terrific start on Friday 6th July with events taking place all over town and venues crowded to capacity, including Rook Lane Arts, the Silk Mill, Number 23, Cooper Hall and The Granary.
The Food Feast on Saturday 7th brought an attendance of many thousands, helped by the afternoon screening at the Cheese and Grain, of England’s victorious World Cup quarter-final match, adding to the celebratory mood in the good weather.
Highlights on Sunday 8th included two classical events – the South West Festival Chorus at Trinity Church, and a brilliantly funny opera revue entitled “Pants!” at Cooper Hall.
As the week progressed so ticket sales climbed, with over 500 for Tom Allen at the Memorial Theatre and 440 attending Badly Drawn Boy on Thursday night at the Cheese and Grain. Many of the smaller scale plays were also packed – noticeably “Definitely Louise”, Bethany Heath’s solo comedy which played to capacity for two nights at the Three Swans.
But the festival fun doesn’t stop there. This Friday, 20th July, Leo Sayer takes to the stage at the Cheese & Grain for the Frome Festival finale that promises to be a night to remember – sing, dance and party like it’s 1979!