Knaresborough 6 August 2020 – Knaresborough’s feva festival organisers and friends have combined to put on a series of highly entertaining online shows for their regular audiences. In addition, there will be art displays mounted in commercial premises around the town.
Online events will feature music, the premier of a brand-new play, poems by the incomparable Simon Armitage, street entertainment and a fascinating description of how Jane Austen would have coped with the pandemic. Nothing denied, the shortlisted entrants in feva’s Knaresborough’s Got Talent show will also feature.
Organisers are focusing on the same 10-day period over which feva was originally intended to run – 14 to 23 August.
Videos will be available to see on www.feva.info and Knaresborough’s Got Talent entrants’ performances will be on feva’s Facebook pages.
National Poet Laureate Simon Armitage was booked to perform at this year’s festival but the lockdown has made this impossible. Nevertheless, says feva chair Lucy Barrow, he was delighted to help and has supplied video of some of his poems, providing a unique glimpse into the Yorkshire life of this acknowledged great man of letters.
Lucy said:
It is heartwarming that so many acts we had booked earlier in the year have been happy to supply video to keep the spirit of feva alive in these difficult times.
They have been led by Simon, which is an absolute thrill.
Among the other performers who will be online include Snake Davis, the internationally-renown saxophonist, who has played on records with Ray Charles, Take That, Paul McCartney, Beyoncé, Primal Scream, the Spice Girls, Motorhead and Kylie Minogue.
Lucy said:
Snake is a saxophonist of almost unparalleled gifts who has played with the best in the business. His support is fantastic.
Street entertainment is a hallmark of feva festivals and several have turned out to supply hilarious videos. They include the perennial favourite the Great Mandavi, as well as Strange Twig Theatre, the Flag and Bone dancers and the excellent Knaresborough Mummers.
Lucy said:
One of our biggest annual draws is the History Wardrobe, and they have produced topical videos titled What Would Jane Do?
The Jane in question is author Jane Austen and the Wardrobe’s explanation of remedies in period dress from the 1800s is something to be seen. Informative and highly amusing.
Also not to be missed will be a play specially being premiered at 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 19 August, called Shake the City. This tells the story of four young female clothworkers on strike in Leeds in 1970 and will be available via Zoom conference calls. To get details of how to be connected, people should email milliegastonmg@yahoo.com
The businesses of Knaresborough are keen not to miss out and there will be art shows available around town at various venues: McQueen’s Café on the High Street, at Floral Decor, the Cave and Castle, Atkinsons Pet Store, Tanacetum, Ruebury Flowers in the Market Place and at Briggate Art behind George and Dragon.
People seeking to vote on the shortlisted acts who have provided videos for Knaresborough’s Got Talent should do so via the feva Facebook page, where the performances can be seen during the days of festival period. Voting closes at midnight on Saturday 22 August, with the winner being announced the next day.
Lucy said:
Our message for everyone is that feva is prospering, despite the lockdown. We remain committed and will be back with a new live festival next year.
Further details and the terms and conditions are available from www.feva.info or by writing to fevafestival@gmail.com
Brilliant to see people still managing to get things done. FEVA will survive for another year!