Free Events
The festival spends over 25% of its programming budget on free events
See also UBERGRANDANOMIUM and Fine Art
All Week
Children's Storytelling
The Holt Bookshop
Every morning in The Holt Bookshop a different storyteller will captivate and entertain the under tens.
St Andrew's Festival Fringe
www.holtchurch.org
A full week's programme of free lunchtime performances, children's workshops and recitals. An art exhibition will be on display throughout festival week in liaison with the Bircham Gallery. The exhibition will not be open to the public during the lunchtime events. Please visit the St Andrew's Church website for details.
Sunday 24th July
Church Service
St Andrew's Church - 3.00pm
A Celebration & Thanksgiving for the Arts – all welcome
Preacher: The Rt Revd Graham James, Lord Bishop of Norwich
Colin Warnock
Auden Foyer and Thursday 28th
A professional musician since 1982 when he gave up the day job at the family business. He did a season at a holiday camp on the Isle of Wight as a keyboard player and vocalist and the rest is history! Since then, his career has evolved in several interesting directions, as a solo pianist, vocalist, musical director, composer, arranger, teacher and dance répétiteur.
Monday 25th July
Anyone for Tennis - Fairly Famous Family Strawberries not included
Feathers Yard | Chapel Yard
Wimbledon comes to Holt: a pristine court, dead posh umpire and highly strung player looking to take on all comers. The thrilling One Set only match includes slow mo replays, heated line calls and the perfect live commentary. If you're lucky you could be the challenger or perhaps a ball boy/girl or maybe even royalty for the grand finale trophy presentation.
Hoofbeat
Appleyard | Auden Foyer | Festival Club
Catch this five-piece acoustic band hoofin' music around Holt. From raucous to velvety in sound, hear the musicians cook up a Morock'n Roll or Hungarian Goulash, improvise around a traditional Ghanaian song or visit Berlin for a taste of Kurt Weill.
Tuesday 26th July
Razz & Pearl
Around and about Holt
Once again, Razz & Auntie Pearl will be delighting the streets of Holt all day with their wonderful mix of clowning, magic, balloon modeling and much, much more. See if you can find them!
Whydini - The Boneshaker Medicine Show
Lees Yard | Chapel Yard
Step right up folks and witness the miracle of the age, an amazing phantasmagoria of spell binding bedazzlement. The Amazing Whydini, purveyor of wonder will astound you with his miracle tonics and incredible prestidigitation. If you're looking for a cure for the 21st century, take a leap into another time with the The Boneshaker Medicine Show.
Daft as a Brush - Maynard Flip Flap
Chapel Yard | Appleyard
He flips eggs high into the air then attempts to catch them on his head. It's a silly thing to do, and he is the fool to try it. This internationally travelled street theatre show also includes daring shoe balancing, a coat hanger escape and audience members racing biscuits. Plenty of audience involvement all glued together with Mr Flip Flap's madcap sense of humour.
Wednesday 27th - Friday 29th July
Talking Postboxes - Stuff & Things audiObscura
All day - spot them around Holt
The sonic secrets of the humble British post box are unlocked. From the predictable daily grind of letter collection, to the non-stop thrills and excitement of street life, two terribly talkative post boxes: honest, upright and true, converse and ruminate sharing their thoughts, feelings, and opinions, with passers-by. A unique insight into the day-to-day lives of these everyday objects we take entirely for granted - audiObscura is the word on the street.
Wednesday 27th July
Off His Trolley - Maynard Flip Flap
Appleyard - | Chapel Yard
Maynard Flip Flap has lost his marbles but found his Yo-Yo. Don't be put off by his babysitting style as he will sing you to sleep before riding his enormous unicycle into the sunset. Boundless entertainment from the North of England fool, back by popular demand for his third year at the Holt Festival.
Hodman & Sally
Chapel Yard | Appleyard | Feathers Yard
The biggest thing to come out of the country of Oblivia in eons - Hodman Dodmanott and Sally Forth! Two tiny adventurers with a lot on their minds and even more on their backs. Join these elderly amblers as they set out to make sense of the modern world, meet strange and exciting new people and search for a decent place to camp – in Holt!
Mitch Dalton
Auden Foyer
An opportunity to hear jazz studio musician Mitch play solo before his gig with The Studio Kings in the Festival Club at 9.30pm on Thursday night.
Club Night
Festival Club
Join Artistic Director, Tony Britten, fellow musicians and special guests for an evening of impromptu musical entertainment.
Thursday 28th July
Music Theatre Workshop
St Andrew's Church Hall
A rare chance to work with Orlando Gough along with Melanie Pappenheim and Rebecca Askew, both founder members of his vocal big band The Shout. They will lead you for an hour and a half in some Flam–like vocal shenanigans.
Friday 29th July
Foolhardy Victorian Gentleman
Appleyard
The much loved Foolhardy Circus folk bring their extraordinarily ancient Victorian Gentlemen to Holt this year. Catch these elderly chaps and their hilarious and unique take on modern life.
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett - Book Signing
The Holt Bookshop
Another opportunity to meet Sir Richard Rodney Bennett when he will be signing copies of his biography The Complete Musician by
Anthony Meredith & Paul Harris in The Holt Bookshop.
Mark Fawcett & George Crawley
Appleyard | Auden Foyer | Festival Club
Holt Festival is pleased to bring you the popular country blues duo, Mark Fawcett (guitar, vocals) and George Crawley (piano). Mark is a singer/songwriter who has recorded three solo albums and is a founder member of Neil Young tribute band Don't Spook the Horse. George has played for many years in the highly acclaimed Boogaloos Blues Band and with rock ceilidh band News of the Victory.
Saturday 30th July
Norfolk Dixieland Band
Hear them around Holt
The Norfolk Dixieland Street Band will bring a flavour of New Orleans to the Festival when it will be playing in the heart of the Town. The band formed in 2010 and is an eclectic mix of musicians who play in other established bands in the region. The common thread is their love of early jazz and their desire to take it to the streets.