A world to save, a smuggler to catch and a home to find

It’s a big few weeks in Ipswich

Dr Who (in the form of the acclaimed Punchdrunk’s Crash of the Elysium) has already begun saving the world from his unusual base in car park. The buzz already seems to be you have to see this!

Rosalind Steele as Margaret Catchpole

Talking of crashes on Thursday two openings collide over the red carpet. Over in Rendlesham –at the atmospheric Hush House – Eastern Angles celebrate 30 years of making theatre for the region by opening a brand new production of Margaret Catchpole (a rollicking tale of smuggling and jail breaks, horse rides to London and of love and loss). I’m watching the tech right now and one thing is for sure the show is definitely rollicking -costume drama as it’s meant to be! Pick of the week in the Guardian no less (yes I realise I’m biased)

Back in Ipswich (at the Ipswich Film Theatre) the Paccitti company open On Landguard Point – the culmination of the Easts Olympic Artist Taking the Lead project.

If that wasn’t enough then this week also sees IP-art head into top gear – as well as the arrival of its new naughty younger sister The Switch Fringe. The Spiegel tent has already landed in Christchurch with a heedy mix of music and burlesque in its unique environment. Intriguingly the Dance East bit of the Ip art programme brings together three people/companies who in different ways have completely changed my view of what dance can be – ex ROH dancer and ROH2 driver Deborah Bull (in converstaion 6 July), Matthew Bourne’s Early Adventures (29/30 June)* and the wonderful, esoteric New Art Club (25 June).

In the Fringe it’s great to see two familiar faces from previous Phrased and Confused tours as Chris T-T brings his uncompromising, politically driven songwriting genius to the Soapbox (29th June) – heres just one example

(for a complete contrast check out Chris suite of A A Milne songs) quickly followed by You Tube sensation Mark Grist whose Rogue Teacher show plays the Town Hall on 2nd July. How rogue you ask – well why not take a look:-

and here is Mark and Mixy presenting the Phrased and Confused mini film in 2009

Phrased & Confused Festival Stage. Summer Sundae Weekender 2009 from stuart silver on Vimeo.

There’s much much more (including an intriguing debate around A Venue for Ipswich on 23 June and loads of quirky stuff around National Cycle Wek) so worth visiting the fringe events page

No time for football then – or even dare I say it pyjama cricket – when there is a world to save, a smuggler to catch and a home to find!

*I briefly wrote about the first time I saw the work of Matthew Bourne here

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