Underbelly announce a second swathe of artists performing at their major new summer festival, London Wonderground, which brings live entertainment back to the world famous Earls Court Exhibition Centre site and is set to give Londoners their true staycation destination all summer.
London Wonderground’s programme showcases the very best in circus, comedy, music and family entertainment, with performances in Underbelly’s iconic upside-down purple cow tent, Udderbelly, and the magnificent Big Top.
Circus Abyssinia will bring circus back to the capital with a bang with the UK premiere of their jaw-dropping, death-defying and downright dazzling new show, Tulu. Telling the magical, extraordinary true story of Ethiopian icon and Olympic legend, Deratu Tulu.
The Big Top will see radical urban circus 360 ALLSTARS showcase their magnificent, colourful and revolutionary show – boasting a stellar cast including the 2x world champion BMX Flatlander, two champion breakdancers, an internationally acclaimed basketball freestyler, and a World Record holding cyr wheel artist. 360 ALLSTARS is a spectacular fusion of jaw-dropping artistry that emerges from street culture guaranteed to blow audiences away.
Joining the already jam-packed family programme is the mind-expanding Jurassic adventure Dinosaur World Live – a roarsome interactive show for all the family that takes audiences on a journey of discovery through the pre-historic world of astonishing (and remarkably life-like) dinosaurs.
For budding magicians, brand new show Tom Brace: Embrace The Impossible is a hilarious, wondrous mix of comedy and magic, as Tom showcases his unique, incredible and totally pointless abilities, whilst circus-science mashup Strong Women Science offers messy experiments and astounding tricks galore, to make an energetic and fun-filled bonanza for all ages.
It’s storytime with a shedload of glitter thrown in as ‘everyone’s favourite pantomime dame’ (Metro) Mama G presents Mama G’s Pride Story Hour, telling fabulous stories about being who you want and loving who you are in an interactive, sparkly hour of song, laughter and sequins. Meanwhile Dragprov’s Musical Mischief showcases an improvised drag musical extravaganza for the whole family with dazzlingly funny songs, skits and raps using suggestions from the audience.
For little ones – including babies and toddlers – Nursery Rhyme Time is the perfect first show. The fantastic, interactive sing-a-long concert is presented by West End performers in an inflatable, colourful library of fun; the perfect treat for young families.
The upside-down purple cow is back in London to host an array of top-notch comedy throughout the summer, with new acts added including critically acclaimed grouch Rich Hall, who brings his acerbic stand-up comedy combined with spit and sawdust alt-country lyricism in Hoedown Deluxe.
Multi-award-winning star of Spitting Image Jess Robinson also joins the line-up with her show Are You Ready?, featuring her fabulous live band in a blend of original songs, spot-on celebrity impressions and stunning vocal fireworks. Joining them is Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer nominee Janine Harouni with her acclaimed debut show Stand Up With Janine Harouni (Please Remain Seated), picking apart her father’s decision to be an avid Donald Trump supporter, despite being a New Yorker and the son of Middle-Eastern immigrants.
London Wonderground also celebrates the best in alternative comedy with Stamptown Comedy Night – a raunchy, chaotic, and full-on Edinburgh Festival Fringe experience featuring the best alternative performances on the international circuit and hosted by the bad boy of clown, Zach Zucker.
Other shows announced today include NewsRevue, the Guinness World Record-breaking news-based song and sketch show, offering some light relief to the current news agenda as four outstanding performers flawlessly skewer the headlines at lightning speed, and hilarious whodunnit with Criminal – the improved murder mystery show that has seen the likes of Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke perform in the past. From assassination to algebra, mathematician-turned-World-Slam-Champion Harry Baker is celebrating turning 10,000 days old, honouring numbers, words and life itself in his fiercely intelligent, hilarious show Harry Baker: I am 10,000.
Cabaret and drag performances include Queenz: The Show With Balls, an evening of gender-bending, life-affirming fun and frolics with a bunch of boys who dance like Britney and sing like Whitney in a non-apologetic pop party celebrating unity, unicorns, divas and death drops. Also on the line-up is smash-hit Disney parody musical extravaganza Happily Ever Poofter– The Untold Story of a Gay Fairytale Prince, reimagining all your childhood classics with a twist – because if Disney aren’t going to do a gay love story, then someone should.
Top quality musical offerings include a musical theatre celebration like no other: Re:arrangement – Musical Theatre Remixed brings together the West End’s brightest stars performing their greatest hits like you’ve never heard them before, reimagining them from the inside out with genre-bending and mashup-making genius. Music fanatics can also join legendary BBC broadcaster Bob Harris OBE for an intimate evening of storytelling Bob Harris – The Whispering Years as he shares tales from half a century at the forefront of new music, many of which are set in his old 60s stomping ground, Earls Court, with the cool kids from Finborough Road.
London Wonderground also shines a light on local talent with Lights On LAMDA, a celebration of new work created by the next generation of artists in an evening of drama, poetry, song and more, joining the likes of Earls Court Film Festival and A Matinee at The Musicals in shining a light on West London’s cultural icons.
As if this magnificent line-up of live entertainment weren’t enough, London Wonderground also boasts outdoor bars, street food, free bandstand performances, vintage fairground rides, family activities and West London’s only ‘city beach’, making it the very best staycation spot in town this summer. The site is free to enter.
Rides at London Wonderground include a chance to see West London like you’ve never seen it before on the high-flying 35m star flyer, the vintage helter skelter, dodgems, carousel and waltzers.
London Wonderground is proud to support the Brain Tumour Charity, the UK’s leading and largest charity for research into brain tumours which is severely underfunded in the UK and yet represents the biggest cancer killer for under 40s. Around 500 children and young people in the UK are diagnosed each year but diagnosis times of childhood brain tumours are longer in the UK than in many other countries. Customers are able to add a donation to the charity onto their ticket purchase and Underbelly will run other donation initiatives on the festival site throughout the summer.
The festival offers free entry to the site, affordable ticket prices for the rides and a live entertainment programme, with most shows running for an hour without an interval. The whole site, including the performance venues, will incorporate all necessary social distancing measures and London Wonderground will have a robust COVID-Secure operational plan for customers and staff. London Wonderground holds the Good to Go industry standard certificate.
Customers are encouraged to sign up at www.londonwonderground.co.uk for further announcements, exclusive offers and to be the first to get further information on the London Wonderground live programme of shows.
Ed Bartlam & Charlie Wood, Directors of Underbelly, said:
“We hope that today’s further line-up announcement demonstrates that London Wonderground is here to make a big impression on London’s cultural and entertainment scene this summer. It feels so great to once again provide a festival home for such a wide cross section of artists, from spectacular circus with Circus Abyssinia and 360 ALLSTARS to family fun in Dinosaur World Live to the season of live comedy in our big purple cow.
“We’re also delighted to be providing a platform for young local talent through Lights on LAMDA and more generally it’s fantastic to be collaborating with West London’s marvellous arts and culture community.
“Add to this great programme of shows our outdoor bars, award winning street food, rides, games, the Wonderground bandstand with free live music, the finest of London beaches and free entry onto the festival site and we really do believe we’re creating London’s summer playground of fun this summer. And my goodness, everyone deserves some fun right now!”
