WOW 1
FINE ART, PHOTOGRAPHY, 3D, FASHION AND TEXTILES, GRAPHIC DESIGN, FILM AND MEDIA, THEATRE STUDIES
visual and performing arts STUDY AT GCSE AND A LEVEL
www.rochester-college.org STAR HILL ROCHESTER ME1 1XF 01634 828115
YEAR 7 TO SIXTH FORM ISC ACCREDITED
Three of the entries in the Design A Cover competition. Artists from L to R David Melville, Sheilagh Dyson and Mirriam Simmons. See p13
CONTRIBUTORS Lupen Crook is a songwriter and visual artist. His work featured in a London show curated by Sexton Ming on 28 June. For details visit www.lupencrook.com. A selection of his artwork is on sale at Nucleus Gallery, Chatham, and can be viewed online at www.brokenarts.co.uk.
Cover image: Hollie Hambilton, winner of the Design A Cover Competition Photograph of the Editor by Rikard Österlund
Andrew Day is a writer and trainee librarian. He writes for and edits local community ‘zine ‘The Medway Broadside’ and is a trustee for Medway Eyes. You can find his creative writing at stroodlights.wordpress.com.
WELCOME TO WOW! Your guide to the best of What’s On Where in Medway, Maidstone and the accessible beyond Weather aside, it’s an extraordinary summer. This joint issue covering July AND August is positively bursting at the seams with art, film, music and live entertainments of every hue.
Robert Flood is a life-long Medway resident. He runs a Rochester based events company called Feet on the Ground which provides technical support for live events. He is a passionate music fan with a love of the Medway scene and a local history buff who is a member of the City of Rochester Society.
I have a heartfelt request: please, please mention WOW if you visit an event, buy a ticket, or use a service which you find in these pages. The magazine is still very much a fledgling business and needs your support to stay afloat. Thank you!
Sam Froudist is a writer, blogger, and Bunting Enthusiast. Hailing from the Colonies (Australia), she’s a fresh Medway resident and has recently co-launched bunted!, a small bespoke bunting business in Rochester. Sam loves watching great theatre, getting overly passionate about things, and feeling so bourgeois that she has to throw red wine all over herself. goodbyesamantha@gmail.com
Finally, congratulations to rising star Hollie Hambilton, the youngest entrant to the WOW Cover Competition, who ran away with the prize.
Nick Walker is an events director, film critic and filmmaker. His flagship Medway project, The Other Cinema, is a weekly event held every Thursday at the Chatham Odeon. Nick also set up the Screen Classics programme at the Central Theatre, Chatham. He writes, directs and produces short films and is the editor of Film Essay, for cinéastes wanting to write about film culture. Nick has worked for The Guardian and the London Film Festival. Currently he is Events Director at Film Education and Director of National Schools Film Week.
Emma Dewhurst editor@wowkent.co.uk Please mention WOW if you use our advertisers’ services or attend an event found in our listings www.wowkent.co.uk
Find us on Facebook facebook.com/WOWMedway
@EmmaDewhurst7
TTHHEE TORCH IS TORCH IS CCOOMMIING! NG!
TO CATCH SIGHT OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY, YOU WILL NEED TO BE UP EARLY: MAIDSTONE: 19 July Torch arrives at Leeds Castle (ticketed event). There is a FREE community concert at Mote Park: 3pm Screening of ‘Cool Runnings’; 5-7.30pm Live from Leeds Castle screen; 7.30pm Schools Choir; 8pm Maidstone’s Got Talent Finalists; 8.40pm Shaun Williamson and 9.15pm Alvin Stardust plus fireworks. 20 July: 6.40-7.30am Torch travels through the Town Centre and leaves by replica Royal Barge MEDWAY: 07.50am Gillingham, 08.09 Chatham, 08.42 Rochester arriving in Higham at 09.37 and Gravesend at 09.51am. For full route details visit www.london2012.medway.gov.uk
BIG
DANCE 2012
Moving Medway – Sun 8 July, Medway Park, Gillingham Taster workshops, dance performance and a Big Dance Flash Mob for all. Free. www.bigdance2012.com
NEW LOOK MAIDSTONE MUSEUM & BENTLIF ART GALLERY (01622 602838) has a host of terrific School Holiday activities, from Dinosaur Excavation to Egyptian Papyrus Paper Pictures. Drop-in sessions. £2.50. Age 4+.
Summ Fun! er
MAIDSTONE’S MOTE PARK offers two ‘BAT EVENINGS’! 31 Jul & 28 Aug After-dark guided walk in search of the little creatures… Bring a torch. Free but you must book: 01622 602119
Rochester-based bespoke bunting by the metre. Your fabric or ours. Email Sarah or Sam:
Tel: 01634 322 385
poetry PA RT Y
the Rochester Literature Festival To Launch markofthe Rochester Literature 22 Launch EASTGATE Festival HOUSE ROCHESTER KENT JULY
12 -July, 4pm Sunday 22 12-4pm
Eastgate House Gardens, Rochester Featuring readings by Philip Kane, Bill(in Lewisthe and TheHouse James Worse Public Address Method if wet) With music from
Poetry Abigail readings, Open Mic sessions, Ziering-Dalmedo and Didi Bergman Compered by CO Jones andactivities, Matt Wills, there willLive be Open Mic sessions, Children’s music, Kids Poetry Corner, book stalls and more! Stalls and Refreshments ROCHESTER
LITERATURE ROCHESTER FESTIVAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL
MORE AT EASTGATE HOUSE: METAL MEN OF MEDWAY Art & memorials from our streets 18 Jul-1 August ANTIQUES EVALUATION Sat 21 July (10.30am-2pm) Free FRIENDS OF EASTGATE HOUSE FILM SCREENING see Film listings
RECOLLECT MUSIC FAIRS JUL 8 & AUG 12 Rainham Mark Social Club
9.30am-3.30pm. Admission £1 JUL 29 & AUG 19 Rochester Princes Hall
10am-4pm. Admission free
Rochester’s friendly Designer Florist Same Day Delivery Funerals & Weddings Cutest Website Online shop at sweetpeaandolive.co.uk
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!
Take part in the winter festival, see the website for more details
unities creative comm celebrating the Pick up your y. all loc A new festival rk o live and wo t Medway and artists wh es throughou from various venu free guide in py of the guide co a d loa wn do and Kent, or . the website o.uk openstudios.c penStudios www.medway om/MedwayO k.c oo eb fac www. ios tud @MwayOpenS
After what feels like months of casually stalking them (which is harder than it sounds), I finally caught the TEA crew looking shifty in the Eagle Tavern in Rochester. Word on the street is that some exciting music is coming to Medway and that TEA are responsible for it. Initially launched in April 2011 by Matt and Ed, TEA’s aim is to host “cool gigs in decent venues” – which seems a simple but delightfully apt motto. Their first gig was Damo Suzuki playing at LV21 in September later that year, and when word of the gig reached Louise, she acquired a cheap ticket and went along.
TEA CONCERTS ARE BRINGING ALTERNATIVE MUSIC BACK TO MEDWAY AND CAUSING A STIR IN THE LOCAL MUSIC SCENE SAM FROUDIST CAUGHT UP WITH THE “SURPRISINGLY COMPETENT” TRIO OF MATT ASHDOWN, ED JENNINGS AND LOUISE MICKLEWRIGHT TO SEE WHAT’S BREWING.
It’s exactly that spirit which led her to join TEA in January 2012. It was to give them “a kick up the bum,” Matt says (“not just when we need it but when she feels like injuring someone,” Ed finishes). I sense that both Ed and Matt are delighted to have Louise on board, despite the tiny glint of fear in their eyes. Matt explains that Medway had been cultivating an alternative music scene for years, only to have it essentially disappear roughly six years ago. TEA are keen to put Medway “back on the map musically… keeping things interesting and varied without getting complacent”. Judging by their line up of gigs over the next couple of months, complacency is a far from likely outcome. They’ve booked The Wave Pictures for 10 August at the Gordon Hotel, Rochester, due in part to the TEA gang receiving a glowing recommendation by past booking Darren Hayman, to be followed by New Yorkers Jerry Lewis & The Junkyard at the Beacon Court Tavern in Gillingham on September 8. Having trotted along to a couple of past gigs, I can vouch that TEA have a knack for booking artists who surprise and delight their audience. I should also take this opportunity to apologise for accidentally smacking a photographer rather hard whilst dancing with flailing limbs (and eyes closed) at the March gig of LA based Sister Mantos. I blame the music... TEA are bringing quirky, exceptional and fun music to Medway – and whilst they’re not the first to do this, their commitment to the area happily means they also won’t be the last. For ticketing info head to www.teaconcerts.co.uk, email gigs@teasocial.co.uk or check out TEA Medway on Facebook
Sailing Charter· Static Venue· Winter Tea Room
3 hour Day Sailing ‘Edith May’
Chatham Maritime Lower Halstow Queenborough - Special Offer!
www.edithmay.com Tel: 01634 365343
Maggie Osborn Studio at Nucleus Arts, Chatham
HOO ROCKS MUSIC FESTIVAL SAT 11 AUGUST 4-9pm Hoo Village Square Free family event, Live Music, Stalls & Food
THE
M E D W A CYA L EmN Du AsR i c a l
PHOTOS BY PHIL DILLON
THE MEDWAY MUSICAL CALENDAR o even the most discerning paletfft ers delights to satisfy e in July and August.
On top of the much touted inaugural ME1 music festival featuring Public Image Limited and the Wedding Present, pretty well every Medway venue has something of note happening, writes ROB FLOOD. JULY sees Maker return to the Eagle Tavern on 5th, delivering their particular brand of original psychedelic blues and soul with a few well chosen covers. If the Faces, the Stones and Free are your thing, this gig is for you. makeruk.com The Barge hosts the latest Medway Eyes themed night on 14 July as ‘Medway Does Americana’. Acts confirmed so far include Wheels, Gary Robertson of the Love Family, Unlucky Fried Kitten, Stuart Turner, Wolf’s Head & Vixen and Houdini with more to come. The set-list isn’t announced until the night but expect a superbly eclectic mix of brilliant Americana covers. medwayeyes.wordpress.com The weekend of 28/29 July is going to be phenomenal. Plans
are afoot for additional acts at ME1 – keep an eye on the website for updates (musiceventone. co.uk). If that wasn’t enough, hot on the heels of his record breaking appearance at the Cambridge Folk Festival the previous day, Brian McNeill plays at the Man of Kent on Sunday. Brian is an incredible folk musician, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist and is rightly recognised as a great of the Scottish folk scene – “Scotland’s most meaningful contemporary songwriter” (The Scotsman). brianmcneill.co.uk Right, take a deep breath. AUGUST kicks off with one of my current Medway favourites, Frau Pouch. In their own words “shambolic art punk disco filth”, they’re playing the Nags Head in Rochester on 3 August. Loud, raucous, scuzzy tunes that rarely last over two minutes with spoken/shouted and (often) puerile lyrics, Frau Pouch are regulars on the London DIY circuit so this is a great opportunity to catch them on home turf. soundcloud.com/fraupouch
The next in a great series of gigs organised by the lovely people at TEA (see article p6) The Wave Pictures are playing at the Gordon House Hotel on 10 August. Touring their new album ‘Long Black Cars’, Wave Pictures are a band that those lucky enough to have seen them can’t work out why they’re not massive. Drawing their influences from the likes of Jonathan Richman and the Smiths, you’ll soon be driving your mates mad with your eulogising about Wave Pictures. thewavepictures.com
. . . g n i k o o b w o N Sat, 8 Sept, 7.30pm
Adam Ant
and The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse Eighties icon Adam Ant is back, serving up a great mix of familiar tracks and new material with style and passion. From £27.50 Tues, 9 Oct, 7.30pm
Rhod Gilbert
The Man with the Flaming Battenberg Tattoo A regular on Live At The Apollo Rhod is back on the road…and he’s mellowed. Will he get his girl and live happily ever after, or will it be microwaved baked potato for one again? £25.00 Wed, 19 Sept, 8pm
Tim Edey and Brendan Power The duo’s powerful blend of acoustic guitar, button accordion and harmonica is infectious. £10, concessions folk mailing list members and Theatre Loyalty Scheme members. Fri, 21 Sept, 8pm
Cabaret of Curiosities
Enthralling indoor circus, dancing, cheeky burlesque, music and much more. Warning: adult content, not suitable for under 16s. £11, concessions cabaret mailing list members. Mon, 1 Oct, 8.00pm
Lee Hurst
Too Scared to Leave the House Acid rain, global warming, bird flu and mad cow disease: Just a few of the things Lee Hurst ponders. Medway Comedy Club is strictly for over 18s. £13.50, concessions Medway Comedy Club members and Theatres Loyalty Scheme members. Sat, 15 Dec - Sat, 5 Jan
The Little Lost Frog and the Christmas Wish The story of a little lost frog who got his big Christmas wish. Especially for 3-6 year-olds - with songs, interactive games, treasure hunts and lots of surprises. Help the little frog as he finds his way home through a magical Christmassy land. £6.95 (Group booking concessions available)
www.medwayticketslive.co.uk 01634 338338
DESIGN A COVER FOR WOW COMPETITION THE RESULTS ARE OUT! The competition judges were WOW’s editor, Emma Dewhurst; the magazine’s designer, Paul Baker of A Stone’s Throw Design and Rochester-based Swedish photographer Rikard Österlund. The competition rules were deliberately broad to attract artists working in all mediums: entrants were required to be over 16, could submit on any theme and were asked to bear WOW’s style and ethos in mind. Photography was the most popular medium but entries were also received in collage; pen and ink; mixed media and, in one instance, hand-drawn cartoon. It was frustrating to the judges that some entries were submitted in a landscape format, which would not translate happily into the portrait size of a WOW cover. Others were entered
with little thought for how the traditional ‘WOW’ header logo might fit with their image and one or two bore little relation to the character of the magazine. Several attractive entries would have worked well in an editorial setting but very few held their own as a standalone cover image. As it turned out, winner Holly Hambilton’s startling mixed media portrait ‘The Face of Another’ and runner-up Ibrahim Olutosin’s photograph ‘Rochester’ (this page) were the only entries on all three judges’ shortlists. At 17, they were among the youngest entrants, part of an impressive group of entries by students studying Photography at Rochester Independent College.
Of ‘The Face of Another’ Guest Judge Rikard Österlund said: “As a cover, it draws you in: the eye contact makes you try to figure out what’s going on. Also, it’s mysterious. It keeps you asking questions, both technically and on a more poetic level.” Congratulations to the two winners and a huge thank you both to my fellow judges and to all who entered. Look out for the next competition in 2013! Emma Dewhurst, Editor
crook ON
childish
Acclaimed singer-songwriter and fellow artist LUPEN CROOK reviews a major new exhibition of works by Billy Childish
Billy Childish has always been at inspiring odds - an artist pursuing an unflinching vision of himself less any mind for ‘what others think’. Of course every artwork should be created like this, and a great many are, but the type of success Childish has achieved doesn’t necessarily require it. His success is inspiring, because his work has always been driven by an unaffected desire to create ‘Art’ without compromise. It’s well known that dogged determination and self belief are characteristics of which this Chatham-born artist has never been in short supply. But while his prolific output and uncompromising attitude over 35 years have never been in doubt, I admit in the past I’ve asked myself… Can he even paint? Has each work been created in a blind fit of slightly retarded gleefulness? Is that one even finished? And at my darkest… is his loose style a calculated effort that too cosily sits snug to his moniker - Childish? As I walk into Historic Dockyard’s No.1 Smithery, home to a collection of paintings completed by Childish during a 2012 residency at the Dockyard, my poisoned cynicism - a guard against potential deception - is simply not required. I meander past the wall-mounted vinyls, the butterfly-encased collections of hand-made fanzines, books and other artefacts, skipping my eye across the pencil sketches he completed whilst serving as apprentice here in 1976. Then
I turn into the main arena where a striking scene confronts me. The scale of these paintings is the largest I’ve seen by Childish. They are confidently and purposefully filled with complementary tones - rich aqua and iron white - framed and spotted with the natural rustic linen of each canvas, left open for the eye to endure. Given this collection was completed on site, and the majority of it inspired by a series of ‘found’ photos from when the Medway Estuary froze over, in 1895 and again in 1947, the paintings generate a surprising warmth. There appears a completeness here, less obvious in some of Childish’s other work. The rawness, coupled with the pleasing absence of over-thought that has characterised his work to date, is still present, but these feel refined - the work of a man in control, both balanced and totally committed to his subject. This exhibition reveals an artist fully aware of himself and his capabilities - the finest of tradesmen, a talented painter, and a man who has arrived here entirely on his own terms. For substantial evidence that Billy Childish is a true and deserved talent - should any be needed at this point in his career - just go and look at the work he has produced at the Dockyard. Let your eyes, mind and gut do the rest. ‘FROZEN ESTUARY and other Paintings of the Divine Ordinary’ continues at the Dockyard until 30 Sept
The Accessible Beyond: an occasional series highlighting special events within easy reach of Medway and Maidstone
TRADITIONS An inspired idea from West Kent Arts Partnership has led to two very different dance artists working together to fuse their contemporary and traditional styles to create a brand new dance which anyone can learn, called ‘Reel to Reel’. The finale of the Traditions dance project takes place on Sunday 29th July, during the Tunbridge Wells Mela. Anyone can join in, it’s free – and it’s guaranteed fun! The dance artists at the heart of Traditions are contemporary dancer Nina Atkinson, the Laban-trained founder of Loop Dance Company (based at The Brook Theatre) and traditional dancer Kerry Fletcher, whose styles encompass everything from the waltz to Appalachian clog dancing. They were commissioned by West Kent Arts Partnership to devise the new dance. Employing easy to learn movements and step patterns, the dance is steeped in and influenced by both traditional dance culture and contemporary dance practice. The Traditions commission enabled the dance artists to develop their work together at the beginning of this year. Time was given to ‘play’ and to develop steps, phrases and movement patterns that would become ‘Reel to Reel’. The creation time also gave the dance artists an invaluable opportunity to exchange ideas and develop their own practice in relation to each other. Other established and emerging dance artists were also involved in the process of learning, in order to develop and test the progress of the dance before taking it out into the community.
In what appears to be true community dance practice tradition, the project has been and continues to be a genuine exchange of ideas, support and experience for the practitioners involved. Once the dance was complete the dance artists were let loose into four primary schools based in West Kent at Hextable, Ightham, Pembury and Hollingbourne. ‘Reel to Reel’ was taught to 120 children over an eight week period. Michelle Chorley, Traditions’ Project Manager, describes the process: “What was brilliant was that as well as being taught the new dance, the children were encouraged to develop their own creative group pieces and responses. This creative element is what has enabled each school to create their own identity within the dance, which has been firmly placed at the heart of ‘Reel to Reel’.” Kent-based folk musician, storyteller and writer Dave Arthur was asked to create music for the new dance, and accompanied the sessions with the children, giving them the opportunity to work with live music as they developed their steps. Each of the four schools also hosted a community focused event whereby parents, friends and community groups were invited to watch ‘Reel to Real’ being performed, participate in a workshop and partake of tea and cake! The events were a great success, ranging from a jam packed assembly to an outdoor celebration with grandparents joining in and reminiscing. “We wanted to get as many people involved as possible,” says Chorley. “Everyone
PHOTOS: MOOSE AZIM
has had so much fun and rehearsals have been full of laughter. It’s been a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get involved, have a go and learn a new dance that is very much rooted in traditional step dancing but which has been brought bang up to date with a contemporary dance flavour.” Traditions’ finale comes at the Tunbridge Wells Mela on 29th July. The free Mela is a cultural celebration of the diversity of the area through music, food and dance. All are welcome to join the Traditions team at Calverley Gardens to learn and perform ‘Reel to Reel’. Street Dance the Maypole (streetdance themaypole.com) will also be present - an original idea by Kerry Fletcher and street dance artist Natasha Khamjani and East London Dance which celebrates iconic English dance and fuses it with Hip Hop beats and traditional folk tunes.
If you can’t make the Mela, Traditions will be producing a resource to pass on ‘Reel to Reel’ and ensure that this new dance joins the traditions from which it comes… It’s good to know that a new dance has been born. For more information email traditions@ btinternet.com or follow on Twitter: @traditions3 West Kent Arts Partnership is an action led network of Arts Development personnel from the local authorities that cover West Kent: Maidstone Borough Council, Sevenoaks District Council, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Kent County Council.
FILM THE LUNA CINEMA: SUMMER CINEMA SEASON ROCHESTER CASTLE GARDENS: THE ARTIST (PG) Thu 2 Aug, 7.30pm DIRTY DANCING (15) Fri 3 Aug, 7.30pm BACK TO THE FUTURE (PG) Sat 11 Aug, 7.30pm Tickets: £12, Children under 15 £8.50 LEEDS CASTLE: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (12) Fri 10 Aug, gates 6pm, film 8pm. £15 (no concs) Tickets from thelunacinema. com or call 0844 858 6767 THE OTHER CINEMA Chatham Odeon Cinema, Maritime ME4 4LL 0871 22 44 007
A weekly showcase of quality films from around the world, with a post-show discussion led by Nick Walker over a free glass of wine. £8.25/£6.25. theothercinema.info HEADHUNTERS (15) 2011 Thu 5 Jul, 7.45pm Dir: Morten Tyldum Cast: Aksel Hennie, Synnove Macody Lund and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Much-praised adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s best-selling Scandinavian crime thriller. A headhunter living well beyond his means with a side job as an art thief risks everything for one priceless work of art. Time Out’s Tom Huddleston called this ‘deliriously entertaining.’ 100 mins
TRISHNA (12) 2011 Thu 12 Jul, 7.45pm Dir: Michael Winterbottom Cast: Frieda Pinto, Riz Ahmed, Roshan Seth Modern-day re-telling of Thomas Hardy’s tragedy ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ set in India. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ star Frieda Pinto stars as the daughter of an auto rickshaw owner who becomes involved with the son of a property developer. 113 mins
SUMMER FILM SCREENING EASTGATE HOUSE, Rochester
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930) The definitive World War 1 movie Tue 24 July, 7pm for 7.30pm £8/£6 for Friends Tickets: alan.moss1@btinternet.com SELECT RELEASES JUL/AUG: SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD (Cert tbc) Offbeat comedy starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley. Rel 13 Jul
ALL IN GOOD TIME (12A) 2012 Thu 19 Jul, 7.45pm Dir: Nigel Cole Cast: Meera Syal, Reece Ritchie, Amara Karan, Harrish Patel A British Asian comedy based on ‘East is East’ writer Ayub KhanDin’s popular play ‘Rafta, Rafta’. A couple of newlyweds find living with the in-laws in Bolton too much to handle. 100 mins SCREEN CLASSICS The Central Theatre, 170 High Street, Chatham ME4 4AS 01634 338 301
A big-screen celebration of cinema classics introduced by programmer Nick Walker. £6/£5 (booked online). Students £3.50. See four Screen Classics and get a fifth free. medwayticketslive.co.uk THE WICKED LADY (PG) 1945 Mon 16 Jul, 7.30pm Dir: Leslie Arliss Cast: Margaret Lockwood, James Mason, Patricia Roc See Nick Walker’s article opposite. 104 mins NB: NO THE OTHER CINEMA/SCREEN CLASSICS SCREENINGS IN AUGUST
CHARIOTS OF FIRE (Cert tbc) Digitally re-mastered Oscarwinning Olympics drama. Rel: 13 Jul THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (15) Conclusion to Batman trilogy. Rel 20 Jul DR SEUSS’ THE LORAX (U) Animated fun with voices by Zac Efron and Danny DeVito. Rel 27 Jul A FEW BEST MEN (15) Australian comedy from the director of ‘Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’. Rel 31 Aug Showing at the following: ODEON CHATHAM 0871 224 4007. odeon.co.uk ODEON MAIDSTONE 0871 22 44 007. odeon.co.uk ROCHESTER CINEWORLD 0871 200 2000. cineworld.co.uk THE ROYAL CINEMA Box Office: 01795 591211. royalcinema.co.uk SHOWCASE BLUEWATER 0871 220 1000. showcasecinemas.co.uk/ bluewater
THEWICKEDLADY NICK WALKER relishes a 1940s classic
Based on the novel ‘The Life and Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton’ by Magdalen King-Hall, the story about a nobleman’s wife secretly becoming a highwayman just for the excitement of it all is one of the most memorable Gainsborough Studios melodramas, as well as a huge crowdpleaser in its day. There is an incredible principal cast: Margaret Lockwood delivers a knockout performance as the evil but irresistible Lady Barbara Skelton; James Mason (Captain Jerry Jackson) and the ever-beautiful Patricia Roc as the requisite good girl Caroline all wonderfully convey the many frustrations that arise from the stifling conventions of seventeenth-century England. While the film’s predecessors had featured strong female roles, as befitting films aimed at largely female audiences, the characters were for the most part straitjacketed by the society that produced them, with even a villainess like Alicia in ‘Fanny by Gaslight’ , directed by Anthony Asquith in 1944, conforming to type. ‘The Wicked Lady’ clearly rejects any conventional image of femininity, with Lockwood spending much of the film challenging stereotypes headon, running rings round her male counterparts, whether they be the dull but essentially good Sir Ralph (Griffith Jones), the wickedly sexy highwayman Jerry Jackson (James Mason), the stern, high-minded puritan Hogarth (Felix Aylmer) or the vivacious Kit (Michael Rennie), the man she really loves but never seems to meet at the right time.
The men, for their part, have a certain kind of moral code to them, with James Mason baulking at killing, whereas Lockwood rejects anything that might conveniently pigeonhole her. The film is sharp, funny, fast-paced, and not above winking at its own silliness. A strong share of the credit for this must be given to Leslie Arliss, who both wrote and directed the film, which features a great period setting, a sexy and violent plot, alluring costumes, and a witty, unpretentious screenplay. The headlong sexual relationship between Lady Barbara and Jackson was pretty risqué by 1940s standards. “Do you always take women by the throat?” Barbara asks him, after one rough encounter. “No, I just take ‘em,” Mason replies, deadpan! Margaret Lockwood’s autobiography suggested that they had to reshoot the entire film a year later with the only change being higher necklines because their low-cut dresses were deemed far too inappropriate for the censors to allow them an American release. It is indeed a sumptuous tale of excitement, passion, danger and deceit and in many ways a hidden social commentary on the roles of British women. The Wicked Lady is screened in the Screen Classics season at The Central Theatre on Monday 16 July at 7.30pm
MUSIC ORCHESTRA ONE Kent Music are holding FREE music sessions in Maidstone for young people aged 12-19 during August, with a finale concert at Chatham’s Historic Dockyard.
THE CENTRAL THEATRE 170 High Street, Chatham, ME4 4AS 01634 338338
TOPLOADER Triple platinumselling band. Fri 6 July 7.30pm £15, £13.50 medwayticketslive.co.uk
Orchestra ONE encourages young people from all backgrounds to compose and perform their own music with the support of professional music tutors.
THE COMMAND HOUSE
www.kent-music.com
Maidstone Leisure Centre, Church Lane ME14 4EE 0845 155 2277
Email: orchestraone@kentmusic.com (01622 358406) THE BROOK THEATRE Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338
JAZZ AT THE BROOK: HEADS SOUTH Tue 3 July 8pm Latin five piece. Space for dancing! £11 FOLK AT THE BROOK: LOS SALVADORES + WHEELS & THE FLOWING Thu 12 July 8pm £8 medwayticketslive.co.uk THE BOTTLENECK BLUES CLUB The Roffen Club, 41 New Road, Rochester ME1 1HS
JAY TAMKIN BAND Jazz and blues rock. Tue 31 July Doors 7.30pm Show 8.45pm bottleneckblues.com THE GORDON HOTEL 91 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 831000
TEA CONCERTS present THE WAVE PICTURES Fri 10 Aug. Tickets via teaconcerts.co.uk
Dock Road, Chatham ME4 4TX 01634 828 181
TANK TRAP Thu 5 July, 8pm. Classic rock with a hint of blues. MOTE HALL
MAIDSTONE CHORAL UNION Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Prom Sat 7 July 7.30pm Prom favourites including Zadok the Priest and music from the Queen’s Coronation. £7-£16 MOTE PARK COMMUNITY CONCERT MAIDSTONE Thu 19 July From 5pm With live screen from Leeds Castle of the Olympic Torch celebrations, school choirs, Shaun Williamson, Alvin Stardust and fireworks. Free visitmaidstone.com THE MUSIC ROOM Pizza Express Maidstone, 32 Earl Street, ME14 1PF 01622 683548
JUDITH OWEN & IAN SHAW Thu 12 July Celtic songs and storytelling. £15 GOOSEBUMPS Sat 11 Aug Swing jive & jump band £10 AN EVENING WITH PAUL DUNTON & GUESTS Thu 16 Aug Unsigned music showcase £7 Doors 7pm, Show 8pm. pizzaexpresslive.com ORCHARD THEATRE Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED 01322 220000
ADAM ANT & The Good, The Mad and the Lovely Posse Sun 15 July 7.30pm £29.50-£34.50 orchardtheatre.co.uk
ROCHESTER CASTLE CONCERTS ME1 1LX JOOLS HOLLAND AND HIS RHYTHM AND BLUES ORCHESTRA Wed 18 July £35 THE CASTLE PROMS WITH THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Sat 21 July £30. Transactions subject to £2 recorded delivery fee. medwayticketslive.co.uk ROCHESTER CASTLE GARDENS ME1 1SX
ME1: Music Event One Sat 28 July PiL with THE WEDDING PRESENT and local bands THEATRE ROYAL & KIDS UNIQUE. Tickets £26 from Rochester Visitor Information Centre; medwayticketslive.co.uk and ticketmaster.co.uk. musiceventone.co.uk ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL ME1 1SX 01634 810061
KINGS’ SUMMER CHORAL CONCERT Wed 4 July 7pm All welcome. Free GALA CONCERT FOR THE MICHAEL JAMES MUSIC TRUST Sun 22 July 4.30pm A varied programme including the sung word and spoken word. Refreshments in the Crypt afterwards. Free, with a collection for the charity. Confirm attendance on 01747 853247 rochestercathedral.org ROCHESTER 144CLUB The Roffen, 41 New Road, ME1 1DX
DARYL SHERMAN Wed 11 July New-York based singer and pianist. NEXT GIG: Wed 8 Aug Guests tbc (check website) Doors 7.15pm for bar and food; show 8.15pm Non-members £12 (£22 with food) 144club.co.uk
AT THE MAN OF KENT ALE-HOUSE ROCHESTER JULY 2012 Sun 1st Jam Night Tues 3rd Morris Dancing - Gong Scourers and Wolf’s Head & Vixen Wed 4th Happy Trails Thurs 5th Nightshift Sun 8th Jam Night Tues 10th Ukulele Jam Night Wed 11th Andrea Solar (NZ) Thurs 12th Full Circle Swing Sun 15th Jam Night Wed 18th Funke & the Two-Tone Baby Thurs 19th Mercurials Sun 22nd Jam Night Wed 25th Camine Thurs 26th Stuart Turner & The Flat Earth Society Sun 29th Brian McNeill (Feast of Fiddles & The Battlefield Band) Tues 31st Morris Dancing - Bishop Gundulf
AUGUST 2012 Wed 1st Bruise Thurs 2nd Buick 6 Sun 5th Jam Night Tues 7th Ukulele Jam Night Wed 8th The Amazing Mr. Smith Thurs 9th Louis Turpin & Roger Hubbard Sun 12th Jam Night Wed 15th Tom Leary with Garry Blakeley (Feast of Fiddles + Albion Morris) Thurs 16th Pierre Vincent Sun 19th Jam Night Wed 22nd Graham Wardrop (NZ) Thurs 23rd Danny Kyle & Pete Shaw Sun 26th Jam Night Wed 29th Brendan Power (Riverdance) & Alan Prosser (Oysterband) Thurs 30th Tener Duende
6-8 John Street, ROCHESTER, ME1 1YN 07772 214315 www.themanofkent.com
T H E AT R E TECHNICAL SUMMER SCHOOL at The Central Theatre Mon 13-17 and 20-24 Aug, 10am-5pm (8pm finish on the Friday) For anyone who wants to learn more about the technical side of working in theatre. A one week course covering tours and show preparation, health and safety, sound and lighting equipment. There is a practical set-up and rehearsal before a presentation to friends and family at the end of the workshop. Tickets £85 BILLABONG CLUB Victoria Street, Rochester ME1 1XB
to go by, this will be a treat. Adults £10, Children £5. Both parts: Adults £15, Children £7.50. Group rates available. THE BROOK THEATRE
Old Town Hall, Chatham ME4 4SE 01634 338338
RECOMMENDED: THE GIRL WITH NO HEART Thu 5 – Sun 8 July 7.45pm Sparkle and Dark’s Travelling Players present this Hiroshimainspired fable using puppetry, shadow-play and live music. For over 8s. £7, concs £5 KIDS’ CABARET OF CURIOSITIES Sun 15 July 3pm Family cabaret and circus acts. £6, four for £20 medwayticketslive.co.uk
DICKENS WORLD
MIRIAM MARGOLYES in DICKENS’ WOMEN Sat 7 July 8pm Devised by the BAFTA award-winning actress with Sonia Fraser, who directs. ‘A virtuoso display’ – The Guardian. £21, £24 dickensworld.co.uk
11 Horsebridge Road, Whitstable, CT5 1AF 01227 281174
MEDWAY LITTLE THEATRE HAZLITT THEATRE
Earl Street, Maidstone ME14 1PL 01622 758611
THE GAMES Wed 18 July 8pm An ‘undiscovered’ Greek comedy! £12, concs £10
DICKENS WORLD COURTYARD Chatham ME4 4LL School box office: 07805 178664
RECOMMENDED: THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY Parts 1 & 2 by David Edgar, from the novel by Charles Dickens Part 1: 9,11 & 13 July. Part 2: 10, 12 & 14 July. Note 7pm start. Valley Park School present this storming two-part adaptation, first performed by the RSC. If past VP productions are anything
HORSEBRIDGE ARTS & COMMUNITY CENTRE
SHE WRITES Wed 18 July, doors 7pm, show 7.30pm 17% presents an evening of new short plays by women. £5, concs £4 STEPHEN K AMOS & GUESTS Fri 31 Aug 8pm Rare chance to see the comedian in an intimate setting. £8, £6 concs horsebridge-centre.org.uk
EDINBURGH FRINGE PREVIEWS: DAN MITCHELL (‘Welsh, epileptic and hairy’) & ‘rising star’ PAUL T. EYRES. Thu 26 July Doors 7.30pm, show 8pm. £10, £8 in advance with flyer. Tickets from Dot Café or wegottickets.com The Britannia Theatre, Chatham ME4 4LL 01634 890421 or email bookings@dickensworld.co.uk
22 June-21 July. Wonderful comedy performed in some gorgeous outdoor settings. For full list see: hazlittartscentre.co.uk and changeling-theatre.com
HAZLITT CHOIR ONE DAY MUSICAL – LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Sun 19 Aug 10am-5pm (perf 6pm) Learn the whole score from scratch in one day. £30 for full workshop including songbook. Performance tickets: £5 AS YOU LIKE IT Hazlitt Arts Centre and Changeling Theatre’s summer Shakespeare tour.
256 High Street Rochester ME1 1HY 01634 400322
DUNCAN RAND ONE ACT PLAY FESTIVAL 2012 Wed 11-21 July mlt.org.uk MOTE HALL Maidstone Leisure Centre, Church Lane ME14 4EE 01622 758611
SUNERKHOMAI Sat 14 July 7.45pm Part of the Olympic Torch celebrations, a fusion of dance, music, theatre and sport. £5 MOTE PARK Mote Road, Maidstone ME15 7RN 01622 602119
THEATRE IN THE PARK: THE TALES OF BEATRIX POTTER Sat 14 July & MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM 15 July. 6.30-9pm. FREE: booking essential: 0845 4505157. quantumtheatre.co.uk
valley Park school Presents:
By David Edgar, adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens at
Dickens WorlD courtyarD, chatham Part 1: 9th, 11th anD 13th July 2012 Part 2: 10th, 12th anD 14th July 2012 starting at 7Pm tickets: aDults - £10.00, chilDren - £5.00 sPecial DiscounteD rates to see Parts 1 & 2:
aDults - £15.00, chilDren - £7.50 grouP anD Family rates available Please contact the box oFFice on
07805 178664 For Further Details
This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited
VISUAL ART SUMMER ARTS CARNIVAL Sat 14 July Starts at 12 noon. Central Maidstone, nr Week Street Organised by Stepping Stones Studios with local artists and traders. Music, Face painting, Circus skills, BBQ, Kids’ film screening and more. Free THE DEAF CAT COFFEE BAR & GALLERY 83 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX
Open all week 9.30am-5pm ART ODDS & ART SODS – Art by eight local artists all under £50, including postcards, drawings, jewellery and books. To 15 July ALEX COOLEY 6-19 Aug thedeafcat.com HORSEBRIDGE ARTS CENTRE 11 Horsebridge Road, Whitstable CT5 1AF 01227 281174
Includes unlimited return to all Dockyard attractions for one year. The culmination of Childish’s 2011 Residency at the Historic Dockyard, including paintings, books, and works relating to his life in Medway. See Lupen Crook’s Review. thedockyard.co.uk NUCLEUS ARTS 272 High Street, Chatham ME4 4BP 01634 812108
Gallery opens 9-5pm, closed Sunday Free. TEN – Nucleus Arts 10th Anniversary Exhibition To 5 July. VAL WELLER et al: Tribute to the Goddess 7-12 July ALASTAIR RILEY: Altered Images VII (A New Pilgrim’s Way) 13-26 July Silk screen printmaker, recently come to live in Chatham from the isle of Alderney.
Open 9am-6pm , Sun 10am-6pm OFF THE WALL 7 Jul-31 Aug Delightful works by Peter Firmin and Hannah Firmin among others. Works are for sale and available to take ‘off the wall’. Free. horsebridge-centre.org.uk MEDWAY OPEN STUDIOS & ART FESTIVAL Sat 7 to Fri 13 July Showcasing the work of artists who live and work locally, this is the first of a hoped-for annual event. 15 artists or groups have signed up to throw open their studios to the public. POP UP GALLERY, 10 High Street, Rochester ME1. Dates as above. Each artist taking part has contributed a piece to the first Medway Open Studios exhibition. medwayopenstudios.co.uk
KENT AUTISTIC TRUST 28 Jul-9 Aug. JESS LEVINE: Recent works on paper 11-23 Aug Abstracts and landscape oils. Meet the Artist: Fri 10 Aug 6-8pm nucleus-arts.com NUCLEUS ARTS, ROCHESTER
NO.1 SMITHERY
75 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX 01634 780932
The Historic Dockyard Chatham, ME4 4TZ 01634 823800
NUCLEUS ARTS, MAIDSTONE
BILLY CHILDISH: FROZEN ESTUARY and other Paintings of the Divine Ordinary To 30 Sep Daily 10am-4pm. Adults £16.50, Children £11, concs available.
Gallery shops with artworks, cards and jewellery by local artists.
2-4 Granada House, Gabriel’s Hill, Maidstone ME15 6JR 01622 690337
ROCHESTER ART GALLERY & CRAFT CASE Medway Visitor Information Centre, 95 High Street, Rochester ME1 1LX
01634 338319 Mon-Sat 10am5pm, Sun 10.30am-5pm. SUSIE MacMURRAY (supported by Agnew’s Gallery, London) Fri 13 July to Fri 14 Sept . Opening reception Thu 12 Jul 6.30-8.30pm. Former classical musician who retrained as an artist. Drawing, sculpture and architectural installations. KENT LIFE Lock Lane, Sandling, Maidstone ME14 3AU 01622 763936
VIR-Art: TRANSPOSITIONS 21 Jul-2 Sep. See opposite TURNER CONTEMPORARY Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG 01843 233000
Tues-Sun 10am-6pm plus Late Night Live to 10pm one Friday every month. Closed Mon (except Bank Holidays) TRACEY EMIN: She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea To 23 Sept. Emin’s first major solo show at TC. MARK WALLINGER: Sinema Amnesia. Site specific installation on the promenade. 11am-6pm LINDSAY SEERS: Entangled2. Screenings on the hour at a secret location within TC. 11am-4pm. Also, RODIN’S THE KISS To Sept. Free turnercontemporary.org UCA POP-UP GALLERY Unit 67, Upstairs at Pentagon Centre, Chatham, ME4 4HW 07551 037695 or email: uca. popupgallery@gmail.com
Open Mon, Wed, Sat 10am-6pm. FASHIONABLE STRUCTURES To 9 Jul. Fusion of fashion and architecture. Free JONATHAN LIVINGSTONE SEAGULL 14 Jul-Aug. Artistic responses to Richard Bach’s classic. Free
Festival ad_WOW quarter page#2:Layout 1
...scintillating music,
unforgettable world premieres, Kent's most entertaining street theatre, open air opera in stunning
PRINTMAKING STUDIOS Open July 7th Please come and see what we’re doing... in the Old Coalshed behind CafÊ Moroc, Rochester High Street Workshops starting soon in relief, intaglio and screen printing
WWW.COALSHEDPRESS.CO.UK
parkland, Shakespeare, touching movies and the best of Dickens'
bicentenary celebrations...
What larks, Pip! For full programme details visit www.dealfestival.co.uk
29 June - 8 July 2012
BOX OFFIC E OPEN S 22 MA Y
19/
T H E A R T I S T ’ S S PA C E ‘BURDEN OF LOVE’ (2012 - GYPSUM, ACRYLIC, COW’S MILK) Kent-based artists CJ MUNN and ANDRÉ MASTERS have received considerable acclaim for their bespoke sculptures and objets d’art for homes and gardens in a variety of materials from copper to leather. This summer they are creating new works for the ‘Spare Parts’ exhibition, taking place in conjunction with the Paralympics, 25 August to 9 September, at The Rag Factory, London. ‘Spare Parts’ shows the work of a range of artists using donated, pre-used prosthetic limbs as their canvas. It is the first exhibition of its kind in the world, and was originally held in Brisbane, Australia in 2010 curated by amputee, Priscilla Sutton.
THE RAG FACTORY, 16-18 HENEAGE STREET, LONDON E1 5LJ
MASTERSANDMUNN.CO.UK
EDITORIAL: editor@wowkent.co.uk FREE LISTINGS: listings@wowkent.co.uk ADVERTISING: advertising@wowkent.co.uk 0845 388 2243 (local rate from BT landlines) DESIGN: A Stone’s Throw astonesthrowdesign.co.uk PRINTING: The Colour Factory Ltd, Sittingbourne, 01795 470 825, www.colour-factory.com PUBLISHER: Emma Dewhurst
Distributed locally to Medway households and public pick-up points throughout the Medway towns and Maidstone. Current print circulation: 5000 copies. Excellent discounts for series bookings available to all advertisers. All ads also appear in the e-edition of the magazine at wowkent.co.uk Copy/listings deadline for Sept issue: 20 August 2012 ©WOW Kent magazine.
All rights reserved. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that details in this publication are accurate, we cannot accept responsibility for such. Readers are advised to check listings information to avoid disappointment. Views expressed by contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and publisher. wowkent.co.uk
Please mention WOW Medway if you use our advertisers’ services or attend an event you found in our listings facebook.com /WOWMedway @EmmaDewhurst7 WOW Medway is printed on 100% recycled paper
ON THE BRINK OF MISADVENTURE ANDREW DAY reviews the new album by Stuart Turner & The Flat Earth Society
Opening track ‘Decimation’ goes out busting heads and taking names with its Led Zeppelin II swagger, daggers drawn and aimed straight at the rancid, selfish heart of austerity Britain. ‘To the Nighthouse’ is equally fierce, at times feeling uncomfortably like a cab ride with a demonic Tom Waits at the wheel, the doors locked, the meter off and the brakes cut.
It’s to the album’s credit then that its ‘poppier’, more reflective moments come off as impressively as its fierier tracks. Turner has a masterful grasp of light and shade in his songwriting, and with the able assistance of the Flat Earth Society’s intuitive, kinetic playing, the funk-soul of ‘Poor John’ and the Appalachian disco of ‘Twilight Birds’ roll out of the speakers as effortlessly as the ‘On the Brink of Misadventure’ can album’s bluesier tracks. be purchased from from all good online outlets. CD is available Indeed, there’s some of the from gigs and stfes.com possessed, feverish genius of ‘Exile on Main Street’ here. It would be tempting to call ‘On the Brink of Misadventure’ a definitive statement, if it weren’t for the fact that you feel there’s even better yet to come.
COVER ARTWORK: MATT BRAY
Don’t make Stuart Turner angry. Not because you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry, but because he and his comrades in arms The Flat Earth Society dish out the kind of righteous, elemental ire that could turn back tides or Viking hordes.
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JOOLS JOOLS HOLLAND AND HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA with guest vocalists RUBY TURNER and LOUISE MARSHALL
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