Nevill Holt Festival 2024 Brochure

NEVILL HOLT FESTIVAL 2024

This June, join us at the stunning Nevill Holt Estate in Leicestershire for a brand-new multi-arts festival. Over 150 of the UK’s leading musicians, artists and speakers will be performing and speaking in our award-winning venue in a programme that covers classical, jazz and contemporary music, visual art, comedy and literature.

With your support we’ll also be premiering 6 new works, mentoring 40 emerging musicians, championing 10 emerging singers and providing creative opportunities for 2,000 young people.

Director Melly Still and conductor Finnegan Downie Dear will lead our new production of The Magic Flute, presented in partnership with our resident orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, who will also be reviving Max Richter’s reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and premiering new work by Benjamin Kwasi Burrell and Sergey Akhunov.

Our musical offering doesn’t stop there, though. We’ll have everything from Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra to Imogen Cooper & Sarah Connolly; from classical pianists Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and Benjamin Grosvenor to a musical celebration of Noël Coward.

We’ll also premiere a brand new opera, The Devil’s Den, and host a celebration of French chanson by GRAMMY® Award-winner Cécile McLorin Salvant and Dan Tepfer.

As a multi-arts festival, our events see several artists collaborating across artistic genres.

For example, photographer and conservationist David Yarrow’s artwork will accompany The Four Seasons, Michael Morpurgo will offer a concert staging of War Horse, Elizabeth Day and Richard Coles, Charles Spencer and Cat Jarman will reimagine their podcasts as live stage shows. We will also host compelling conversations with novelists, historians, broadcasters and artists.

Set against the backdrop of the stunning Nevill Holt Hall, visitors will be able to enjoy outdoor sculpture by Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread, Conrad Shawcross and Marc Quinn amongst others, alongside curated exhibitions of Anthony Caro and Eduardo Paolozzi.

Do join us in this magical place to enjoy a diverse, entertaining and unique festival this summer.

“Arguably the best little opera house in the country to date”

PRE-PERFORMANCE TALKS & EXHIBITIONS

Where indicated, ticket holders can attend free pre-show talks in the Chapel. Ticket holders will also have complimentary access to the estate gardens and Modern British sculpture collection as well as the 2024 Anthony Caro and Eduardo Paolozzi exhibitions.

Or if you’d like to visit our gardens and exhibitions but don’t have tickets for an event, you can also purchase garden or sculpture only tickets for as little as £6! (see centre pages 14/15).

IS THERE A DRESS CODE?

There are no rules! Some people like to use a visit to Nevill Holt as an opportunity to dress up, but we don’t have a black tie policy like some festivals. Wear whatever makes you feel good! But do check the weather in advance.

OPENING TIMES:

Sat 1 3pm

Sun 2 1pm

Tue 4 3pm

Thu 6 3pm

Fri 7 5pm

Sat 8 3pm

Sun 9 1pm

Thu 13 12pm

Fri 14 12pm

Sat 15 10.30am

Sun 16 10.30am

Thu 20 3pm

Fri 21 4.30pm

Sat 22 11am

Sun 23 11am

Wed 26 6.30pm

Nevill Holt Festival, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 8EG

Sung in German with surtitles

An enchanting fairy-tale quest for love, The Magic Flute promises an evening of magic, mystique and romance, set to some of the most sublime music ever written by Mozart.

A feast for the senses for opera lovers of all ages, and created in partnership with the award-winning Britten Sinfonia, Nevill Holt Festival’s new production will see a cast of the UK’s most talented emerging opera singers taking to our stage.

Director Melly Still was nominated as Best Director and for Best Design at both the Olivier and Tony Awards for Coram Boy (National Theatre) and for Glyndebourne she directed Rusalka and The Wreckers.

Conductor Finnegan Downie Dear won first prize at the 2020 Bamberger Symphoniker’s International Mahler Competition. And his recent debuts include the Staatsoper Berlin, the Camerata Salzburg, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.

Britten Sinfonia has outstanding players and broad ranging collaborators - from Steve Reich, Thomas Adès and Alison Balsom to Pagrav Dance Company and Anoushka Shankar. Renowned for adventurous programming, commissioning new music and nurturing new talent, Britten Sinfonia is an Associate Ensemble at the Barbican, Resident Orchestra at Saffron Hall and performs regularly at Wigmore Hall.

“I’m thrilled to be collaborating on this new production of the endlessly joyous and puzzling Magic Flute at Nevill Holt. I’m hoping we can make something memorable and stirring in this precious location.”

Melly Still, Director

“The Magic Flute stands alone — its mixture of the comic, the tragic and the fantastic, somehow all bound together through the beauty of Mozart’s music, is inexhaustibly fascinating. I can think of no more perfect setting than the intimate and enchanting theatre at Nevill Holt to bring a new version of this piece to life.”

Finnegan Downie Dear, Conductor

“Stunning setting, hard-hitting acting, musical strength”

Bachtrack on Nevill Holt’s La Traviata

“Razor sharp... it would be hard to picture it feeling any more fresh and dynamic”

Music OMH on Nevill Holt’s The Barber of Seville

SAT 1 - SUN 9 JUNE

Theatre / from £145*

3pm: Sun 2, Sun 9

5pm: Sat 1, Tue 4, Thu 6, Sat 8

In partnership with Britten Sinfonia Conductor Finnegan Downie Dear Director and Designer Melly Still Associate Designer Olivia Walters Assistant Director Poppy Franziska Production Manager Andy Reader Producer Smart Entertainment

There will be one interval of 90 minutes so that audiences can enjoy one of our dining options. These range from fine dining to a British barbecue and picnic options. Full details on page 24.

Pre-show talks

(see online for details)

*includes voluntary donation, see terms & conditions

BRITTEN SINFONIA

“One of our most innovative and vital ensembles”

FRIDAY 7 JUNE

8pm / Theatre / from £50

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Enjoy a double bill from the Britten Sinfonia with Thomas Gould on Lead Violin: new work from Benjamin Kwasi-Burrell and Sergey Akhunov followed by Max Richter’s Recomposed: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons with photography by David Yarrow.

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is everywhere, from TV ads to muzak playlists. Post-minimalist composer Max Richter restores its power and invites us to listen to it anew as he recomposes it. The result is an intensely moving and mesmerising mixture of Vivaldi and his own soundworld. The album skyrocketed to the top of the classical charts in 22 countries on its release.

Britten Sinfonia will also premiere two vibrant new works, Solitude, by Benjamin Kwasi Burrell and Passacaglia by Sergey Akhunov, a serene 21st-century take on an eighteenth century composition for violin, viola and strings.

DAVID YARROW

Storytelling in photography

5.30pm / Chapel / from £20

Renowned photographer David Yarrow’s work ranges from portraits of sports stars to acclaimed wildlife shots. In this exclusive talk he will talk about his journey from Wall Street to the natural world and from working with Cindy Crawford to raising millions for paediatric cancer care

Pre-show dining available at 6pm (see p24 for details)

THURSDAY 13 JUNE

ART & MUSIC

Start your Nevill Holt Festival afternoon with a talk by radical feminist artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman then discover Anthony Quinn’s latest novel, Molly & the Captain, the story of three generations of artists across 200 years.

BOTY is a new documentary exploring the fascinating life and times of the trail-blazing British Pop Art pioneer Pauline Boty (1), made by Vinny Rawding and Lee Cogswell. Artist, feminist, activist and an actor, Pauline Boty was at the epicentre of the Swinging Sixties but died tragically young in 1966. A discussion with the film-makers will follow, joined by a panel of experts, designers and artists including Sue Tate, Louisa Buck and Natalie Gibson.

1

The Chapel hosts three back-to-back talks this afternoon, the first from Simon Martin, Director of Chichester’s Pallant House Gallery. Art, Pop, Rock ‘n’ Roll looks at how Peter Blake, Hockney, Warhol and others created artworks celebrating their musical heroes.

12pm Chila Kumari Singh Burman

One of the founders of British Pop Art, Allen Jones is celebrated for his boldly inventive paintings, sculptures, drawings and lithographs. He gives us an insight into how the face of the art world changed in the 1960s.

Marking Eduardo Paolozzi’s 100th anniversary, Daniel F. Hermann (Curator of Modern & Contemporary Projects at the National Gallery) continues with a talk about the artist’s varied practice, from revolutionary sculptures to subversive printmaking and psychedelic drawings.

BENJAMIN GROSVENOR

Brahms: Intermezzi Op. 117

Liszt: Sonata in B minor

Liszt: Berceuse

Chopin: Sonata No. 3 in B minor

Join extraordinary British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor for an intimate recital of some of his favourite works. Grosvenor is regarded as one of the most important pianists to emerge in several decades, and his 2023 release of Schumann and Brahms was selected as Gramophone Editor’s Choice and Diapason d’Or.

1pm Anthony Quinn Molly & the Captain

2pm BOTY (certification TBC)

4.30pm Simon Martin Art, Pop, Rock ‘n’ Roll

5.30pm Allen Jones

5.30pm

Daniel F. Hermann Eduardo Paolozzi

8pm Benjamin Grosvenor

Chapel from £15

Chapel from £15

Theatre from £20

Chapel from £15

Chapel from £15

Chapel from £15

Theatre from £35

Where applicable, book more than one event for the same day in a single transaction and save 5% (2 events), 10% (3 events), 15% (4 events) or 20% (5+ events). Subject to availability.

A MOST MARVELLOUS PARTY

Nicky Spence, Mary Bevan and Joseph Middleton

Featuring the songs of Noël Coward and his contemporaries.

FRI 14 JUNE - 1pm & 8.30pm

SUN 16 JUNE - 1pm

Theatre / from £45

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

It’s party time at Nevill Holt as soprano Mary Bevan, tenor Nicky Spence and Joseph Middleton (pictured L to R below) join forces for an evening of songs by Noël Coward and his contemporaries. Three of the UK’s most popular recitalists gather for an imagined party where they bring to life a colourful cacophony of characters.

Marking 50 years since the composer’s death, there will be works by Noël Coward and other composers including Ned Rorem, Poulenc, Gershwin, Kurt Weill and Erik Satie

Nicky Spence gives recitals internationally and won the BBC Music Magazine Vocal Award and Gramophone’s Solo Vocal Award. Mary Bevan MBE appears world-wide with leading ensembles and won the UK Critics’ Circle Award. Joseph Middleton recently appeared at London’s Wigmore Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus and Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

“Noël Coward was the best lyrical tongue and satirist of the last century and it’s a real delight to be able to bring him back to life so close to the 50th anniversary of his death.” Nicky Spence

FRIDAY 14 JUNE

LITERATURE & CONVERSATIONS

Journalist, documentary-maker and radio presenter Jenny Kleeman’s (1) provocative talk The Price of Life: In Search of What We’re Worth and Who Decides looks at how much a life really costs, and who gets to make that decision.

Broadcaster and bestselling author Emma Dabiri (2) then presents her beauty manifesto from her empowering new book, Disobedient Bodies.

Meanwhile, journalist and broadcaster Rachel Johnson (3) is joined by author Plum Sykes (4) for or a live edition of her podcast, Difficult Women.

The Race to the Future, a talk by acclaimed author Kassia St. Clair (5) captures a world on the cusp of transformation via the Peking-Paris car race of 1907.

Later on, Elizabeth Day (6) award-winning author, journalist and host of the chart-topping podcast

1pm/8.30pm

How To Fail, presents a hilarious yet poignant exploration of failure.

Prepare for a thrilling literary adventure with Rev. Richard Coles (7) as he talks about his latest detective novel, Murder at the Monastery.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or new to cricket, prepare to be bowled over by cricketing legend, Jonathan Agnew (8) and his blend of sporting highlights, and uproarious anecdotes.

Throughout the day the hilarious musical comedians and ‘satirical-croon’ duo Bounder & Cad (9) bring us parody songs and skits that have hit the spot on Radio 4.

Bounder and Cad Chapel from £15

3pm Jenny Kleeman The Price of Life: In Search Chapel from £15 of What We’re Worth and Who Decides

3pm

Rachel Johnson and Plum Sykes: Theatre from £25 Difficult Women Live

4.15pm Emma Dabiri Disobedient Bodies Theatre from £20

4.15pm Kassia St. Clair The Race to the Future Chapel from £15

5.15pm

Elizabeth Day How To Fail Theatre from £25

5.15pm Rev. Richard Coles Murder at the Monastery Chapel from £20 6.45pm

Jonathan Agnew Theatre from £25

HISTORY & MUSIC

Famously adapted for stage and screen, War Horse is the story of a young farm horse sent from Devon to the Western Front in 1914. In this very special reading, Michael Morpurgo (1) reads extracts from the novel with music and songs from the National Theatre production performed by Ben Murray. Follow Revd Richard Coles, Dr. Cat Jarman and Charles Spencer (2) down The Rabbit Hole Detectives podcast as they chase the provenance of historical objects and subjects both real and metaphorical.

Author and broadcaster Professor Alice Roberts (3) talks about her new book, Crypt, which weaves together history, archaeology and genetics to reveal how science is transforming our view of the past.

In her talk Where Are You From? No, Where are You Really From? Professor Audrey Osler (4) draws on stories from her mixed -heritage family to explore migration, identity and belonging.

Wolf Hall Live is a celebration of Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novel. Pianist Katherine Rockhill (5) plays extracts from Debbie Wiseman’s soundtrack to the BBC adaptation, joined by celebrated actor Anton Lesser (6) reading extracts from the novel.

Academic and researcher Dr Mary Wellesley (7) and art historian and artist Dr Amy Jeffs (8) will discuss medieval history, mythology and myth-making.

And for a journey into the heart of British folklore, artist and songwriter Ben Edge (9) talks about the work that inspired The Devil’s

11am Michael Morpurgo War Horse Theatre from £25 1pm Rev. Richard Coles, Dr. Cat Jarman

from £25 and Charles Spencer The Rabbit Hole Detectives

Where applicable, book more than one event for the same day in a single transaction and save 5% (2 events), 10% (3 events), 15% (4 events) or 20% (5+ events). Subject to availability.

SHADWELL OPERA THE DEVIL’S DEN

by Isabella Gellis

SATURDAY 15 JUNE 8pm / Theatre / from £60 HISTORY & MUSIC

. Conducted by Finnegan Downie Dear

Shadwell Opera is one of the UK’s leading contemporary opera voices, showcasing the most exciting young performers, composers and creatives of their generation. This is their first fulllength operatic commission. A tale of superstition and sacrifice rooted in English folklore The Devil’s Den is a folk ritual, infused with flavours and customs of South West England.

Free pre-performance talk for ticket holders from 6.30pm in the Chapel:

“I am immensely pleased that The Devil’s Den will be brought to life for the first time at the Nevill Holt Festival, whose Arcadian and historic surrounds will undoubtedly add a distinctive dimension to the piece.” Isabella Gellis

Artist Love Ssega interviews Finnegan Downie-Dear, Isabella Gellis and the creative team behind The Devil’s Den.

SUNDAY 16 JUNE

POETRY, ART & MUSIC

Classical piano’s rising star Jeneba KannehMason presents two Scarlatti sonatas, Chopin’s Waltz No. 2 in C Sharp Minor (Op. 64), a rarely heard work by the pioneering African American composer William Grant Still and Prokofiev’s 7th Sonata.

“A charismatic performer, wholly at one with the music”

The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour presents The Poet in the Garden and the Natural World, featuring a selection of exquisite poetic works on gardens and nature from Tennyson, Blake, Rossetti, Coleridge and more read by a cast of distinguished actors.

11.30am

Seminal British artist Andy Goldsworthy will be in conversation with broadcaster and journalist Andrew Marr discussing his life and practice. Internationally renowned for his ephemeral works, Andy’s work explores the effects of time and the beauty in loss and regeneration. Andrew Marr is one of the UK’s most familiar broadcasters and authors.

In Making the Invisible Visible, Nic Fiddian-Green, one of our most celebrated sculptors, discusses his first steps as an artist and his fascination with capturing the figure of a horse in his work.

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason Theatre from £35

1.30pm A Most Marvellous Party Theatre from £45

4pm The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour Chapel from £15

4pm Andy Goldsworthy and Andrew Marr Theatre from £20

5pm Nic Fiddian-Green Making the Invisible Visible Chapel from £15

Where applicable, book more than one event for the same day in a single transaction and save 5% (2 events), 10% (3 events), 15% (4 events) or 20% (5+ events). Subject to availability.

SARAH CONNOLLY & IMOGEN COOPER

Two of the world’s most celebrated artists, Sarah Connolly and Imogen Cooper perform songs by Brahms, Hugo Wolf, Carl Loewe and Henri Duparc, before concluding with Francis Poulenc’s richly evocative Banalités.

Sarah Connolly last year received The King’s Medal for Music. Among her many international appearances she has sung at the BBC Proms, at Glyndebourne, the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera and in Paris, Milan and Vienna.

Alongside her solo recitals in London and New York, Imogen Cooper’s recent and future performances include the LSO with Simon Rattle, the Hallé with Mark Elder and the Cleveland and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestras.

SUNDAY 16 JUNE

7pm / Theatre / from £45

MUSIC

“When Connolly sings, she has such complete control over breath, dynamics and timbre that a single syllable can germinate, bloom and fade in a range of colours that other singers simply cannot achieve”

Bachtrack

“Cooper commands a dynamic and colouristic range beyond the reach of most pianists.”

THURSDAY 20 JUNE

8pm / Theatre / from £35

MUSIC

PAVEL KOLESNIKOV AND SAMSON TSOY

Described as “piano magicians” (Arts Desk) Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy have been performing as a duo since 2009 in addition to their flourishing solo careers. For Nevill Holt Festival 2024, they present four-handed performances of some of Stravinsky and Schubert’s finest work including Le Sacre du printemps, the Hungarian divertissment and Fantasie in F minor. The 2023/24 season has seen the duo debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and in Rotterdam, Ghent and Berlin, as well as returning to Wigmore Hall.

ART & GARDENS

Visit our gardens and exhibitions

1 - 26 June

Tickets from £6

Another Time X by Anthony Gormley

All festival ticket holders can access Nevill Holt’s picturesque gardens, which feature an outstanding permanent collection of 20th and 21st Century British sculpture, including work by Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread, Allen Jones, Conrad Shawcross, Marc Quinn and Sean Henry. This year also features centenary exhibitions of Modern British master Anthony Caro and Pop Art pioneer Eduardo Paolozzi.

Manifold 2 (9:8) by Conrad Shawcross

Origin of the World by Marc Quinn

Monumental Horse at Water by Nic Fiddian-Green

Dancers by Allen Jones

CENTENARY EXHIBITIONS

ANTHONY CARO (1924-2013)

Anthony Caro played a pivotal role in the development of 20th Century British sculpture. Caro experimented with a diverse range of materials from steel to bronze, silver, lead, stoneware, wood and paper. He was awarded many prestigious prizes, including the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sculpture (1997) and the Order of Merit (2000). An inspiration for subsequent generations of abstract sculptors, this retrospective of Caro’s outdoor sculpture covers several decades of his work.

Eduardo Paolozzi was one of the most important artists of the 20th Century. He experimented with sculpture, drawing, collage, printmaking, textile design and film. As one of the pioneers of Pop Art, he incorporated popular culture imagery and found objects within his work.

From designing the mosaic murals at Tottenham Court Road to the monumental public sculpture, Newton After Blake, outside the British Museum, Paolozzi’s influence is all around us.

On the centenary of his birth, Nevill Holt Festival 2024 exhibits his work in several mediums.

Erl King (2009) by Sir Anthony Caro

St Sebastian IV (1957)

by Eduardo Paolozzi

EDUARDO PAOLOZZI (1924 - 2005)

9pm / Theatre / from £45

ALEXIS FFRENCH

Alexis Ffrench’s pioneering ‘classical soul’ sound taps into the vast musical galaxy — from Bach and Debussy to Hollywood, gospel and beyond.

His work has been recognized with a long list of prestigious awards, including his most recent PPL Classical Award at the Nordoff Robbins Silver Clef Awards.

With over a billion streams to date, his unique sound and exceptional talent have made Alexis Ffrench one of the world’s most sought-after classical artists, with a rapidly growing fan base that spans the globe.

“epitomises the new push towards making classical music more diverse, eclectic and unstuffy.”

Buy a ticket for Alexis Ffrench and Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra in the same transaction and save 10%

Book

RONNIE SCOTT’S RESIDENCY

FRIDAY 21 JUNE

6pm / Theatre / from £50

JAZZ

RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Led by Pete Long featuring Liane Carroll

The Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra will be playing their renowned club set, which reads like an A-Z of big band history. Expect Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie and many others. Star vocalist Liane Carroll will be singing a selection of masterpieces from the Great American Songbook in the second set.

“Liane Carroll doesn’t just sing jazz. She is jazz.”

7pm - Dinner break

See page 24 for information about dining at Nevill Holt during this one-hour break.

SATURDAY 22 JUNE

12pm / Theatre / from £30

JAZZ

THE RONNIE SCOTT’S ALL STARS PRESENT

THE RONNIE SCOTT’S STORY

Direct from London’s world-famous jazz club. Life at Ronnie’s is evocatively reimagined through tales of the club’s past visitors, from pop stars, film stars and politicians to comedians and royalty, but above all, musicians. This whistle-stop tour of the club’s history is a riotous celebration of the heyday of jazz including Sammy Davies Jnr, Benny Goodman, Sonny Rollins, Ella Fitzgerald, George Benson, Nina Simone and Louis Armstrong.

Book for more than one event on 22 June in a single transaction and save 5% (2 events), 10% (3 events), 15% (4 events) or 20% (5+ events) on your total order.

THURSDAY 20 JUNE

DRET is a network of 34 academies across the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside. Each academy is committed to broadening the horizons of young people through outstanding teaching and learning, and a wide range of academic and co-curricular opportunities.

Our students have the opportunity to perform in professional operas, compete in Trust-wide music festivals and benefit from our own musical scholarships and bursary programme.

SATURDAY 22 JUNE

3.30pm / Theatre / from £20

JAZZ & CONTEMPORARY

Jessica Walker and Joseph Atkins

BARBARA: THE BLACK EAGLE

Explore the extraordinary life and work of Barbara, one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the twentieth century. Born in Paris in 1930, Barbara first became known for her interpretations of the songs of Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens, before developing her own uniquely intimate style. Her biggest number, L’Aigle Noir, sold more than a million copies in a day, and her sudden death in 1997 prompted a national outpouring of grief. Singer-writer Jessica Walker and composerpianist Joseph Atkins have worked on three seasons at Brits Off Broadway in New York and have collaborated for the Royal Exchange Theatre, Opera North, Royal & Derngate.

In the main theatre, Year 5 DRET students perform Hansel and Gretel with two professional opera singers and a small ensemble, directed by Jonathan Ainscough. The Malcolm Arnold Academy Big Band are joined by Jamie GlewOsborn for a performance in the Chapel.

4pm DRET Hansel and Gretel Theatre from £5

6.30pm DRET Malcolm Arnold Academy Big Band Chapel from £5

JALEN NGONDA

SATURDAY 22 JUNE

8.30pm / Theatre / from £45 CONTEMPORARY MUSIC

Jalen Ngonda is one of the most captivating performers on today’s soul scene. In this engagement for Nevill Holt Festival, Jalen will perform excerpts from his brand-new album, Come Around and Love Me.

Jalen Ngonda has performed at New York City’s Summer Stage Festival, Picktathon, Newport Folk Festival, opened for Laura Mvula and Lauryn Hill at the Montreal Jazz Festival and has sold out houses in Germany, the UK and Switzerland. Most recently, Jalen sold out his UK headline spring tour. With a pair of widely revered singles under his belt at his new home, Daptone Records, Jalen has recently released his debut LP, Come Around and Love Me. The LP skilfully blends heavy arrangements and introspective lyrics with Motown sophistication.

“It’s stunning… insanely listenable… encompassing doo-wop and R&B origins as well as a smattering of rockier or psych-tinged material, all with killer choruses.”

COMEDY

SUNDAY 23 JUNE

AUSTENTATIOUS: AN IMPROVISED JANE AUSTEN NOVEL

The award-winning smash-hit comedy, as seen in the West End and heard on BBC Radio 4, comes to Nevill Holt Festival for the first time. The all-star cast will improvise a hilarious new Jane Austen novel on stage, inspired entirely by a title from the audience, performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment. A riotous, razorsharp show where swooning is guaranteed.

“Ridiculously silly… wickedly funny” ★★★★★ The Times

COMEDY 4 KIDS

The best stand-ups, sketch acts and cabaret stars do their thing for an audience of children (aged 6+) and their families… but without the rude bits! It’s Comedy 4 Kids.

“Just right” The Telegraph

MADAME CHANDELIER’S OPERA PARTY FOR KIDS

Dazzling divas! Dramatic death scenes! Hilarious high notes! Experience opera’s greatest hits in this interactive introduction with Madame Chandelier. Will you meet an evil queen who sings way too high, a princess who can’t stop crying or a priestess who’s always on fire? Anything could happen at the opera party and you’re invited.

“Infectiously bonkers” ★★★★ The Scotsman

SUNDAY 9 JUNE 11am Chapel from £15

MARK WATSON: SEARCH

Mark’s 12-year-old son has just got a phone. His 70-year-old dad has been through the most frightening experience of his life. Both a dad and a kid himself, the Taskmaster star and multiple award-winner considers the search for meaning that we’re all on, with or without Google.

Mark Watson won the Panel Prize at the Edinburgh Fringe as well as Best Show at the Adelaide and Sydney Comedy Festivals, Time Out Comedian of the Year and quite a lot more. His TV credits include Taskmaster, Live At The Apollo, QI, Have I Got News For You and Would I Lie To You. A popular fixture on Radio 4, he has also written seven novels.

“Quite unlike anything else I’ve seen in almost 20 years... witty, warm, perfectly judged”

★★★★★ The Telegraph

JASON BYRNE: NO SHOW

There’s no show like a Jason Byrne No Show. Witness Jason use his infamous audience interactions, both on and off the stage, to create No Show! Consistently the biggest selling act at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for over two decades, Jason has performed to over three million fans worldwide, selling out venues across America, Australia, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

“The outright king of live comedy”

The Times

12pm Comedy 4 Kids Theatre from £10

2pm Jason Byrne No Show Theatre from £25

6pm Austentatious An improvised Jane Austen novel Theatre from £25

8.30pm Mark Watson Search Theatre from £25

Where applicable, book more than one event for the same day in a single transaction and save 5% (2 events), 10% (3 events), 15% (4 events) or 20% (5+ events). Subject to availability.

WEDNESDAY 26 JUNE

7.30pm / Theatre / from £50 JAZZ

A FRENCH AFFAIR:

CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT AND DAN TEPFER

Accompanied by a string quintet from Britten Sinfonia

In partnership with the 23Arts Initiative and the Mascarade Opera Foundation

A French Affair will feature three-time GRAMMY® winner Cécile McLorin Salvant and American Pianist Association Fellow Dan Tepfer. Both Cécile and Dan are Franco-American and their show will pay homage to the historic love affair between Jazz and 20th century French popular and classical repertoire. Witty, warm and charming, the evening will include songs from Piaf to Brel. Two highlights, both with the Britten Sinfonia String Quintet , will be the world premiere of a suite of poems by Virginie Sampeur composed by Dan for Cécile and a show stopping finale of J’ai deux amants, Ne me quitte pas and Mon Dieu.

Cécile McLorin Salvant connects vaudeville, blues, and folk traditions with theatre, jazz and baroque music. An eclectic curator, she has received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Pianist Dan Tepfer has accompanied some of the great musicians of our time including Lee Konitz and Renée Fleming. His recent album, Inventions / Reinventions, was number one in the classical music charts for two weeks.

“With three Grammys and a MacArthur Genius Award to her name, Salvant has already far transcended her early status as her generation’s most imaginative and thrilling jazz interpreter.”

“Ravishing...Dan Tepfer is a pianist of extraordinary technique and fearless harmonic sensibility”

SCULPTURE TRAIL

1. Monumental Horse at Water Nic Fiddian-Green

2. The Origin of the World (Cassis Madagarascariensis) Indian Ocean 310 Marc Quinn

3. Seated Man Sean Henry

4. Yantra and Manuk Eduardo Paolozzi

5. In Mind of Monk Peter Randall-Page

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8.

DINING PACKAGES

We have a selection of dining options for you to choose from during your visit to Nevill Holt.

OPERA DINING PACKAGES 1 – 9 JUNE

FINE DINING

Join us for a three-course fine dining experience during the 90-minute interval of The Magic Flute at our restaurant. Our delicious seasonal menu will be served on communal tables with drinks available for purchase at our bars.

BRITISH BARBECUE

For a more relaxed dining option, we are offering ticket holders the chance to enjoy a brilliant British BBQ during the 90-minute interval of The Magic Flute. Enjoy a range of seasonal specialties served buffet-style, with drinks available to purchase at our on-site bars. Seating is made up of communal tables that allow you to watch our chefs in action, all whilst overlooking the beautiful Nevill Holt Hall.

OPERA PAVILION

Enjoy your time at Nevill Holt Festival in the comfort of your own private pavilion overlooking beautiful views, a space that you and up to 12 guests can make your own for the duration of your visit. The private pavilion consists of tables and chairs for you and your party to relax in. Enjoy your own picnic at any time or book for our British barbecue during the 90-minute interval to enjoy in your private space. Dressed pavillions are also available.

BRITISH BARBECUE

Our brilliant British barbecue is available during each day of the festival. Enjoy a range of seasonal specialties served buffet-style, with drinks available to purchase at our bars. Seating is made up of communal tables, from which you can watch our chefs in action, whilst overlooking the beautiful Nevill Holt Hall.

FESTIVAL PAVILION

Enjoy your British Barbecue in the comfort of your own private pavilion. With beautiful views, pavilions are a space that you and up to 12 guests can make your own for the duration of your visit.

PICNIC IN THE GROUNDS

If you’d like to rustle up your own picnic, you are more than welcome to set up blankets, tables and chairs in our fabulous grounds before curtain up or during the interval of The Magic Flute. Please note that we cannot provide cover in the event of wet weather.

COVERED PICNIC TABLES

If you’d like to enjoy your own picnic either before the performance or during the 90-minute interval of The Magic Flute, take advantage of our covered picnicking spaces, with tables and chairs provided. Drinks are available to purchase at our bars. Please note that tableware is not provided. Fine

British

PLAN YOUR VISIT

TICKETS

All tickets will be issued electronically as a pdf email attachment when you purchase them. No paper tickets will be provided. A per-transaction fee of £3.50 applies.

WHEN TO ARRIVE

Opening times vary, depending on the performance start time. Please check the ‘Grounds open’ time on page 3 before you set off.

WHERE TO FIND US

Nevill Holt Festival is held in the picturesque surroundings of the Nevill Holt estate, situated on a hilltop just outside the South Leicestershire village of Medbourne. We are easily reached by car (use LE16 8EG in your satnav) and ample parking is available opposite the main gate.

Nevill Holt is within easy reach of Northampton, Corby, Leicester, Birmingham and Nottingham. Market Harborough station is a 15-minute taxi journey away (7 miles), and serviced by trains from across the region. It is easily accessible from London on a 1-hour direct service from St Pancras.

WHERE TO STAY

If you plan to stay locally, you may be interested in the following holiday lets and hotels:

Sophie’s Barn - On Nevill Holt Estate

Gardener’s Cottage - On Nevill Holt Estate

The Old Stables at Port Hill - On Nevill Holt Estate

The George at Ashley - Ashley (2.9 miles)

White Horse Inn - Stoke Albany (4.9 miles)

The Nevill Arms - Medbourne (3 miles)

The Sun Inn - Great Easton (3.1 miles)

Castle Farmhouse B&B - Rockingham (5 miles)

Three Swans - Market Harborough (7.8 miles) Hambleton Hall - Oakham (14.3 miles)

ACCESSIBILITY

Our team is dedicated to making your visit to Nevill Holt as easy and enjoyable as possible. We have four dedicated step-free seats in the theatre stalls, and accessible toilets as you immediately enter the theatre. We also have a buggy available to help audience members across the site.

If you have specific access requirements please do get in touch so that our team can support you: info@nevillholtfestival.com

HOSPITALITY PACKAGES & PRIVATE DINING

To book a hospitality package, please email anita@nevillholtfestival.com

BECOME A NEVILL HOLT MEMBER

Support our year-round education and community programme in areas of limited arts provision and welcome the next generation of art, music, theatre and opera audiences to enjoy Nevill Holt Festival. Benefits include exclusive news updates, priority booking and invitations to exclusive events. Call 01858 437 451 or email info@nevillholtfestival.com for more information.

Photographs: P4: The Magic Flute by Michael Wharley/Rebecca Pitt, Melly Still by Jacobus Snyman. P6: Britten Sinfonia by Tom Lovatt, Thomas Gould by Ikon Arts, David Yarrow Mankind. P7 Benjamin Grosvenor by Marco Borggreve. P8: Mary Bevan by Victoria Cadisch, Joseph Middleton by Marco Borggreve. P9: Elizabeth Day by Joe Magowan, Jenny Kleeman by Nina Raingold, Bounder and Cad photo by Will Corder. P10: Michael Morpurgo by Michael Morpurgo, Alice Roberts by Connor Harris, Audrey Osler by Ashoksuren, Amy Jeffs by Jay Ridsdale. P12: Jeneba Kanneh Mason by John Davis. P13: Sarah Conolly by Andrew Crowley, Imogen Cooper by Sim Canetty-Clarke, Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy by Joss McKinley. P15: Anthony Caro by Phil Sayer, Eduardo Paolozzi by Ida Kar. P17: Pete Long by Ronnie Scott’s, Ronnie Scott’s All Stars by Ronnie Scotts. P18: Forbidden Love (Jessica Walker) by Shay Rowan. P20: Austentatious by Austentatious, Madame Chandelier by Alexis Dubus. P21: Mark Watson by Matt Crockett. P22: Dan Tepfer by Paolo Pavan, Cécile McLorin Salvant by Gábor Kotschy.

SUMMARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE

(See website for full details):

No refunds other than for cancelled events. Tickets must not be resold for profit. We reserve the right to cancel tickets or refuse admission without notice and without being obliged to refund monies. No unauthorised use of camera, video, audio or other recording device. Ticket holders consent to the recording and filming of themselves as members of the audience. We reserve the right to change published event details, including advertised performers and times without obligation. Latecomers may be admitted only at a suitable break in the performance. Tickets may be exchanged for an alternative date, subject to further terms. Resale of tickets is not guaranteed. Dining cancellation fees are 100% of the price paid. Gift Vouchers and Credit Notes are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Book on our website at nevillholtfestival.com

or by phone on 01858 437 452 (national rate, open daily 10am-4pm)

Date Theatre

Sat 1, Sun 2, Tue 4, Thu 6, Sat 8, Sun 9

Fri 7

Thu 13

Fri 14

Sat 15

The Magic Flute

Sun 16

Britten Sinfonia Double Bill

Celebrating Pauline Boty

Benjamin Grosvenor

Thu 20

Fri 21

Sat 22

Sun 23

A Most Marvellous Party

Emma Dabiri: Disobedient Bodies

Elizabeth Day: How To Fail

Jonathan Agnew

Rachel Johnson & Plum Sykes: Difficult Women: Live!

War Horse: The Concert

The Rabbit Hole Detectives: Live!

Alice Roberts: Crypt Wolf Hall Live

The Devil’s Den

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason

A Most Marvellous Party

Andy Goldsworthy in conversation with Andrew Marr

Sarah Connolly & Imogen Cooper

DRET Hansel and Gretel

Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy

Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra

Alexis Ffrench

The Ronnie Scott’s Story

Barbara: The Black Eagle

Jalen Ngonda

Comedy Club 4 Kids

Jason Byrne: No Show

Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Musical

Mark Watson: Search

Chapel

Pre-Show Talks

Sun 9 only

Madame Chandelier’s Opera Party For Kids

David Yarrow: Storytelling in Photography

Chila Kumari Singh Burman

Anthony Quinn: Art and Fiction

Simon Martin: Art, Pop, Rock ‘N’ Roll

Allen Jones in conversation

Daniel F. Herrmann on Eduardo Paolozzi

Jenny Kleeman: The Price Of Life

Kassia St. Clair: The Race To The Future

Rev. Richard Coles: Murder At The Monastery Bounder & Cad

Secrets From The Soil

Prof. Audrey Osler: Where Are You From?

No, Where Are You Really From?

Dr. Mary Wellesley and Dr. Amy Jeffs

Ben Edge: Into The Heart Of British Folklore

Love Ssega in conversation with Isabella Gellis and Finnegan Downie Dear

The Josephine Hart Poetry Hour

Nic Fiddian-Green: Making The Invisible Visible

DRET Malcolm Arnold Academy Big Band

Age

Wed 26

Cécile Mclorin Salvant & Dan Tepfer