Torn between duty and desire, passion and politics, love and fate – Antony and Cleopatra is surely one of Shakespeare’s most challenging and inspiring works, as well as having some of the most outstanding passages in Shakespeare’s canon.

Enobarbus: (act 2, ii)

“The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne

Burned on the water. The poop was beaten gold,

Purple the sails, and so perfumed that

The winds were love-sick with them;  the oars were silver

Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made

The water which they beat to follow faster,

As amorous of their strokes.”

Another Way Theatre was set up in 2010 by Chris & Nicky Chambers, a husband and wife team whose professional Shakespeare productions to date have included Twelfth Night (the space, Hoxton Hall & Middle Temple Hall) & a Midsummer Night’s Dream (Caterham Festival).   Since then they have started to build a name for themselves locally, presenting classic texts and new work in local site specific spaces.  Enter stage left, the Purley Festival!

This epic tale will be performed on 4 evenings during the Festival week, from Tuesday 25 June to Friday 28 June.  The venue will be Christchurch Purley – the attractive new atrium foyer in the church is an ideal audience space, while the Church itself the perfect backdrop for both Rome and Egypt.

Local designer Jill ‘Wiggy’ Wilson will be designing the set, along with some of the fancier parts of the costume, like Cleopatra’s headress.  The production will feature music by Hussein Zahawy.

The production will be partially funded by sponsorship from the local community, so if you’d like to make a contribution to this wonderful group, and you can’t come along to see the performance, please click here I want to contribute!

Tickets for any Purley performance can be bought here.

We look forward to welcoming you to the first of what we hope will be a long and happy collaboration between our two organisations!

There was a buzz about the Leisure Centre even right from the entrance, with officials and teams signing in.  There were loads of people involved, spectating, organising and swimming.  It was a big event!

It all seemed well organised and our team set off with a load of other teams and swimmers at 5pm for their 55 minute continuous swim.  Our team members were
Werner Schneeberger, Phil Rimell, Mary Cooper, Neil Spellings, Stephanie Darkes, Jean Darkes,  our youngest,  Nicole Kavanagh and Purley Festival Director, Fiona Lipscombe.

All submissions must be made via our online form locate on our dedicated Music and Arts page

Don’t be late!

We need you – smart, enthusiastic volunteers to help us make Purley Festival 2013 our biggest and best yet!

What can you do?

We have a range of more and less formal volunteer roles to fill in preparation for the Purley Festival in June. Whatever your profession, age, range of skills – we can certainly use your help!

We have just advertised a few  volunteer roles we need filling – see the details on our Get Involved page  and let us know you’re interested via our online form on the same page.

If you can’t commit to one of these roles, but would still like to help, there are other ways you can do that:

• Get some of our leaflets  and put it on display in your business, community group, church or club
• Mention us in your tweets @PurleyFestival
• Share our facebook page

Saturday February 2nd 2013 – Swimathon at Purley Pool

Would you like to support Purley Festival in the annual charity Rotary Club Swimathon? Swimmers or donations very welcome!

60% of funds raised will go to Purley Festival and 40% to these great charities: The Diamond Centre, Help for Heroes and the South East Cancer Help Centre. Our very own Fiona Lipscombe – Purley Festival Founder is going to be doing the laps!

Get in touch if you’re interested in joining in or dig deep and sponsor us HERE !!!

Join us for a scrumptious dinner, chat to friendly locals, let your hair down over a glass of mulled wine (or 3) and showcase your vocal talents at the karaoke afterwards ( or laugh at our efforts ). Everyone welcome!

3 course dinner for JUST £20
(including £5 donation to Purley Festival)

***** afterwards Karaoke *******

Can you donate a prize for the raffle?

Request to join us & submit your Menu choice by 30th November – anyone who cancels after that will be eligible to pay 50% food bill i.e £7.50.

Menu:
Veggie soup
Turkey with all the trimmings / Nutroast
Christmas pudding with custard or brandy butter

Last year 43 people registered – not sure how many came! We had several tables and lots and lots of fun after dinner. Come down and support the Festival, meet locals and have a good time!

After last year’s success and fantastically positive feedback from the local community and business’ PURLEY FESTIVAL 2012 is well underway and is going to be bigger, better and all together a fantastic week in the town’s calendar.

​WEEK ACTIVITIES

The idea is to recreate a mini Edinburgh festival. A big vision but entirely possible as last year’s festival proved. Monday to Friday there will be events throughout the town at various venues including dance, art, music, children’s events, craft workshops, literary talks, film showings and and local walks.

The week’s programme is having its final touches put on but if you would like to put on an event please get in touch at our contacts page.

FINALE WEEKEND

Purley Festival returns this summer with planning, booking and preparations well under way. A large variety of weekday events have been booked ranging from stained glass workshops, activities for kids, author talks, music and dance events to name a few.

Saturday’s finale on the 30th June is more music focused with a main stage, acoustic tent, extreme skateboarding and free running demonstrations along with children’s actiivites and lots of stalls. Sunday 1st July has more of a family picnic feel with music, more children’s actitivies and attraction as well as demonstrations and displays.

The finishing touches on the weekend finale are currently being put in place and the committee are looking forward to announcing the final line ups and attractions for Saturday and Sunday in the next  month.

In the Rotary field on Saturday 30^th June and Sunday 1^st July bring your little ones along to ‘The Enchanted Wood’ a magical area created especially for the youngest children, here you will find scheduled activities for all ages on both days including: Diddi dance, Mad academy of dance and drama, Toddler and Children’s yoga by Injoy!, Einstein Entertainers and Jenny Lockyer’s Story time

On both days at 3pm we will be hosting The Teddy Bears picnic so make sure your little ones Bring their bears along for drinks and snacks and a little break from all the activities we are awarding a prize for the best dressed bear!  There will also be: Face painting and Deco patch from The Butterfly Ball, Jewellery making workshops, a wishing tree, Lucky dip, Fancy dress box, Bouncy castle, Arts and Crafts.

Frost’s Estate Agents have helped with the festival magic by sponsoring some amazing extra attractions on the Sunday.  How about getting in touch with your inner Tigger and get bouncing on a six bed trampoline or if bouncing isn’t your thing have a go and see how many points you can score with a fabulous 9 pod laser ship!

First published in The Croydon Advertiser

By Stephanie Darkes @StephanieDarkes

Purley library are actively involved again this year and are offering a huge variety of activities including: Felt making, rhyme time, wiggle and jiggle, knit and stitch, “One-Child Policy – Gain or Gamble?” a talk by author Barnaby Powell, story time, adult writing group and even a talk on hat making!

For those who love their music there are shows at several venues, you can see singer songwriters at Sunrise Senior Living and The Jolly Farmers have an event on each night including; karaoke, bands, an acoustic night and a quiz.

This year we welcome Art Rebellion Café in Coulsdon who will be putting on a night of music and Blacks who are treating us to burgers and an Elvis impersonator (there’s a joke in there somewhere). Not forgetting Purley’s got talent with Adam Hughes and you can try your hand at ukulele Lessons.

You can also find: Line dancing classes, stained glass workshops, historical walks, a ‘free and affordable marketing session’ for small businesses with our very own Wendy Ager and Purley tennis club are running several classes for all ages throughout the week.

This year the Foxley Hatch pub has pulled out all the stops with Meet the Brewer, a Pirates Beer Festival featuring ales from Nelson’s Brewery and a pirate’s fancy dress party, so get your pieces of eight ready!

So you see, it’s not just about the weekend!website for more information www.purleyfestival.co.uk facebook.com/purleyfestival @purleyfestival

This post was first printed in the Croydon Advertiser.

NEW EVENTS JUST ANNOUNCED!!

choir 

Clog dancing

ukulele lessons

by Stephanie Darkes @stephaniedarkes