The National Theatre launches summer season of free outdoor entertainmentwith support from Bloomberg Philanthropies
The new season on the RIVER STAGEruns from 24 July to30 August
The National Theatre today announcedits new summer season of free outdoor entertainment with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. This collaborative partnership supports the National Theatre's commitment to introducing new and diverse audiences to world-class programming both within and outside of the main theatre spaces.
The free outdoor season will take place on the River Stage, in front of the National, on the recently created Riverside Square.Events on the River Stage will take place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 24 July until 30 August. On Friday afternoons there will be street theatre followed by guest DJs; on Saturdays there will be live music in the afternoon and late evening; and Sundays are all about family fun, with dazzling circus, vibrant dance and intriguing installations.
With Bloomberg Philanthropies support, the National Theatre will also offer newproductions in the Temporary Theatre, new creative projects and aprogramme of hands-on workshops for families and children to discover the skills and secrets behind productions at the National Theatre. These family workshops willtake place in the Clore Learning Centre on Fridays and Saturdays throughout August.
Ben Power, Deputy Artistic Director of the National Theatre, said: ‘We are thrilled to be announcing this exciting new season and our partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, who are internationally renowned for their support of arts and culture. They are as committed as we are to introducing new audiences to all the National Theatre has to offer, and we are very much looking forward to working with them over the next 12 months – beginning with our lively summer season on River Stage.’
The full River Stage line-up is:
Friday 24 July
The Sneakers – Half Human Theatre1.10pm, Music
Foot stomping, groovy pop ’n’rock classics with a few laughs, silly headgear and quirky theatrical twists.
Python on the Loose– Whalley Range All Stars2pm and 4pm, Street Theatre
There's a giant python curled up asleep on the South Bank! Follow the adventures of three fullytrained zoo-keepers sent to capture the python and return it to captivity.
The Streetlights– Half Human Theatre 5pm, Music
A little bit elegant and a little bit smooth: swing-jazz, ska and rock ’n’ roll blended with a dash of strolling sophistication.
DJ Takeover – Fierce Festival6–10.45pm, Music
Direct from Birmingham, Fierce Festival lands on the South Bank to hostan evening guided by its provocative, outsider instincts. Drawing on a reservoir of West Midlands talent, expect skewed electronica and queer pop, steered by art-music-fashion-zine BIRMINGLAM.
Saturday 25 July
The Sneakers – Half Human Theatre1.10pm
Python on the Loose – Whalley Range All Stars 2pm and4pm
The Streetlights– Half Human Theatre 5.10pm
Soothsayers10pm, Music
Catch the groovy sound of the Soothsayers, mixing funk, hip-hop, afro-beat and reggae.
Sunday 26 July
L'Hotel– Circo Rum Ba Ba1pmand 3pm,Circus
Watch the smallest hotel in the world as it erupts into a glittering cabaret with dance, acrobatics and French finesse.
Python on the Loose – Whalley Range All Stars 2pmand4pm
Friday 31 July
The Q – Talking Birds1.10pm and3pm, Street Theatre
Come join the best Q in the world! The biggest experts inqueuing will teach you exactly how it's done.
The Whale – Talking Birds 12.30–2.30pm and3.30 –5.30pm
Installation
Ahoy there shipmates! The Whale is coming to town, and beneath its gleaming, silvery surface there'll be surprises for intrepid sailors.
DJ Takeover –Cafe OTO6 –10.45pm, Music
From its Dalston home,the jewel in the crown of London’s experimental music scene,Cafe OTObrings an evening of far-out sounds to the South Bank – from avant-jazz to folk and anything in between.
Saturday 1 August
The Swing Ninjas2.30pmand5pm,Music
Wild, dirty horn from the fellas that love to play music… with original songs and classic swing tunes; as performed before Princess Catherine Colonna di Stigliano, no less.
The Whale – Talking Birds12.30 –2.30pmand3.30 – 5.30pm
Moscow Drug Club10pm, Music
1930s Berlin Cabaret meets Hot Club de France, Nuevo Tango and Gypsy Campfire creating an intoxicating music experience with an Eastern European flavour.
Sunday 2 August
Bench – Mimbre1pm and3.30pm, Circus
Would the world look better upside down? Bench is an acrobatic performance about the everyday theatre and dance of life.Loneliness and happiness, bag-ladies and runaway brides, spell-binding moments are mixed with the comic and ordinary.
ChipsCowboys1 – 3pm, 4 –6pm, Installation
Discover the culinary side of the Wild West. All the way from the Netherlands, the ChipsCowboys will teach you how to shoot your own chips.
Friday 7 August
Louder Than Words– Cathy WallerCompany1.10pm and4.30pm, Dance
Two dancers test and outdo each other in a powerful and dynamic duet, while being challenged by multiple instruments and live percussion. An explosive competition between movement and music, striving to outshine each other.
Philosophy Shed – Stuff &Things1 –5pm, Installation
We all need a place to think –why not in a shed on the South Bank? Stuff & Things create a small space in whichto ponder the bigger picture while listening to the stories of the greatest thinkers of all time.
DJ Takeover – The Yard6 –10.45pm, Music
The Yard Theatre shows off its critically lauded programme of club nights: from soul to funk and electronica to techno, expect a scorching musical journey from some of London's hottest selectors.
Saturday 8 August
The Jump Seven1.10pm and5pm, Music
Get your dancing shoes on. With The Jump Seven's upbeat mix of jazz, swing, shuffle, jive and blues from the ’40s and ’50s, you won't be able to resist the temptation to dance.
Philosophy Shed – Stuff & Things1 – 5pm
The Thinker – Stuff & Things2pm and 4pm, Street Theatre
Meet Vernon Ponder, telepathic transmitter and scientific marvel. His every thought, mundane or matter-of-fact or miraculous, is heard by all around him.
Diabel Cissokho10pm, Music
Fusing traditional West African sounds with blues and afro-beat, Diabel Cissokho crosses cultural barriers and engages audiences of all ages with his powerful and uplifting music.
Sunday 9 August
Two Old Men – 2Faced Dance1pm and3pm, Dance
Two Old Men is the story of two old friends, their extraordinary experiences and eccentric behaviour. A tale told by 2Faced Dance Company’s trademark fusion of break, street and contemporary dance.
Sit Back– Moxie Brawl2pm and4pm, Dance
It's 1942 and a group of London Transport Clippies from the 601 trolleybus service are having lunch between shifts. Their imaginations go on a fascinating physical journey that shedslight on the role of the female work force during World War 2.
Total Eclipse of the Head– Ella Good & Nicki Kent12.30 – 3pm and 4 –6pm,
Installation
Come along to the South Bank and discover a very special mobile hair salon.Choose from a range of styles inspired by music, from the ‘Kate Bush Bush’ to the ‘80s Power Mullet Montage’ and get your hair done by eccentric hairdressers Ella Good and Nicki Kent.
Friday 14 August
Headphones – Corey Baker Dance1.10pm and4pm, Dance
Flicking through an array of music genres, the performer mimics many styles with his impressive moves. This comical solo performance will take you on an irresistible journey through music and dance.
Bees – Artizani12.30 –2pm and3 –4.30pm,
Installation
Bees is a multi-sensory installation of six hives all hiding a unique interior world. Wandering amongst the honey-perfumed bee colony, you may find yourself looking into the vastness of space, or teased by a telescopic hive soaring into the air.
DJ Takeover – Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club 6 –10.45pm, Music
Join Bethnal Green Working Men's Club for a taste of the Big Apple as they bring to the South Bank the hippest vintage hits from jumpin' swing and rock ’n' roll, to 50s exotica, 60s girl groups, and low down funk ’n' soul from their Coney Island Party, and retro disco classics courtesy of resident disc jockeys Disco54.
Saturday 15 August
The Brass Volcanoes 1.10pm and5pm, Music
A touch of New Orleans jazz hits the South Bank with a bit of Balkan, Latin American, Caribbean and Kletzmer thrown in to spice it all up, topped off with their own London twist. This mix of Mardi Gras, jazz standards and funk classics are sure to get you moving.
Bees – Artizani12.30 –2pm 3 – 4.30pm
The Sugar Kings10pm, Music
Cuban band The Sugar Kings will take you on a journey through Cuba's musical history with its irresistible Latin rhythm,from Son to Guaracha,Bolero and Cha Cha Cha.
Sunday 16 August
Flycycle & Submercycle–Pif-Paf1pm, 3pmand4.30pm,Street
Theatre
This summer, explore the most extravagant travelling machines right here on the South Bank.Choose a travelling companion, find the departure lounge and come away on a journey of your wildest dreams. The Submercycle and The Flycycle will take you under the sea or high in the sky, crossing continents in turbulent adventures.
Hold On– Stefano Di Renzo 2pmand4pm, Circus
Playing on and around a self-counterweighted slack rope system,Hold On explores the relationship between a man and the system that governs his life. He holds it up and he holds himself up, but what would happen if he decided to let go?
Friday 21 August
Micro-Shakespeare– Laitrum Teatre 12.30 – 2.30pm and 4.30 –6.30pm
Installation
Open the box, put on the headphones, follow the instructions and suddenly you’re an amazing puppeteer – you won’t have a clue what you’re doing, but your audience will have a great time watching a mini-Shakespearean classic.
Walking:Holding– Rosana Cade 12 –3pm and5 –7pm
Promenade One-to-One Experience
Ever tried walking in someone elseʼs shoes – or hands? A six-foot drag queen walks you past a church. A woman with a shaved head takes your hand. A hooded youth puts his arm round you as you sit together on a bench. Walking:Holding is a subtle, experiential walk through your city in the hands of strangers. Created by Glasgow-based artist Rosana Cade.
For one audience member at a time (approx. 30 minutes).Ticketsfor Walking:Holding are free but must be bookedby calling 020 74523000 and collected 30 minutes before the time slot at the NTBox Office.Audience members under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
DJ Takeover – The Glory6 –11pm, Music
Drag artiste Jonny Woo and drag DJ John Sizzle bring the sounds and fabulous looks of The Glory to the National for one night only. Get ready for new tracks and retro beats from East London's newest and brightest queer performance pub and club.
Saturday 22 August
The Pink Champagne Sisters1.10pm and5pm, Music
A full celebration of SwingThe Pink Champagne Sisters combine fresh arrangements, sparkling sounds and vibrant choreographies in a tantalising performance.
Micro-Shakespeare– Laitrum Teatre 12.30 –2.30pm and4.30 – 6.30pm
Walking:Holding– Rosana Cade12 –3pm and5 –7pm
The Kansas Smitty's House Band10pm, Music
A fresh voice in London's booming speakeasy jazz scene. Inspired by the hedonistic atmosphere of the one American city that overcame the Great Depression, The Smitty’s House Band features an ever- shifting line up of London's best musicians.
Sunday 23 August
8 Songs– Gandini Juggling 1pm and4pm, Circus
A tribute to the mythical landscape of popular music through impressive juggling tothe rhythm of eightclassic rock ’n’roll songs. From Dylan’s stream of consciousness realms to the Velvet Underground's troubling landscapes, from David Bowie’s soulful escapades to the rocking Rolling Stones’anthemic joy de vivre, Gandini Juggling returns to the South Bank with an explosive treat.
Micro-Shakespeare– Laitrum Teatre2 – 4pm
Walking:Holding– Rosana Cade12 –2pm and 3.30 – 5.30pm
Friday 28 August
The Sid Bowfin Show1.10pm and5pm, Street Theatre
Manic violin virtuosoSid Bowfin, unhinged and unique, gives the funniest and most ridiculous concert you'll ever see, combining madcap comedy with superb musicianship.
Plots and Piazzas – Nu-Urban Gardeners 12.30 – 5pm, Installation
Join Nu-Urban Gardeners to design your very own mini-sustainable garden and futuristic piazza.Points will be awarded for innovation (and deducted for breeches of NUG etiquette). All participants will be awarded a specially designed 'Certificate of Participation', and at the end of each day, the best plot or piazza designer will be presented with a coveted ‘Golden Spade Award 2015'.
DJ Takeover – Roundhouse Radio6 –10.45pm, Music
Roundhouse Radio will be curating an eclectic mix of DJs to bring its acclaimedyouth-led radio station to the National Theatre. Expect a collaboration of alternative and forward-thinking music from all corners of the globe from the radio talents of the future.
Saturday 29 August
The Hot Potato Syncopators 1.10pm and5pm, Music
Straight from the golden era of the roaring 20s, three distinguished gentlemen will transform into cat-swinging jazz hounds and delight you with the sound of galloping ukulele, tea chest bass, virtuosic musical saw and comedy harmony singing.
Plots and Piazzas – Nu-Urban Gardeners 12 –4.30pm
Family AtlanticaQuartet10pm, Music
Transatlantic, multi-national super group Family Atlantica present their Quartet formation, with cooking grooves of Ghanaian highlife and Calypso beneath the powerful voice of irrepressible Venezuelan Diva Luzmira Zerpa – unmissable.
Sunday 30 August
Picnic– Etta Ermini Dance Theatre1pm and3pm, Dance
A lush and joyful picnic is disrupted by the pitfalls of a relationship.Dance, comedy and food lead to messy conclusions.
Plots and Piazzas– Nu-Urban Gardeners 12 –4.30pm
War Horse – An Appearance from Joey 1.30pm and4pm
Get up close to Joey, the life-sized theatrical horse from the award-winning National Theatre production War Horse, as he comes for a visit to the South Bank.
For further information: nationaltheatre.org/riverstage
Ends
Notes to Editors
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies works to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. We focus on five key areas for creating lasting change: arts, education, the environment, government innovation, and public health. The arts are a valuable way to engage citizens and enhance communities. Through innovative partnerships and bold approaches, the Bloomberg Philanthropies arts program works to increase access to culture using new technologies, empower artists and strengthen cultural organizations to reach broader audiences. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.
9 July 2015
Contact: Susie Newbery on 020 7452 3061 /