This newly announced festival will take place from the 3rd to the 31st August outside at The Royal Victoria Patriotic Building in Wandsworth.
With a line up of comedy, improv, magic, music and theatre for a smaller audience, The New Normal Festival will run throughout August at the walled courtyard at the Grade II Listed Royal Victoria Patriotic Building. It follows on from the recent government announcement inviting open air theatres to reopen with social distancing when possible.
Highlights of the festival’s programme include leading Shakespeare troops, comedy, music and improv. The event – for many performers – will be their first time on stage in five months or more. Olivier Award winning smash-hit Showstopper! will perform three shows over two days (14th -15th August). Britain’s Got Talent finalist, magician Ben Hart will bring together some pals from the magic circle for an evening of stripped back magic and comedy for two nights ( 7th – 8th August).
Elsewhere, improv artists featured will include opening night’s CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation – a crime comedy entirely made up on the spot to solve a surreal murder chosen by the audience; Free Association with brand new show Jacuzii and Notflix, the Netflix approved, live, film-obsessed, all-female improv group.
Funny Gals duo-Natasha Barnes (who famously took on Funny Girl after Sheridon Smith) and Vikki Stone’s musical mash-up, will perform to one of their most intimate crowds ever on Wednesday 12th; I Wish My Life Was Like A Musical which garnered twenty five star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe 2019 as well as winning a West End Wilma Award will take to the stage Thursday 27th August.
Comedy clubs are also returning to the stage at the New Normal including two star packed nights from Good Ship Comedy as well as ComedyClub4Kids with their no-swear kid-friendly comedy shows.
There’s also new plays for those missing the theatre. Ellipsis by Isabelle Farah, her story of a career in comedy, appears in a double-bill with If This is Normal by Lucy Danser; Dad’s Army Radio Show, Perry and Croft’s classic BBC sitcom will be brought gloriously to life in the two-hander starring David Benson and Jack Lane on Sunday 16th.
The festival was organised by Sean Turner who said: “I am absolutely over the moon to be able to offer an opportunity to all these incredible artists after such a tough few months. I’ve always wanted to use this gorgeous space for something like this so when Oliver Dowdon said ‘Go for it.’ to open air theatres, I leapt at the chance!”
Tickets range from £10 up and are available from www.newnormalfest.co.uk. There are limited tickets so please book in advance. In the unfortunate event of bad weather refunds will only be given if the event producer cancels the event due to safety, so bring a brolly if showers are forecast. Tickets are also available from See Tickets.