‘Wonderful and terrifying all at once’ – Playwright Alistair McDowall on unlikely inspirations and writing the unexpected



The thing about Beacons is the feeling of discovery; that you could walk into any of the tents in the Space Between arts area and get totally swept away in something new.

12 Months of Neon Love by Victoria Lucas and Richard Wheater. Photo credit Giles Smith.
On the whole, we’re not short of a boutique festival or two, but then there are the ones that are really worth exploring.



The critically acclaimed 1927 create theatre quite unlike anything else you’ve seen. They are innovative storytellers weaving animation, performance and film to create striking, unsettling performances. Spoken word, cabaret, fairy tales, silent film and music hall songs all play a part in their audiovisual menagerie.




ice&fire are a theatre company with a difference... and a moral purpose. They explore human rights stories through performance. Their latest production - The Nine O'Clock Slot - is perhaps not what you'd expect from your average trip to the theatre. Emily Shipp talks to artist and writer Annecy Lax about death.