THE CURTAIN opens on Rugby Theatre’s first ever festival next weekend.
Fringe Week will see a variety of drama, music, hypnosis and magic acts appearing at the Henry Street venue from May 18 to 26.
The week starts with professional actor and entertainer Sally Jones – a former member of the theatre – returning to her hometown to perform her critically acclaimed one-woman show Piaf – The Life Story & Songs of Edith Piaf on Saturday (May 18).
Next up, the Rugby Irish Community Drama Group will perform an abridged version of the iconic Irish play Sive on Sunday (May 19).
On Tuesday (May 21) and Wednesday (May 22), Rugby Theatre members will perform a trio of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues – A Chip in the Sugar, A Cream Cracker Under the Settee, and Her Big Chance.
Fringe Week then turns to music, with five-piece pop-rock band Courthouse bringing a mix of love ballads, rap songs, guitar solos and alt-pop anthems to the stage on Friday May 24 – with support from local bands The Bungalow Club and Molly Gone Mad.
On Saturday May 25, magician and mind-reader Angus Baskerville teams up with stage hypnotist Poldark.
The closing act will be an easy-listen jazz set led by saxophonist Ian Hill, with guest vocalist Roy Forbes – a tribute to The American Song Book.
Rugby Theatre’s joint artistic director Emma Bright said: “We are thrilled to be showcasing an exceptional selection of home-grown acts, music and groups from the Rugby community here on our theatre stage.
“Having re-established our thriving theatre at the heart of Rugby following the Covid years, we have been looking to present an event that celebrates the wealth of talent here in the town, to sit alongside our normal programme of shows and films.
“Our Fringe Week not only gives smaller and more diverse talent an opportunity to take to our stage, but also to be able to perform to a wider, local audience.
“We hope that both our loyal theatre patrons and those who are yet to discover us will come and enjoy this exciting and unique selection of shows.”
Visit www.rugbytheatre.co.uk for more information.
