Coastival's Rather Splendid Day Out
I say! Do come along and uncover a voluptuous stack of fun at Coastival’s Rather Splendid Day Out. It promises to be the most memorable day of the year!
Be the first to experience a specially commissioned piece from international, award-winning theatre company ‘Slung Low’. They make unlikely, ambitious and original adventures for audiences, with powerful, moving stories at the heart. Their awe-inspiring, disquieting, but spectacular Sun Court performance forms one of five parts to be played out over the 2012 festival season in various North Yorkshire festivals. The five pieces converge into one epic, audience adventure – make sure you’re there at the beginning!
Revel in top comedy and enjoy some great music at the Acoustic Lounge. Pop into the rolling screenings of the top short films of the season and get the kids involved with their own sizzling fiesta fun activities.
With heaps of other stuff to discover from unique theatre performances to young people’s workshops, there’s no excuse not to have a great day and then dance the night away with Craig Charles’ Funk and Soul DJ set and band.
It’s all waiting for you… down by the sea!
Gladys
In anticipation of Coastival 2012's Comedy Gala, John Allsopp talks to Monkey Poet about milk, making a difference and groupies.
JA: So, where are you from Monkey?
MP: That is a long story, the short answer is Cheshire! My heritage is Caucas, Polish, Austrian, French, Irish, Scouser! ;0)
JA: How do you like to start the day?
MP: Being a poetic soul, I like to start my day in the afternoon. Ideally with a coffee, croissant, and a copy of the Guardian. As currently I reside in Salford - I start my day with a coffee. Everyday I think about exercise, and everyday I dismiss this thought. Waving my cigarette over my coffee, I ruminate about which of the three 'S's I'm going to do first. Shaving is out, the Showering can wait, so I head to the toilet. Here I can devote time to thinking, at peace with the World and plugged into the Cosmos.
Coastival 2011 brought together six music festivals in one! International band Levellers headlined in the Spa Ocean Room on the Friday night with support from the Tom Townsend Band. Saturday saw a Jazz event in partnership with the Scarborough Jazz Club featuring Claire Martin and Dennis Rollins amongst others. Sunday saw musical influences from across the globe converge in Scarborough courtesy of Musicport with performances by the fantastic 17 Hippies from Germany along with Rafkiki Jazz and the wonderful Everly Pregnant Brothers with Sheffield artist Pete McKee. Acoustic Lounge and Coastival Club were also back and ran throughout the weekend.
Coastival 2011 brought you the finest of concerts including the opening free Scarborough’s Finest event. Sound of the Sands was an exciting fusion of musical styles commissioned especially for Coastival. Rock, acoustic, jazz and classical met in a series of collaborative compositions with the University of York Jazz Orchestra, playing alongside Everyone An Army, a Scarborough based rock group, and accompany an acoustic set from Dan Whinney and Ben Sullivan of Mum Locked in Castle. Coastival Light Classics was a series of 6 concerts in the Crown Hotel and Westborough Church including strings, opera, Choir ‘Solati’ and Scarborough ensemble ‘Raven’.
Coastival was proud to present a stimulating selection of exhibitions by local artists along with a range of talks, workshops and activities, the chance to visit artists in their studios some wine tasting and even an arts market. 
Coastival films took music to the movies. Our specially created cinema in the Suncourt Lounge had a feast of fantastic films and all for free! 
Coastival’s little brother Rollercoastival brought fantastic creative stuff for kids to the 2011 festival. We had art workshops, fun with words, a hip hop school, music, cabaret and movies plus a special commission by artists Dome D’ombre to explore and enjoy. All in one weekend and all free!
The internationally renowned Stephen Joseph Theatre was the venue for Paper Birds Theatre Company and an evening of Clogs and Swords dance teams. Coastival in partnership with the Scarborough Literature Festival brought you the chance to experience performances by live artist Stacy Makishi and also a pair of performances by storyteller Xanthe Gresham. The University of Hull Scarborough Campus had a whole range of performances inlcluding work with company Reckless Sleepers. Also, local companies Beach Hut Theatre, STAMP and the Maritime Heritage Centre presented work as part of the festival.
Participants were dazzled by the lights and noise of the Coastival Opening Spectacular with music, light, lanterns and gigantic creatures from the darkest of prehistoric ages that have mysteriously arrived in 21st century Scarborough! This was a free event on Valley Road to open Coastival. Wonderfully creative projections including the LightWeight sphere in the Sun Court at the Spa – light, shadows, projections and animations filling a large inflated sphere making it pulse with ever-changing colour, image and sound. Lumen and imove presented a series of projection works at sites including the Lighthouse and Futurist Theatre. Coastival 365 projections were shown throughout the weekend highlighting the work of photographer, Tony Bartholomew.
Funny stuff brought to you Count Arthur Strong’s new wonderful show! He was, as ever, a self-deluded, exceptionally rude and linguistically challenged old luvvie looking ridiculous and fully thwarted in his attempts to recreate the glory years. Would we have wanted him any other way? An absolutely hilarious evening in the presence of comedy nobility.
Fringe events at Coastival 2011 ranged from lantern-making, drumming with Mike Heaton from the band Embrace, devising a performance with Stacy Makishi, creating a seascape in felt, and nautical knotting, to rapper sword and clog dancing or rug making.Coastival 2011 in pictures - Tony Bartholomew
