October 2020 Drama Music Comedy and more - A performance festival with something - Watford Fringe
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October 2020
Drama •Music •Comedy and more…
A performance festival with something
for all ages and tastes
Welcome to the Watford Fringe October 2020 As part of the spirit of #WatfordTogether, the Pump House is proud, with amazing help from its brilliant community of volunteers, to find a way to reopen and continue the Watford Fringe for all to enjoy live art again. Four years ago, the Pump House, the quirky local theatre and hub for emerging talent, thought “Lets do a Watford Fringe!”. Four years later it is going from strength to strength and this year we are proud to present a ‘Virtual plus’ Festival for everyone to enjoy. The Watford Fringe will run throughout October. For the first weekend – 1st to 4th October – the Festival will be online. Grab your front row seat in your very own living room and join in the fun! From 8th October, we are planning to allow limited audiences into our venues, subject to government guidelines. Most performances will also be streamed online. Up-to- data information can be found on the website: WatFringe.co.uk Measures are in place to make sure this Festival is as safe as possible, including fogging and UV light zapping! We have learned so much and safety will come first for this Festival. We will have industrial strength cleaning of indoor facilities including anti-viral soft furnishing treatments, specialised environmentally friendly UV space disinfectant machines, hand sanitiser everywhere. We have been working with local and public health authorities to ensure everything meets the latest guidelines. We would like to thank our partners for their support for the Festival including Watford Borough Council, Watford Museum, Watford and West Herts Chamber of Commerce and the Arts Council. The information in this guide is subject to change. We also have contingency plans to cope with any last minute changes to government health advice. For the very latest information and to book tickets go to: WatFringe.co.uk. Further information available at office@pumphouse.info or on 01923 225671 – please note, with very limited resources, this phone number is only staffed part time, so please leave a message and someone will try any respond with a couple of working days. It would help us if you can try the website or email to answer your question before trying to call.
All acts are online from 1st to 4th October.
From 8th to 25th October, socially distanced in-venue tickets are available (may be
subject to change) as well as online streaming for most performances.
Check WatFringe.co.uk for the latest details and to secure your tickets.
DRAMA COMEDY MUSIC SPOKEN WORD
Paved with Gold and Ashes
New York City, 1911. Immigrants are arriving in floods from all over Europe and for many, the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is one of the most coveted
places to work. Based on a true event, Paved with Gold and Ashes follows Rose, Ida, Rosaria,
DRAMA
Lucia and Annie; five teenage factory workers, as they
fight for their promise of the American dream.
Threedumb Theatre was due to take 'Paved with Gold and Ashes' to the EdFringe Festival this
year and now have created a special 'Zoom Edition' for the 2020 Watford Fringe.
ONLINE STREAMING
Thu 1st – Sun 4th 24 hour streaming (40 mins) £FREE
Electric Umbrella WatFringe Singalong
It’s all about the magic that happens when people with learning disabilities and professional
musicians work shoulder to shoulder. It’s about discovering and showing who people really are.
MUSIC
It’s about achieving incredible things together. It’s about adapted instruments, being absolutely
person-centred, making extraordinary adjustments, and it being perfectly acceptable that
sometimes it takes three people to play a cello! Join Electric Umbrella as they go online at this
year’s WatFringe.
LIVE ONLINE
Fri 2nd @4.30pm (60 mins) £FREE (donations welcome)
#txtshow
INTERACTIVE
“An experience unlike anything in live theater.” – DC Metro Theater Arts. The best show you’ll
THEATRE
write all year, this completely immersive multiscreen performance features a script written
anonymously in real-time by a live audience (on the internet). Created and performed by Brian
Feldman, this live, interactive performance takes place exclusively online.
LIVE INTERNET PERFORMANCE
Fri 2nd & Sat 3rd @7pm (45 mins) £FREE
A Country Way of Life
Country music evangelist Jonny Brick plays music from country legends in his show from the
COUNTRY &
Edinburgh Fringe that explains the three types of country songs, why pop music has never
WESTERN
stopped being influenced by 'hillbilly music' and why you definitely and absolutely should like
both genres: country AND western.
LIVE ONLINE
Sat 3rd & Sun 4th @12pm (50 mins) £FREE
DRAMA COMEDY MUSIC SPOKEN WORD
The Show Must Go On… Online
Herts Inclusive Theatre presents a short film, The Show Must Go Online, a fully inclusive
FILM
production filmed by participants of all abilities and all ages during the Covid19 lockdown.
ONLINE STREAMING
Sat 3rd @1.45pm (40 mins) £FREE
In the secret garden of Frances Hodgson Burnett
STORY WITH MUSIC
A one-woman play underscored by live music on accordion and Celtic harp tells the compelling
story of the Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of The Secret Garden. A phenomenally successful
and prolific author, she often featured in gossip columns around the world. Hear about her
flamboyant lifestyle and enjoy excerpts from some of her more famous works.
LIVE ONLINE
Sat 3rd @2pm (45 mins) £8/£6
MCUsical: The Unofficial Parody Marvel Musical
MUSICAL DRAMA
A hilarious brand new nerdy comedy show, which retells the last 10 years of your favourite
superhero cinematic films through your favourite Broadway show tunes! This work-in-progress
show comes from a highly reviewed, successful company.
You'll love it 3000!
BEST MUSICAL COMEDY AWARD NOMINEE - LEICESTER COMEDY FESTIVAL
LIVE ONLINE
Sat 3rd @3pm (75 mins) £7/£5
Songs with Andrea
Returning to the Watford Fringe for another year, Andrea is an experienced singer and actress
from West London. If you have been lucky enough to see her as lead vocalist with her band,
VOCAL
Jazz Mondays, you will know she is a performer who owns the stage! WatFringe is delighted to
welcome her back.
LIVE ONLINE
Sun 4th @12pm (60 mins) £3
The Dream Speaks Back
Three authors reveal all about writing a joint book.
AUTHOR Q&A
In an open Q&A session, Cy Henty, Sue Hampton and Leslie Tate will describe touring with
Russell Brand, growing up as non-binary and the mental health issues that went into their three-
way autobiography ‘The Dream Speaks Back’. On the way, our three authors will talk about
developing the creative process and rediscovering the child within.
A deeply comic, character-driven insight into the personal memories and dream-fictions of
three creative individuals.
LIVE ONLINE
Sun 4th @3pm (60 mins) £5
DRAMA COMEDY MUSIC SPOKEN WORD
How to Space
A young girl is obsessed with the night sky, with what lies beyond and longs to travel into the
unknown. Will she defy the odds like her heroines - the astronauts Valentina Tereshkova and
THEATRE
Mae Jemison and achieve her dreams? 'How To Space' is the 4th piece of theatre on film in
Pursued By A Bear's 'Nothing On Earth: Shorts' series. The films are all written by St Albans based
Anna Reynolds. Using Zoom, the filming is under the creative leadership of Artistic Director
Rosamunde Hutt, directed by Grant Watson, features actress Chanel Glasgow and was filmed
under lock-down restrictions in her home of Trinidad and Tobago.
LIVE ONLINE
Sun 4TH @5pm (15 mins) £FREE
Rough Sleeper
A homeless man is rough sleeping in the doorway of a closed down high street store. He tells the
story of his rise from rags to riches, and his subsequent fall from grace into homelessness. A new
play written in response to the homeless crisis, "Rough Sleeper" premiered in January 2020 to
PLAY
great acclaim. It highlights the brutal harshness of life on the streets in an affluent South-Eastern
City. Contains some strong language and references to social issues relating to homelessness.
LIVE ONLINE
Sun 4th @7pm (80 mins) £10/£8
Drama King
A compelling, humorous and emotion-filled one-man show about one of the greatest actor-
managers of the 19th Century, William Charles Macready.
PLAY
The story of Macready, the man to whom Charles Dickens dedicated 'Nicholas Nickleby', is one
of the most remarkable ever to come out of the theatre.
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Thurs 8th & Fri 9th @8pm (80 mins) £9/£6
Watford Folk Club
Pete Nutkins, Lizzy Hardingham and Julian Mount present a superb hour of folk music, that is
FOLK MUSIC
not to be missed!
Pete's repertoire draws from both traditional and contemporary songs. Lizzy's pure voice
twinned with her impressive songwriting skills meld together to create "beautifully delivered
folk music". Julian's songs are thought-provoking, full of wit and highlights his quirky
perspective on people, places and situations.
PUMP HOUSE: COLNE RIVER ROOM
Fri 9th @7pm (60 mins) £5
SafeHaven – a place to call home
The middle of nowhere. A building with no doors. 9 women and a Doctor. All the women are
here for different reasons. Escape? Prison? A dream? Their new normal, their new home.
SafeHaven looks at what happens when we expose characters to a new surrounding, will they
DRAMA
form friendships or enemies. Will they reenter society or be locked away forever? A play about
trust, friendship and adapting. This play was both devised and written during lockdown, now
back in the studio we are adapting what we have created to fit in with ‘the new normal’ of
performance.
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Sat 10th @3pm (40 mins) £5/£3
DRAMA COMEDY MUSIC SPOKEN WORD
Bonnie Shepherd
VOICE & GUITAR
Bonnie, a talented musician, is passionate about the music she performs. A voice of haunting
beauty, accompanied by guitar, produces a sound that is both contemporary and timeless.
WATFORD MUSEUM
Sat 10th @6pm (30 mins) £2/£1
John Pendal: Monster
Professional comedian John Pendal was born and raised in Watford. He brings his hit comedy
show "Monster" to the Pump House, fresh from the 2019 Edinburgh Festival where it received
5
four FIVE STAR reviews: "fabulous show" - Voice Magazine, "deeply moving"
- The Wee Review, "indelible triumph" - Broadway Baby and "comedy
COMEDY
masterpiece" - Feminist Fringe Reviews. “Monster” is a comedy show about sex
and sexuality, which laughs in the face of shame and guilt. It's aimed at anyone struggling to
feel good about themselves.
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Sat 10th @7pm (60 mins) £8/£6
Cone Boy
COMEDY THEATRE
ConeBoy is a music, spoken-word and drama show from writer and musician Clive Parker-Sharp.
Clive was at the forefront in the punk movement, with such bands as Spizz Energi and The
Members, and a founder of 80's rockers Big Country. As an author he brings his second book
alive, with collaborator, actor/singer Marshall Star in a funny, poignant and cutting take on the
media from the 70's to now, via the lens of a boy made famous because of his appearance. A
book event like no other!
PUMP HOUSE: COLNE RIVER ROOM
Sat 10th @8pm (70 mins) £8.50/£7.50
A Year On
WORDS & MUSIC
Inspirational talk with music. Musician and brain injury survivor, David Naylor, woke from a
coma and did not know who he was or what his life had been like. He heard a song in his
head and realised he had written it. He set about finding more of his past compositions…
and found a reason to live…
PUMP HOUSE: COLNE RIVER ROOM
Sun 11th @12pm (45 mins) £FREE
Mr Dusty Rose’s Ghost Show
VICTORIANY THEATRE
Turn off the lights, light a candle, and let us begin... What happens when you tell ghost stories
in the dark? When you call out do you get a response? We have always been obsessed with
these questions. Mister Dusty Rose whisks the audience away on an evening of history, mystery
and the supernatural in this modern recreation of a Victorian Ghost Show.
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Mon 12th & Tues 13th @8pm (60 mins) £20/£10
DRAMA COMEDY MUSIC SPOKEN WORD
Tom Seals: The Piano Man
Conceived and performed by boogie-woogie and blues pianist and vocalist extraordinaire Tom
Seals, who has travelled the world performing to thousands, attracting an astonishingly
POPULAR
dedicated fan base along the way. His unmistakable vocals coupled with his remarkable talent
on the keys, firmly places his stamp on the widely known and loved songs of the past. This
show is humorous, thoroughly entertaining and will appeal to all. Toe-tapping guaranteed!
PUMP HOUSETHEATRE
Thurs 15th & Fri 16th @ 8pm (60 mins) £10/£8
Sam Carlyle: My Life and Other Jokes
You may be asking "Who even is Sam Carlyle?", but after this cabaret you'll certainly know
her name (along with many other intimate details). From dating disasters to toilet
COMEDY
complications, Sam shares it all! So come on down for an intimate evening of mortifying
stories. You are sure to leave comforted that these things happen to everyone or beaming
away because at least these things haven't happened to you!
WATFORD MUSEUM
Sat 17th @5pm (60 mins) £7/£5
A Slice of Saturday Night
MUSICAL THEATRE
Set in a nightclub, young love, teenage dreams, fashion and music are the order of the day.
Watch and cringe as ten teenagers navigate their way through the night under the experienced
eye of the club’s owner.
This Heather Brothers classic began its life in Brighton
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Sat 18th @4pm and 8pm (90 mins) £9
A Recital of Opera, Song and Musical Theatre
Local operatic baritone Thomas Isherwood performs a one hour recital with his duo partner
Elspeth Wilkes, with music spanning the genres of opera, art song, folk song and musical
SONG
theatre.
Thomas began his musical training at the Watford School of Music aged 8 and now returns to
his home town to perform as part of the Watford Fringe Festival.
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Fri 23rd @8pm (75 mins) £14
Women, Witches and the Wild Hunt
Storytellers take you on amazing adventures, fight ferocious beasts, answer dangerous
STORYTELLING
questions and bring you home with just a story. Take part in the night hunt, eat, drink and
leave with payment in gold! Join Sarah Lloyd-Winder, an experienced, inspirational
storyteller from Hertfordshire, as she revisits some ancient tales that may seem familiar, and
weaves the magic of a story.
WATFORD MUSEUM
Sat 24th @2pm (60 mins) £6/£5
DRAMA COMEDY MUSIC SPOKEN WORD
Audacious Mr Astley
Edinburgh Fringe 5 act, the audacious Sergeant-Major Philip Astley is saddling up to tell
5
first-hand how he and his wife Patty founded the world's first modern circus. Written and
performed by modern-day professional ringmaster Chris Barltrop, whose unique 'insider' view
THEATRE
reveals the character of the 'father of the circus' as well as his story. Stubborn, cocksure,
proud, jealous... Barltrop has met a few circus proprietors in his time, and Astley may well have
been their archetype.
PUMP HOUSE: COLNE RIVER ROOM
Sat 24th @4pm (45mins) £11.50/£8
Spotlight series – ep 2 – Emma Hatton
Episode 2 in the Spotlight series will be a masterclass interview with actress Emma Hatton
whose career spans roles as diverse as Elphaba in 'Wicked' and Postmodern Jukebox.
The Pump House Theatre in Watford has teamed up with West End and International theatre
INTERVIEW
producer Chris Wheeler (whose credits include ‘The West End Men’ at the Vaudeville Theatre,
‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ for Curve in Leicester and ‘The Last Temptation of Boris
Johnson’ for Glynis Henderson Productions) to launch its ‘Spotlight Series’, a season of staged
interviews and masterclasses with top arts industry professionals from across the world.
Audiences will get a rare and unique opportunity to get “up close and personal” with special
guests from all areas of the arts industry.
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Sat 24th @7.30pm (90 mins) £2
Vinyl Encore
COMEDY DRAMA
Bruised egos and broke, two forgotten rock stars try and record the album that makes sense of
their lives. This four star (Broadway Baby) critically-acclaimed comic drama featuring live music
stars Paul Vitty and AW King as two naughty boys who still refuse to join the real world.
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Sun 25th @ 3pm (60 mins) £10/£8
Two Singular Sensations- A Musical Theatre Revue
Missing your Musical Theatre fix? Fear not ... We're bringing the West End to Watford! 14
MUSICAL THEATRE
shows, 7 musical instruments, 4 spoons, 2 best friends and 1 pineapple!
Join West End duo Edwin Ray and Emma Jane Morton in their sparkling musicaL theatre
revue. Expect a glittering production with fabulous singing, incredible dance and some joyous
backstage stories. This uplifting show will bring you your favourite musical theatre songs - old
to new, high octane to reflective, Broadway to West End. Suitable for the whole family.
'A feel-good whirl through song and dance, it is a must for musical theatre fans' - Broadway
Baby 'Sheer Joy... Phenomenally talented and loveable' - GScene
PUMP HOUSE THEATRE
Sun 25th @8pm (60 mins) £10/£9
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