Towns to Revel in new event

MORE than a month of art and culture has been lined up to take place in Beccles, Bungay, Halesworth and Lowestoft.

The Waveney Revels event will reveal and explore the vast range of arts and heritage activity available across the area.

And hopes are high that it will become an annual occasion.

With an emphasis on diversity, the five-week extravaganza, which began on Tuesday, will offer performances by famous names such as Ken Dodd, Jimmy Carr and Nicholas Parsons, a musical and a host of specially-created or programmed events.

These will include appearances by Waveney's resident musicians as well as internationally-acclaimed performers of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Heritage walks, bike rides and tasting events will be juxtaposed with literary performances and art trails. Organised by Waveney District Council's arts and heritage service manager, Andrew Kitchen, the Revels have already attracted around 130 events.

Coming up in the week ahead is a range of music, art and drama.

Tomorrow, The Works art school in Blyburgate, Beccles, is holding a Pleasure of Painting workshop, and in the evening Brazilian singer Cibelle will perform at The Cut, in Halesworth.

On Sunday, the Bungay Black Dog marathon and half-marathon take place at 10.40am; Tosh performs at the Geldeston Locks; Rick and David Sheppard are at the Swan House Restaurant in Beccles; folk favourites Mawkin:Causley perform at Bungay Fisher Theatre; and there's a recital by young South Korean-born pianist

Young-Choon Park at The Cut

from 7.30pm.

BBC Look East weatherman Jim Bacon will be the guest speaker at Bungay Camera Club on Wednesday, while Edward Martin, archaeological officer for Suffolk County Council, will give an illustrated talk at Ilketshall St Andrew Church.

Keen walkers can take part in a six-mile ramble on the Mutford Wood Walk, also on Wednesday morning, and in the evening the Hermitage Ensemble, a Russian male voice choir from St Petersburg, is performing at Holy Trinity Church, Bungay.

Local singer Steve Moyse is performing at the Queen's Head at Bramfield next Friday, and singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph will be on stage at the Fisher Theatre.

Next Saturday, Carolyn Reeder will help participants at her dichroic glass jewellery event at The Works in Beccles to cut and assemble at least three items, one of which will be fired in the kiln during the class. The session takes place between 10am-4pm.

During the evening, Laura Cannell and Adrian Lever bring their contemporary arrangements on guitar, double-barrelled recorders crumhorn and fiddle to The Cut from 7.30pm.

Mr Kitchen said the event had grown from a madcap idea he had conceived last summer.

"It's our way of revealing the phenomenal amount going on in Waveney. It ranges from solid community projects to big-name glitz to show how much happens in just one month. It's high time we shout out and praise what does go on.

"The Marina Theatre in Lowestoft has booked Ken Dodd and Jimmy Carr, and the Fisher Theatre in Bungay has Nicholas Parsons doing a one-man show about Edward Lear.

"I'm very pleased with the scale and range of events. HighTide playwriting festival has moved to be part of the Revels."

Mr Kitchen said they had also thrown down the Revels Challenge to encourage people to try something different away from their home town. He added: "The last bank holiday weekend will be very special, with impressive ships coming into Lowestoft harbour. There are lots of big things planned."

The Revels take place until

May 5, and all events are listed on an online programme. Visit www.waveney.gov.uk/REVELS

CAPTION: Andrew Kitchen, who is organising Waveney Revels

Nicholas Parsons, who will perform at The Fisher Theatre in the coming weeks.

Carolyn Reeder, who is holding a dichoric glass jewellery event at The Works in Beccles next Saturday.