As always there is a myriad of events being held at The Beacon in Wantage over the coming months from comedy to music, along with an enchanting event for children just before Christmas and six days of appearances linked to the Wantage Literary Festival which starts on the 31st October.
Join comedian Mark Simmons when he brings his sell-out tour show ‘Quip Off The Mark’ to The Beacon on Saturday 19 October at 7.30pm. Mark has appeared on Mock The Week, BT Sport and ITV, ‘Master of One-liners’, and social media phenomena. This year, Quip Off The Mark has a unique twist, revolving around Mark collecting his belongings from his childhood home after his parents have sold the house. Audiences can expect a superb one-liner show with a compelling theme throughout, offering a fresh comedic experience. “One of the UK’s pre-eminent pun merchants…the quickest quipster in showbusiness” – Evening Standard.
On Saturday 26 October at 7.30pm, The Beacon welcomes The Tannahill Weavers to the stage when they play traditional Celtic music at its best. With fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, haunting ballads and a good dose of humour, the Tannahill Weavers have transformed traditional material and brought it into the modern world, vitally alive and kicking. Members of the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, in 2019 the Tannahill Weavers were nominated for Folk Album of the Year and Folk Band of the Year in Scotland. Recently they have been joined by piper Iain MacGillivray, who is Scotland’s youngest Clan leader and has worked on such exciting productions as Outlander and Men in Kilts, performing for a huge list of stars and dignitaries in recent years.
As we enter the Festive Season in the build-up to Christmas, the Spirit of Christmas Past is brought alive when Chris Green and Sophie Matthews from GreenMatthews bring their touring Christmas show ‘Gaudete’ for local audiences to enjoy at 7.30pm on Friday 13 December. Chris and Sophie are modern-day balladeers, specialising in telling stories through song. GreenMatthews are firm believers in the age-old power of narrative songs to delight contemporary audiences. Taking their cue from ancient troubadour tradition, they are 21st-century wandering players – touring their self-created shows extensively throughout the UK and Europe. Although their music and tales are rooted in the past, the performance is entirely of the 21st century, immediate and accessible to modern audiences. ‘Gaudete’ features Emily Baines on early woodwinds and Richard Heacock on violin, their music is lush, rich and heartwarming. Their repertoire spans 600 years from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, featuring Christmas carols, winter folk songs, toe-tapping tunes and a plethora of weird and wonderful instruments, Gaudete! brings the festive season to life in a riot of sound and colour!
The Beacon will host a number of events associated with this year’s Wantage Literary Festival at the theatre. Over the period of the Festival, authors will be at The Beacon on Thursday 31 October, Friday 1 and Saturday 2 November and the following week on the 7th, 8th and 9th. The Literary Festival brings together both well known authors who have appeared on television and radio along with those who we may know having read their books but who are not so familiar. Authors will be covering all genres of literature from children’s tales to crime, poetry, science, history, horticulture and popular music.
Festival favourite Pam Ayres will be along on 1st November at 6pm. Join popular radio presenter Bob Harris and author/music journalist Colin Hall on the 2 November at 7.30pm when they talk about their collaboration ‘The Songs The Beatles Gave Away.’ TV personality and populariser of mathematics Johnny Ball will be talking about ‘My Previous Life in Comedy’ on the 8 November at 7pm. The following evening at 7pm, Larry Lamb will be talking with Nicola Cornick as they discuss ‘Hirings, Firings and Other Life Catastrophes.’ From his early days in the oil industry in Libya and Canada to his unexpected ancestral connections to lion tamers, Larry’s journey is a tapestry of diverse experiences. With Nicola Cornick coaxing intriguing tales from Larry, expect revealing facts, funny anecdotes, and a lively Q&A session. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from Larry Lamb and engage with his captivating stories. All tickets for the Wantage Literary Festival at The Beacon can be booked at beaconwantage.co.uk/events/wantageliteraryfestival2024.
For children aged two and over there is an enchanting event for them to be part of on 22 December with ‘A Winter’s Tail’, a play-along theatre adventure with The Last Baguette. Performances are at 10am, 11.30am and 2pm.
“The snow is falling, and the solstice is approaching. Ratty is getting ready. She wants everything to be really rat-tastic! But will her friends make it through the snow to the winter woodland revels? Can you help them on their journey? There’ll be excitement, adventure, play-acting, games, music, a splattering of silliness and lots of snow!”
Led by The Last Baguette theatre company makes entertaining, accessible and eccentric work for family audiences. Their ‘A Winter’s Tail’ is a fun, relaxed play-along theatre adventure. Expect children to play, move, watch and laugh. The show lasts 1 hour including a stay and play session and is created for ages 2+ and their grown-ups. Younger and older siblings are welcome.
Other events for children include an art workshop Make Your Own Monster Friend with Eden Silver-Myer on 31 October 2024 from 11am to 12 noon. Local artist Eden will ensure that your little one has a terrifyingly fun art session, whilst creating their very own monster friend for Halloween. All art materials will be provided so your child can bring their monster friend alive in whatever way they want to. The session is for children in school years 1 to 6 and parents do not have to be present.
Eden is an artist facilitator and works across Oxfordshire with groups of all ages. Her art sessions for children are all about letting their imagination lead the way, boosting confidence and marvelling at the wonderful ideas that are explored! There are no predetermined outcomes here; each child can produce whatever they like; (edenfay.co.uk).
For wine connoisseurs book to be part of ‘An Evening of Wine Tasting – Wines beginning with C’ on Friday 29 November at 7.30pm. Experienced wine education Brian Davis has selected wines beginning with C to set you up for the Christmas period, with either grape varieties or wines being shown that begin with C. However, there will be no Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay but a plethora of unusual wines from Catarratto to Criolla which should make this an interesting tasting. Limited tickets are available, book early to avoid disappointment.
Adults can spend an enjoyable evening getting crafty on Thursday 5th December from 7pm to 9pm when Eden Silver-Myer holds a festive workshop Make Your Own Christmas Cards. Eden will inspire you to create your own personalised Christmas cards perfect for sending joy to your friends and family this holiday season., in this adult only workshop. This session is great for all skill levels. You will be provided with all the colourful materials needed to make your cards your own, including cards, envelopes, and lots of decorations, as well as the Christmassy music to get you in the mood!
Tickets can be booked via The Beacon’s website beaconwantage.co.uk/events or in person at The Box Office.
