Norfolk & Norwich Festival (NNF) today announced five highlight shows from its May 2010 programme including the UK première of the highly acclaimed new work by legendary viola da gambist Jordi Savall, Jerusalem: a city of two peaces, the UK première of Alain Platel's new work for les ballets C de la B, Out of Context, a new commission by artist, performance-maker and writer Tim Etchells, a rare UK performance by electric guitar innovator John McLaughlin, and Parklife, an outdoor circus project by NoFit State Circus.
Today's announcement underlines the burgeoning reputation and breadth of this international arts festival and secures its place among the country's leading arts festivals.
Legendary viola da gambist Jordi Savall, returns to Norfolk & Norwich Festival with Hespèrion XXI, La Capella Reial de Catalunya and musicians from the middle east (38 musicians in total!) performing the UK premiere of the monumental programme charting the history of Jerusalem from 1200 BC to the present day through its music, Jerusalem: a city of two peaces.
Also returning to the Festival, but this time with a UK première, is ground-breaking Belgian dance collective les ballets C de la B, with Out of Context the company's new piece by Alain Platel.
Norfolk & Norwich Festival commission A Short Message Spectacle (An SMS) is an imaginary performance by artist and performance-maker, Tim Etchells, lasting 14 days, whose scenes are described by text message, relayed as virtual events taking place day and night in diverse locations across an equally imaginary city. To join the audience for this extraordinary work people will need to subscribe to a special phone number, and the events of the performance are summoned by text message alone, unfolding each day via a series of missives.
Described as ‘one of the few Europeans to divert the course of jazz history', John McLaughlin performs in a powerhouse electric jazz setting with The 4th Dimension, featuring Level 42 sideman and formidable keyboardist Gary Husband, the whirlwind drummer Mark Mondesir and Cameroonian bassist Etienne M'Bappe.
Finally, NoFit State Circus brings its ‘creative conversation', exploring new ways of developing large-scale outdoor circus, into Norwich for a week-long residency. The week will culminate in a spectacular finale of circus, urban arts and sports.
Artistic director Jonathan Holloway said: "Never before has Norfolk & Norwich Festival shown such breadth and such extraordinary potential this early in the year. Jordi Savall's work is an exquisite song of history, momentous in scope, intimate in sentiment; Alain Platel is simply one of the most important choreographers of the moment. And what better place for them to come together than in the programme of one of the most exciting Festivals in the UK."
Tickets go on sale from 23 November 2009. Book by phone on 01603 766400 and online at www.nnfestival.org.uk.
The full programme for Norfolk & Norwich Festival10 will be revealed in February 2010. For more information or to sign up for the latest updates, please visit www.nnfestival.org.uk.
