PARISH Gardens will provide the perfect setting for the return of an opulent ‘Spiegel’ tent at this year’s Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF) from 28 July to 1 August.
Ornate wooden structures, Spiegel Tents feature mirrored and stained glass interiors and were originally built in Belgium in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Only a handful remain today.
Stockton Council is delighted to be presenting SIRF, now in its 23rd year and once again tens of thousands of visitors are expected to head to Stockton for five days of world-class street theatre, dance, circus and breathtaking aerial shows.
The 350 seat Salon Perdu will play host to the Circus of Horrors who return to SIRF to celebrate their 15th anniversary with a brand new show, Freaks and Feathers.
Dr Haze, as the Undead Ringmaster, will lead the proceedings, supported as ever by his Royal Family of Freaks, including the legendary Garry Stretch. Circus skills will reach new heights of seductive glamour as aerial performers hang from silks, chains and their own hair.
Down in the circus ring audiences can marvel at acts of contortionism, blade walking and the usual shocks and surprises that are trademarks of the Circus of Horrors.
Times and ticket prices vary - full listings can be found at www.sirf.co.uk
To book tickets for the shows contact ARC on (01642) 525199 or log onto www.arconline.co.uk
A second night time show takes place in The Spiegel Tent. Le Muscle bring the Jean-Louis 200 Disco Party and there is one aim - to get everyone dancing!
Families will find a feast of fun inside and outside of the Spiegel Tent throughout the day.
African-style drumming and singing will raise the spirits as Jack Drum brings A Feather in the Sky, telling the story of Fred and Ted and a much-loved pet.
The Chipolatas make a welcome return to SIRF with their squeezebox and backbeats - catch their high energy performance of Gentlemen of the Road. You can also catch Frenetic Engineering’s show, Femmes Fatal which introduces the glamorous Milly all the way from Las Vegas - via Slough!
In the grounds of Parish Gardens, there will be other performances throughout the day including Pen-Ultimate’s A Day on The Tiles. Audiences can take a trip into the seedy underworld where gangsters, high rollers and con men compete in a high stakes game of Scrabble.
The Tragical and Disturbing Tale of Little Lupin is presented by Luci Gorrell Barnes and tells the story of a girl who is not like others. This promenade performance leads the audience through a series of encounters by three unusually hairy sisters. Catch them throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.
Jan Doherty, SIRF Co-ordinator, said: “Parish Gardens has over the past few years become a real haven for families to enjoy the eclectic mix of performances always guaranteed at SIRF. The return of the Spiegel Tent is a real bonus and I am sure the daytime and evening shows will be real audience winners.”
Find all the latest news and listings at www.sirf.co.uk
