Sedbergh Festival of Books & Drama 2008

Event 1, Theatre Under Fire "The Twilight Rainbow"

Theatre Under Fire return to Sedbergh with another explosion of African traditional music and dance.
People’s Hall, 7:45

Event 2, John Siddique, "People amongst People"

A full day writing seminar for adults exploring how to write, in poetry or prose, about the people that we care about without falling into cliché and sentiment
Lunch will be available in Weavers Café at Farfield Mill
Farfield Mill, the Loft Gallery, 10.00am - 4.00pm, Places limited to 16

Event 3, Two New Books on Radical Ideas in Education

Educational Heretics and the Centre for Personalised Education present two new books on radical ideas in education. Talks and discussion for parents and professionals
Brigflatts Meeting House, 2.30pm - 5.00pm

Event 4, Ian McPherson, “The Wisdom of No-Mind - where Zen, T’ai Chi and Haiku Meet”

Ian McPherson leads a practical workshop on the eastern understanding of the creative process with particular reference to the creation and understanding of Haiku.
People’s Hall, 4.15pm - 6.00pm

Event 5, A One Night Stand with Barrie Rutter

An intimate and entertaining choice of readings, memories and anecdotes
People’s Hall, 7.45pm

Event 6, The Return of “Who On Earth Was Jesus?”

By popular demand, David Boulton follows up his Ideas Festival presentation of his new book.
Brigflatts Meeting House, 3:00pm.

Event 7, John Siddique. “Between the Words”

Poetry reading and the first performance of his Poem for Sedbergh
URC Church, 7.30pm

Event 8, Sedbergh Book Group Open Meeting

The Group invites guests to listen to their opinions of “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café” by Fannie Flagg.
People’s Hall, 2.30pm

Event 9, Robert Neild, “Breaking the Shakespeare Codes”

Robert Neild aims to prove that the plays weren’t written by Shakespeare, he was a stand-in for the Queen’s bastard!
People’s Hall, 7.45pm

Event 10, The Brontë Society, “Jane Eyre” - talk & film

The Brontë Society is one of the oldest literary societies in the English speaking world. Member Isobel Stirk introduces Yorkshires’s talented but tragic family.
People’s Hall, 7.15 pm

Event 11, Stuart Manger, “The Tempest: Fathers - Letting Go” - Part 1

An in-depth look at The Tempest - Shakespeare’s last and some would say greatest play, which challenges many of the biggest ideas he examined in the tragedies, amongst which is the idea of how tyrannical fathers learn the hardest lesson: how to let go of power, authority, and ultimately their beloved children.
URC Church, 1:00pm

Event 12, Carys Davies and Carol Birch, “Making Stories Out Of History”

Creating historical fiction is fraught with problems and potential pitfalls, award-winning writers Carys Davies and Carol Birch talk about how they do it.
People’s Hall, 7.30pm

Event 13, Stuart Manger, “The Tempest: Fathers - Letting Go” - Part 2

The second part of an in-depth look at The Tempest - Shakespeare’s last and some would say greatest play, which challenges many of the biggest ideas he examined in the tragedies, amongst which is the idea of how tyrannical fathers learn the hardest lesson: how to let go of power, authority, and ultimately their beloved children.
URC Church, 5.30pm

Event 14, “Making Hay” a haymeadow summer in the Yorkshire Dales.

An interpretation in poetry and film of a haymeadow summer in the Yorkshire Dales by Maggie Norton and Kate Harrison Whiteside. There will also be a showing of The Bundle on the Dresser, Maggie’s performance poem about a Cumbrian sheep farmer who wants his son to follow him.
St Andrews Church, 7.45pm

Event 15, “Ha Ha Hamlet”

Direct from the Edinburgh Fringe and Covent Garden, Shakespeare’s Comedy Hamlet, in its original First Fo-ho-holio Format before it was rewritten as a tragedy with loads of killing at the end.
John Arden Theatre, Sedbergh School, 8.00pm
Please note the change of venue for this event.

Event 16,

Showcasing the best from Cumbrian writers and performers in 4 venues: People’s Hall, St Andrew’s Church, URC Church (evening), Library room
Events will take place throughout the day from 10:00am to 10:00pm.
£5.00 rover tickets for adults valid at all venues from 10:00am to 7:00pm or 5:00pm to 10:00pm. Accompanied children free
Rover tickets will be available at all venues or may be booked in advance.

Event 17, Making Waves

Unfortunately it has been necessary to cancel this event

Event 18, Malcolm Petyt, “Dialect in Wuthering Heights”

A talk by Malcolm Petyt on the features of dialect in Wuthering Heights. Followed by Sedbergh’s Flicks in the Fells cinema presentation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights
People’s Hall, 2.00pm

Event 19, Ben Crystal, “Shakespeare on Toast”

A breezy, accessible re-introduction to the greatest writer of plays, who turns out to be responsible for EastEnders, Coronation Street, Friends...
URC Church, 7.45pm

Event 20, The Sedbergh Story Web.

John Rice introduces an evening of poems, stories & music written and performed by Children & Parents from Sedbergh Primary School.
Sedbergh Primary School, 6.30pm

Event 21, David & Anthea Boulton, “In Fox's Footsteps”.

How Quakerism was born in 17th century Sebergh, Dent and the Yorkshire Dales.
St Andrews Church, 8.00pm

Event 22, Tom Palmer, “The Football Reading Game”

Tom Palmer conducts The Football Reading Game which is in 2 halves - first a quiz about football reading and then the Penalty Shoot Out against Tom, with prizes to be won.
Settlebeck & Baliol schools, during the school day

Event 23, Have a Go SwordPlay

Have a Go SwordPlay offers an opportunity to learn a safe but exciting Medieval routine using wooden swords.
Suitable for age 8 plus.
Settlebeck & Baliol schools

Event 24, Swordplay Workshop, Fighting in Shakespeare’s Plays

Learn all the tricks of the stage and screen heroes
Settlebeck School Gym, 7:00 to 10.00pm, Booking essential, places limited to 20

Event 25, Tom Palmer, “The Football Reading Game”

Tom Palmer conducts The Football Reading Game which is in 2 halves - first a quiz about football reading and then the Penalty Shoot Out against Tom, with prizes to be won.
Session for Sedbergh Football Club, juniors and adults and their families
Baliol School gym, 7:30pm

Event 26, Tom Palmer, “The Football Reading Game”

Tom Palmer conducts The Football Reading Game which is in 2 halves - first a quiz about football reading and then the Penalty Shoot Out against Tom, with prizes to be won.
Baliol school, during the school day

Event 27, Dea Birkett, “Travel Writing Workshop”.

So you want to be a travel writer? How can you be, when every corner of the world has been so well-trodden?
Farfield Mill, Loft Gallery, 10am - 1.00pm

Event 28, Isobel E. Williams, “With Scott in the Antarctic”

Isobel Williams introduces her new book With Scott in the Antarctic about Edward Wilson: Explorer, Naturalist and Artist.
Farfield Mill, Loft Gallery, 2.15pm

Event 29, Dea Birkett “From Fishnets to the South Pacific. How Travel Transforms You”

Dea looks at how going somewhere else can make you someone else. And how the greatest joy of a journey is often losing not your place, but yourself.
Sedbergh School Library, Loftus Hill, 7.15pm
Please note the change of venue for this event.

Event 30, Mike Gutteridge

Mike Gutteridge plays guitar and sings narrative songs from the western states of America.
The Red Lion, 10.00pm

Event 31, John Sheard, “The Life of a Great Estate”

John Sheard Land Agent for the Duke of Devonshire’s Bolton Abbey Estate and ex.Sedbergh School boy tells us the inside story and introduces his book.
URC rooms,1.00pm

Event 32, Telling It How It Is - BOF Theatre Group and friends entertain

Stuart Manger directs actors from various Sedbergh groups in an evening designed to showcase local talent.
Peoples Hall, 7.30pm

Event 33, Telling It How It Is - BOF Theatre Group and friends entertain

Stuart Manger directs actors from various Sedbergh groups in an evening designed to showcase local talent.
Peoples Hall, 5:00pm
Please note that it has been necessary to re-schedule this event from the previously advertised time..

Event 34, Geoffrey Smith, “Poetry Squantum”

‘Squantum’ derives from Native American, meaning ‘door’ (literally) and ‘picnic’ (practically
During this afternoon workshop a group of writers will be given a theme to do with St. Gregory’s, and each will then produce a poem.
St. Gregory’s Chapel, A 684 Marthwaite 1½ miles west of Sedbergh, 2:00pm

Event 35, Michael Pennington’ “Sweet William”, highly original one-man Shakespeare show.

Pennington’s huge experience of performing and directing Shakespeare is distilled in Sweet William. The result is a two-hour tour-de-force, delivered with the apparent effortlessness which only a great actor could create.
People’s Hall, 8:00pm