Fringe Review

Learn a Little about Ventnor

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    1. Got a bad case of consumption? You’ve come to the right place! Yes, that’s right ladies and gentlemen, Ventnor was THE place for the Victorian elite to catch some rays, take the waters and hopefully recover from that nasty TB. There were several sanitoriums and a huge Chest Hospital where the Botanic Gardens now is.

    2. In fact, The Isle of Wight Railway at one time ran a non-stop train from Ryde to Ventnor which was nicknamed ‘The Invalid Express’ specifically to rush consumptive patients to their treatment at Ventnor. 

    3. Karma karma karma chameleon…Okay, we don’t have chameleons, but we do have the largest British colony of common wall lizards! YES. WE WIN! Try and spot one during fringe!

    4.Ventnor gets around, there are also Ventnors in Australia and New Jersey! But we were the first. And the best, obviously…

    5. Up The Downs! At 787 ft (240m) above sea level, St Boniface Down is home to Old English feral goats, the Adonis Blue Butterfly, Buzzards, Ravens and fairies…Okay, I made that last bit up. Or did I?

    6. Karl Marx liked to holiday here. This pleases me.

    7. Above the town is a geological fault known as the Graben, which marks the top of the series of landslips on which Ventnor is built. This fault moves regularly. But don’t worry, we haven’t fallen into the sea yet!

    8. Three miles off the coast of Ventnor is a deep narrow channel known as St. Catherine’s Deep. Lovecraftian eh?

    9. On the Ventnor Town Crest is Hygeia, the mythical daughter of a doctor who was murdered by Zeus for basically being too good at his job and liked by everyone. Nice one Zeus. So she took over the family healing business, hence why the Victorians adopted her as Ventnor’s symbol.

    10. Ventnor is great. It’s the best. I love it. And THAT’s a fact.

 

By Laura Clare Reid

Hand in Hand

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I’ve often wondered where this biosphere ends and the gates of purgatory begin. It turns out it’s quite simply by walking into the media room, I jest. No, those who walk the astral planes would unquestionably be quieter with vastly improved sanity.

Venturing out of this husk of magnolia paint, blue tac and spread sheets can seem quite terrifying. Yesterday I sauntered through the Fringe and was accosted by a large hill, the Kraken, tales of ethereal dreams and three girls from the 1920s resurrected from the dead.

However, the Kraken served me drinks, the ethereal dreams turned to serine mumblings of better days and the wartime gals sang with such beautiful harmonics that my mind felt at ease once more.

So in the end all was well in the world and I had myself a lovely time.

Moving onto the evening, ah yes the Carnival, the deafening sounds of samba and marching bands still ringing in my ears. An array of flamboyant figures danced their way around the traffic-free streets on Ventnor. This year this 126 year old Carnival was joined by the Shakespearian actors of Scena Mundi and our Heretic Historians. Characters that seemed out of place walking the avenues just an hour before became part of the rich tapestry Ventnor has worked so hard to create.

Well done Ventnor.

 

International Festival

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There’s a polar bear on the loose! Don’t be alarmed though, he’s the most genial, lovable polar bear you could ever hope to meet.  He’s back in town starring in an original play created by the Ventnor Exchange, Good Night, Little Bear.

    This is a great show for the young, or the young at heart. It’s a beautiful story of a little girl and her polar bear. With a mixture of puppets, animation and childlike wonder, you’ll be left in a state of pure joy. Tickets are selling fast so get down to the Exchange and get yours. 

    Today sees the Arts Club hosting the first of two international showcases of short film. Expect narratives, animations, illustrative pieces, music based film, and motion graphics. Each day session will be different screenings between 14 – 18 short films. 

    Later in the day the Arts Club will be showing two feature films, Fire at Sea, a poignant and moving documentary, and Little Men, a critical yet empathetic look at the dangers of gentrification. 

    Or if you like your film al fresco, head over to Parkside for the Island premier of High Rise, Ben Wheatley’s clever adaptation of JG Ballard’s ‘unfilmable’ book offers a creepy, future-retro vision of a society riven by wealth.

 

Good Night Little Bear: Victoria Street Playhouse: Thurs/Fri @ 3pm and Sat/Sun @ 11am & 3pm

Short Film Showcase: Ventnor Arts Club: Thurs/Fri @ 2:30pm

Fire at Sea: Ventnor Arts Club: Thurs @ 4pm

Little Men: Ventnor Arts Club: Thurs @ 7pm

High Rise: Parkside: Thurs @ 9pm

 

By Matt Hitt

Tim Arnold

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London singer-songwriter, composer and producer Tim Arnold, is heading to St. Catherine’s Church for an evening of intimate acoustic music, presented by Luke Joynes and Fret Buzz Magasine. 

    Tim will be coming to Ventnor following successful shows supporting Wet Wet Wet and performing on the Hard Rock Stage at the Isle Of Wight Festival.

    Tim was recently compared by THE Iggy Pop to the legendary late musician David Bowie. This peaked my interest to no end, so I began doing some research. I was firstly delighted to discover that Tim was once a part of Britpop outfit,  Jocasta.  This pleased me.  Then I read up on Tim’s impressive and diverse musical CV whilst listening to a selection of his tracks. He has been the Master of Music at Shakespeare’s Globe. He has been a songwriter for Universal Records.  But wait, there’s more; He is also the founder of Save Soho, campaigning to save music venues in the London district, alongside Stephen Fry and Benedict Cumberbatch. 

    His singing will move you, it is full of emotion and conveys the power of his lyrics beautifully. The songs are passionately delivered and at times anthemic. In the unique setting of the late Georgian St Catherine’s Church, this will truly be a memorable evening.

 He will be joined on the night by two other fantastic acoustic musicians, Kyle Chapman and Anna Rice.

    This show is in aid of WellChild UK; a national charity working to ensure the best possible care for children with long term or complex health conditions. 

    Tickets are only £6 for beautiful music in a beautiful venue. Atmosphere guaranteed.

 

By Laura Clare Reid

H. Hawkline

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We are graced by Heavenly signing H. Hawkline at this year’s Lounge Around Town. Having just released his critically acclaimed record ‘In The Pink of Condition’ in February, he is all yours for one day only. Huw Gwynfryn Evans, the man behind the sound, is calling the record simply ‘strange pop’, an homage to the maverick U.S. author Richard Brautigan (the Hawkline name appropriated from Brautigan’s 1974 ‘gothic western’ The Hawkline Monster) and a just-turned-solo Paul McCartney (Huw namechecks Ram, an album coincidentally recorded when the once-and-future Beatle was also twenty-nine). It’s reminiscent of a lot of west coast 60’s psychedelia and was unsurprisingly recorded in Los Angeles, the city to which Evans relocated from his native Wales to in 2013, with long time collaborator Cate Le Bon producing. Retaining his lo-fi jangly British pop sound, Hawkline somehow manages to venture into the unknown combining a variety of important cult genres. I can assure you he is not to be missed, catch him at (insert time and venue here).

Fringe’s Fashionista

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Well, what a beautiful wednesday we’ve had fringers, the sun has prevailed and the grey dispersed for the day! There were so many fabulous summer outfits at carnival, but my fringe frock actually went to sleek chique Helen Egleton. Sporting an all black bohemian look with aztec silver to match, she was rocking Ventnor sea front. Low rise is the new high rise, and with ‘the height of summer’ upon us, it’s always okay to get flip flops on and that cheeky bit of mid drift out. So fringers… wednesdays top tip is – keep it simple, keep it black, add some silver and a flip flop to match ! 

SORRY WOODSTOCK

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You find yourself located within the deepest south insane asylum of the British Isles, commonly referred to as the Isle of Wight. This insanity comes from the Island’s passion for music and all manner of cultural oddities.  

Let me cast your minds away from the present day to the summer of 1969. To one of the most revered historic events that British modern history has ever seen. The day the Isle of Wight very nearly sank.

Not literally you understand, I suppose I should explain…

A mass pilgrimage descended upon the Isle of Wight to behold their deity, Bob Dylan. This was an event unheard of by this sleepy coast of Britannia. Some 15,000 people alighted the (substantially smaller than we have today) boat service chanting ‘The Times They are A-Changin’  and sporting their ‘Help Bob Dylan Sink The IOW’ bumper stickers.

An audience of 15,000 may not seem such a ghastly number these days. But put it this way, if a culturally historic event of this magnitude happened now the Island certainly would sink.  

The man of the hour that put this pint-sized Island into the music archives is Ray Foulk. Ray slipped Dylan out from underneath the organisers of Woodstock; Dylan’s own back garden, and all the way across the seas to the Isle of Wight.

Ray and his daughter, Caroline Foulk, have written a book about this fantastic story and will be hosting a talk with questions at 7.30pm in Ventnor Arts Club this evening. Be there to hear the story of how Ray Foulk began Stealing Dylan from Woodstock.   

For the Child Within

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As the sun fades, the moon rises and you think all is quiet until the twinkling of a music box tantalises the sleeping toys to life.

Feast your eyes on a fantastical family friendly show, The Toymaker’s Dream at The Assembly Hall 18:00 tonight.

Toys from across the ages are bought to life in a live and kicking show by the IOW’s very own LVB Dance.

The professional dance troupe boast locking, popping, classic ballet and contemporary dance in their repertoire and their set even features flips, tricks and contortion. The show is sure to rekindle your childhood memories and the endless hours of adventure you enjoyed with your closest and dearest cuddly bear or ever amazing nimble action figure.

There are even some Marvel superheroes too to protect against those creepy porcelain dolls and their scary lolling heads. But be sure to be sprightly and don’t be inert, or the toys may steal you away into the depths of their toy box! 

By Jordan Royl

Island City Music

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Sounding somewhere between the streets of Verona and an ambient forest, Island City Music present an interesting mix.

One that should be heard and felt; I mean that in that sense of the bubbling sensation you get when the bow strikes the strings of the violin, or softly sweeps it and the music takes you.

To all those hatin’ classical scoffs, for me, this is the very point of music and all its varying notes.

I have always been a sucker for strings and that classical melody that sweeps me away. I am sure that those who scoff at classical and prefer the thrashing of a guitar will be struck with the simplicity of a twiddling melody that will haunt and inhibit them too.

This band have successfully created, with their ingenious playing, a modern twist to some very classically constructed songs. Which are not constrained or mundane; they instead present an electric experimental mix that pricks your ears.

Island City Music will be playing at 2pm on Saturday in the Central Car Park if you missed them.

By Jordan Royl