Rye Arts Festival has long been the biggest and best small arts festival in the South East, attracting artistes from not just the UK but around the world. And the 54th annual event promises the same mix of world class performers. But at its heart lies the very best of the local talent living in and around Rye, who are given a showcase for their considerable talents.
The Marsh Choir kicks off the festival on the evening of September 11, with a fabulous concert at St Mary’s Church, where the massed singers from Rye and the surrounds, led by Carly Bryant, will sing everything from Life on Mars by Bowie to Lacrimosa by Mozart. The church’s wonderful acoustics are perfectly suited to mass voices, so why not come along and enjoy? And tickets for this festival curtain-raiser are free!
Tickets are already selling well for the two performances of Murder Aforesaid on Saturday, 20 and Tuesday, 23 September, by the talented Rye Players, who must be the best troupe of actors in Rye since the Kings Men came with Shakespeare to stay at the Mermaid in August 1597! This play presents the murder trial of local butcher John Breads in 1743, charged with (mistakenly) killing the deputy mayor, whilst trying to kill the Mayor James Lamb, who was the judge at the trial, and with no jury, the butcher was stitched up like a kipper, found guilty and executed hours later. The play takes place in Rye Town Hall Chamber where the trial actually took place, and is underneath the (genuine) skull of Breads. Was this a terrible injustice or was the butcher a killer? Come along, be entertained and you decide.
To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the death of Jacobean playwright John Fletcher (who was born in Rye and thus qualifies as local talent), we will screen, in the seated comfort of the Kino, a performance of Two Noble Kinsmen (which Fletcher co-wrote with William Shakespeare) filmed live at The Globe Theatre in 2018.
Rye’s top film buff, Oliver Brooks, will introduce Charlie Chaplin’s classic The Gold Rush, first released 100 years ago. Rye‘s very own polymath, Brooks, recently went to Lake Geneva to visit Chaplin’s home and to film a short promo! He has also designed, drew and inked the poster for the event!
There are ghost and historical walks in Rye; cellar tours in Winchelsea; the ever-popular (you need to book early!) annual coach tour to selected Romney Marsh churches; and nature walks in Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.
And, talking of nature, there are two events featuring local farmers. On Sunday, September 14 Tony Pierce invites you to visit his sheep farm in Rye Harbour. Last year a similar event at his pastures on the way to Camber sold out quickly and was so well received we asked him back, albeit to the other side of the river.
On Thursday, September 18, Frank Langrish will be in the George, talking about farming in Sussex as well as the local wildlife, and will examine how man has created the local landscape, often working with nature, and why much of the land around us is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
We have only scratched the surface here and next week we will look at more local performers who will be headlining the Rye Arts Festival in September.
Book your tickets and to find out more about these and the other events that will take place in September here.
Image Credits: Rye Arts Festival , James Stewart .