The Atkinson launches its new season featuring exhibitions, music, theatre, dance, film, comedy and family theatre.
The Southport venue, funded and managed by Sefton Council is attracting big names this autumn including Ruby Turner, Hugh Cornwell, Elkie Brooks, Beverley Craven, Vince Cable and the renowned John Cooper Clarke.
The galleries will be exhibiting a series of new works on paper by Antony Gormley that will go on show for the first time on Saturday 5 September 2015. They form part of a solo exhibition at The Atkinson in Southport, Merseyside, called Elemental.
Kidsfest returns in the October half term (24-31 October) and offers lots of events and activities throughout the building and many free for all ages. This year we have free themed arts and crafts, a Bear and a Butterfly, Pet Monsters, a Princess, Goats That Don’t Wear Capes and I Have a Duck Who Can Roar!
There are free author events with Cathy Cassidy and Jon Mayhew, Spooky Rhyme time & Story time as well as lots of scary, funny fun for Halloween in partnership with our friends at Southport BID and the Southport Comedy Festival.
The family programme continues throughout the year with well known stories like The Owl & The Pussycat, Julia Donaldson’s Scarecrows’ Wedding, I Believe in Unicorns and the Big Imaginations Network Commission The Adventures of Pom for our younger but very important theatregoers of 0-5years.
Visit us in the daytime and take part in creative workshops with leading designers, enjoy lunchtime ensembles of classical music with Cake & Classical or live entertainment as part of our monthly Tea Dances. The daytime talks take you through our collections and artefacts, introducing you to different topics and themes.
We welcome back the Sefton Open in November. The team are preparing themselves to receive hundreds of artworks from people who live and work in Sefton as part of the open submission exhibition. Once again the Palette Club will be working with The Atkinson and celebrating their 90th anniversary. For information on how to enter please visit the website theatkinson.co.uk
Always known as a music venue, The Atkinson continues to build its reputation across the North West. With festival season just around the corner we welcome some of the best of blues, Americana and roots to our festival line-ups.
Chantel McGregor headlines the Big Blues Festival (9-10 October). Alongside other artists including North West’s favourites The Stumble, Marcus Malone Band, The Nimmo Brothers and more.
The annual Americana Festival (13-14 November) returns with Danny & The Champions of the World, The Coal Porters, Amelia Curran, Gilmore & Roberts, Martin Harley and The Jaywalkers.
Outside of the festival period we welcome other top names in music with John Etheridge, Martin Simpson & Don Flemons, Martin Barre, Jonathan Byrd and Danny Schmidt.
Comedy is still top of the bill with return visits from Henning Wehn & Josh Widdicombe who asks What Do I Do Now? While Chris Ramsey brings his new show All Growed Up. Not to mention the monthly Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club that hits the spot on the first Saturday of every month.
It’s a big season for folk with Blowzabella, Moulettes, Nancy Kerr and the Sweet Visitor Band, Lau, Carthy, Oates, Farrell & Young, Blackbeard’s Tea Party and the lovely Young ‘uns.
It wouldn’t be Halloween without a ghost story and Nunkie Theatre tells two of the very best of MR James’ with Oh, Whistle and The Ash Tree. Tales of nocturnal horror and witchcraft and vengeance – just perfect for the scariest night of the year!
With Christmas on its way we bring classic tales to life with the stage versions of It’s A Wonderful Life from the people who brought us the sell out production of Simon Callow One Man Jesus and F.Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece The Great Gatsby by Blackeyed Theatre (Teechers).
If you prefer comedy theatre why not try Dickens Abridged, an absurdly talented cast of four bring hundreds of the great author’s best-loved characters to life in 70 minutes of madcap Dickensian mayhem. This is from the founder member of the Reduced Shakespeare Company Adam Long.
The Only Way is Downton a brilliant new parody, which takes in many other popular TV shows and familiar modern voices to help the cast of Downton save the estate from financial ruin – again!
The Tommy Cooper show is a real mixture of all the best gags, the story and the magic of the great man. This production has the blessing of Tommy’s estate and his daughter Vicky.
Don’t forget we are a National Theatre Live venue. Come and see the best of British Theatre at The Atkinson. This autumn the programme has something for everyone from The Rocky Horror Show Live, Of Mice and Men, Jane Eyre, Hamlet, Coriolanus, The Battle of Britain at 75 (Live) and Roger Waters: The Wall.
Plus we welcome back the Bolshoi Ballet screenings and their beautiful season including The Nutcracker for Christmas.
The Southport Film Guild new season starts in September, 21 films from art house to blockbusters all for £50 (£46 unwaged / £38 under 25s). Or you can pick your favourites for just £4.50 a film. The screenings are every other Tuesdays and they start at a new time of 7.30pm.
For more information about the full programme, please visit our website. The new brochure is available to download on the website or pick up a copy inside The Atkinson.
Tickets are available online at theatkinson.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 01704 533333. They are also available over the counter during The Atkinson opening hours.
Please be advised there is a £2.50 booking fee for telephone and online. From 1 September this will be changing to £1 for all sales.
-ENDS-
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LISTING INFORMATION
*There is a £2.50 booking fee for telephone and online bookings. From 1 September this will be changing to £1 for all sales.
The Atkinson
Lord Street
Southport
Merseyside
PR8 1DB
HOW TO BOOK
In person: Visit The Atkinson box office on Lord Street
For tickets: visit the website theatkinson.co.uk or call box office on 01704 533333
Posted on 17 August 2015 under General news
