Ticket sales for many events at this year’s Frome Festival are now in short supply and customers are advised to buy in advance of the Festival opening on Friday July 5th.
Headline act Scouting for Girls has now sold all 800 tickets available at the Cheese and Grain, whilst other major acts The Coral, and the special opening night party with DJ Judge Jules, are proving highly popular. Gypsy Jazz specialists, The Moscow Drug Club, on Wednesday July 10th, was scheduled to be held in the Grain Bar, but is proving so popular that it has now been re-located as a cabaret-type seated show in the main hall at the Cheese and Grain.
With the late addition of the band White Lies at the Cheese and Grain, author Sean McGlynn’s talk on his book “Robin Hood – A True Legend” which was to be held upstairs at the Cheese and Grain, has now been moved to the Granary at the George Hotel. The presentation was on the verge of selling out and so the change of venue allows for more tickets to be available.
On the same night at 8pm, Festival director Martin Dimery’s solo revue “Casting an Impression” has also been moved from the Grain Bar to the Granary. Mad Dog McCrea are also selling well and will be performing at the Cheese and Grain on Sat 13th, with their heady blend of folk rock, pop, gypsy jazz and bluegrass.
One of the comedy highlights of this year’s Festival, is the St. Catherine’s Comedy Crawl, in which a group of comedians will tour various venues along Catherine Hill and Palmer St. The two early evening shows start at 6pm and go on until 8pm at the Palmer St. Bottle, and the Ramshack Barbers. At 8.30pm until 10.30pm, the comedians will relay their acts between the Moo and Too café on Catherine Hill and the Hub Nub/Rise on Whittox Lane. Tickets for the Hubnub/Rise venue are available from the Festival box office at the Cheese and Grain and are selling rapidly. Tickets for the smaller venues, are available direct from the venue or online at popup comedy.org, where you can find further details of the comedians appearing.
Another comedian, likely to be a major hit at the Festival is Ivan Brankenbury with his “Hospital Radio” pastiche, which has proved popular in his own BBC series and regularly on “8/10 Cats do Countdown” on Channel 4. Ivan (aka Tom Binns) and he is performing on Friday 5th July at the Merlin Theatre. Tickets are available for all Merlin Theatre events including the marvellous Miracle Theatre’s “A Perfect World” (which will be performed outside on the ECOS amphitheatre if dry) on Tuesday 9th July, and the film/lecture “Somerset and Wiltshire on Old Film” directly from the Merlin box office or the Festival box office at the Cheese and Grain.
Similarly, events at the beautiful Cooper Hall at Selwood Manor can be purchased from the Festival box office or on-line on Cooper Hall’s website. Another quality programme has been scheduled at Cooper Hall including the Dominic Alldis Trio playing classical jazz on Friday 5th July and, on Sunday 7th July, Kate Williams and Georgia Mancio present “Finding Home”, an afternoon concert with an internationally influenced collection of songs.
Classical music is well represented at Trinity, St. John’s and Christ Church. The Granary also features “Peter Fleming Have You Seen,” written and performed by Tom Burgess, on Friday 5th July and the “Girly Show”, touring from the USA and featuring former Frome resident Marina Sossi, on Sunday 7th. The Silk Mill, is as ever a hub of Festival activity, including brilliant Texan singer guitarist Rodney Branigan on opening night, classical guitarist Geoff Robb on Friday 12th and the Cantina Festival Pop Up Tapas Bar throughout the week.
Tickets for all the above and many more events can be bought through the box office on 01373 455420. For further details or on-line sales see fromefestival.co.uk
