Alice Launches Festival with a Wonderland of Delectable Delights!
Author: Jonathan Kaufman, Director
9th June, 2010: Well, it’s up and running! The festival had its spectacular launch on Sunday 6th June with Kirkdale Bookshop’s fantastic Alice in Wonderland Tea Party. Despite dire warnings of thunderstorms the weather remained fine and nearly 200 people packed into the delightful front garden of Kirkdale Care Centre to eat cakes, drink tea, make Mad Hatter’s hats and watch magical excerpts from the Lewis Carroll classic, performed by members of my Spontaneous Productions theatre company.
Thanks to all the helpers on the day who made this event such a huge success – and thanks especially to Jennifer Hall, our official festival photographer this year whose pictures you can see here and on our other online sites. Also, a special mention goes to Lewis Cook, a local actor, who stepped in at the last minute to play his namesake Lewis Carroll and the Mad Hatter – with only two days’ rehearsal he managed to deliver a sterling, word-perfect performance. Thanks, Lewis!
Now, you’d think after this storming opening the festival director would want to take a well-earned break but no such luck! I went straight into rehearsals last night (Tuesday) for my next show, The Brothers Kaufman’s Three-Course Comedy, to be performed at Trattoria Raffaele (29th, 30th June & 1st July). Another great cast will perform three short comic plays in a restaurant setting – expect a few surprises!
But next up in the festival is Meet the Artist at Kirkdale Bookshop. Renowned print-maker Richard Spare will be talking about his Japanese-influenced work in the gallery, where examples of his work are currently on display.
And there’s more events at the bookshop in the coming week:
A Book Group Party on Monday 14th June – come along and discuss Sarah Waters’ gothic ghost story The Little Stranger over a glass of wine.
Local author Jad Adams will be talking about his latest book Gandhi: Naked Ambition on Weds 16th June, uncovering this legendary Indian’s battle with celibacy.
Fiona Watt of Usborne Books will return to the bookshop on Friday 18th June to run another children’s doodling workshop.
On Saturday 19th June we have two exciting events at the shop – a bookbinding demonstration by Liz Howard – an intriguing insight into this most mysterious of crafts.
And in the evening of the same date, members of Kirkdale Bookshop Writers’ Group will be reading stories and poems in locations around the shop.
As I’m one of the readers that evening I will then take a well-earned rest, I promise, before we embark on our third week of what’s proving to be an enormous festival of spectacular proportions!
See our website for more details!
