The Kensington and Chelsea Festival in partnership with The Chelsea Theatre announce the theatre’s summer 2023 Festival Season. Running from 11th July – 30th August, 18 individual performances will span physical theatre, comedy, performance art, children’s theatre, and live music.
18 shows have been whittled down from 100’s of applications, made via an open call for text based or physical theatre, dance, circus, music, opera, comedy, and variety shows to appear at the theatre within festival’s programme for 2023. The works were then selected via a two-stage process of shortlisting; first curated by a team of theatre professionals with the final selection made by a group of World’s End Estate Resident representatives, who live beside The Chelsea Theatre.
Highlights include:
THE GOOD WOMEN A funny, romantic, and thought-provoking tribute to the Swiss suffragette movement of the 1960s (Swiss women did not get the vote until 1971), inspired by a true queer love story. 27th July
ROOM – A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN: Adapted and performed by playwright and actress, Heather Alexander this unique dramatic interpretation of Virginia Woolf’s A Room Of One’s Own explores Woolf’s fundamental ideas about gender, creativity, and thwarted opportunity. 3rd August
SAY YOU’RE WITH ME. LARKHALL – PIANO & CREATIVE CODING: Mad scientist and prizewinning concert pianist Larkhall has invented a computer system named Otto, who creates live visual projections responding in real time to his performance. Audiences will witness technology, visual art and music collide in this moving, cinematic performance of the future. 9th August
Kensington and Chelsea Festival‘s core goal is to celebrate creativity and culture for everyone with the aim of bringing people together and helping to ensure that art, in all its forms, is available for all. To that end, all of the Festival performances at Chelsea Theatre will be ‘pay-what-you-want’ in order ensure that budget is no barrier to anyone from the community or beyond enjoying the festival, and also to try to encourage people to try something they may not have considered before.
“It has been a true pleasure to witness the breadth of talent and creativity from the artists who responded to our open call. We are delighted to be able to bring so many exceptional performers to be part of Kensington and Chelsea Festival 2023. We have been so delighted by the work that has come out of our partnership with The Chelsea Theatre in previous years and we’re incredibly excited to be opening another fantastic season.”
Verena Cornwall, Artistic Director, Kensington and Chelsea Festival & Head of Culture and Place, Kensington and Chelsea Council