Booking is now open for the ten–day PULSE Fringe Festival taking place at Ipswich's New Wolsey Theatre and other local venues from 30 May.
Now in its 13th year, this festival offers 47 companies presenting finished shows, works in progress, two bespoke community pieces and writing competition the Suitcase Prize.
Sarah Holmes, New Wolsey Chief Executive, has said of the festival, “PULSE is a platform to showcase new work and innovative thinking and I’m pleased and proud that the Arts Council and our local authorities share our objectives and support our ambition to nurture new talent and to present something different to local and national audiences.”
Included in the programme is Ursula Martinez's My Stories, Your Emails, a comical and uncompromising look at relationships, privacy and publicity, dance theatre company Gecko's exploration of care, Institute, and "absurdist amalgamation" We, Object from Figs in Wigs.
Works in progress include "a pounding subverbal deathgrowl" from The Arches with #TORYCORE, Show and Tell's story of goings on at a British seaside one lunchtime last year, On The Beach, and a PULSE special commission. Jointly commissioned by festivals PULSE (Ipswich), Mayfest (Bristol), Sampled (Cambridge) and Sprint (London), Gym Party is a new piece of theatre from Made In China who will present the piece as it develops at each festival.
The inaugural Suitcase Prize takes place in this year's Festival. Aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of touring theatre, Prize participants compete to win £1,000 for the best piece of theatre that can be toured on public transport in luggage carried by the people taking part.
PULSE Producer Laura Norman commented “The Suitcase Prize is incredibly exciting and we are confident that our ten successful applicants won’t let the travel limitations limit their ambition. We were looking for inspiring, bold and adventurous ideas - just ones that you can take with you on the bus”.
Ten pieces have been short–listed covering a wide range of subjects including aging, food, dying and the life of Hungarian satirist Karinthy Frigyes, which use text, stand-up, poetry, puppetry, comedy, dance and music to tell their stories. The short listed companies are:
- Seiriol Davies – How To Win Against History
- Ira Brand – Cure For Ageing
- Two Destinations Language – Near Gone
- Mellor & Steele – Anthropoetry
- Out Of Chaos – Flying Roast Goose
- Figs In Wigs – Leftovers
- Annie Siddons – Raymondo
- Kindle – Journey Around My Skull
- Hannah Nicklin - A Conversation With My Father
- Made By Katie – The Museum’s Secrets (Working Title)
Extracts of these new and work in progress shows are presented over a single day of the festival, at the end of which a panel of three judges will award the Suitcase Prize to the winning company who will receive £1,000. The judges are independent producer Nick Sweeting, Sholeh Johnston of Julie’s Bicycle and New Wolsey Young Associate Lorna Garside.
This year’s festival is directed by Ed Collier, Paul Warwick and Rosie Kelly of China Plate. In addition to a wide range of performance events, there is also a symposium on the Arts Council's initiative Creative Case For Diversity.
PULSE Fringe runs from 30 May to 8 June. For the full programme, details of the Festival Pass and multi–save ticketing, and booking and visit www.pulsefringe.com.