The Nelson Arts Festival 12-28 October.
The festival offers a fortnight of top national and international theatre, dance, cabaret, music and talks. This year’s festival opens on 12 October and leads up to the Nelson Masked Parade on Friday 19 October. The theme is Myths and Legends: From Zeus and Aphrodite to Rangi and Papa - explore the ancient world or take a Pacific voyage, delve into legends with King Arthur or with Maui, bring fairytales to life, visit other cultures and their tales of tales of dragons, gods and spirits. All brought to life in music, movement, mask and costume. The festival programme is packed with music, dance and theatre including the return of Mikelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen in a deliciously macabre Kabaret Noir of darkly humorous and highly emotive songs.
A highlight will be acclaimed actor Michael Hurst in Frequently Asked Questions - some serious (but hilarious) late-night soul-searching in a solo show where he captures all four of Shakespeare’s great tragic heroes.
The line-up for Page and Blackmore Readers and Writers includes an environmental theme for this year’s Thinking Brunch at the Granary Festival Café.