Last year Arts at Stowe went from strength to strength with over 8,000 people attending performances or taking part in courses.
We have brought the best of British Theatre to the Roxy Screen in Roxburgh Hall. With The NTLIVE programme bringing us some incredible highlights, with the something for everyone from All About Eve, a live broadcast of Fleabag from the National Theatre and a golden oldie One Man two Guvnors with James Corden, celebrating the 10th Birthday of NTLIVE. This year looks like it will be another incredible programme.
We have become an international stop off for the arts with participants coming from all over the globe to our Florence Academy courses in the Summer. We are building on this success in 2020 with a new Alla Prima portrait course and a week of Sculpture. For those who prefer their music, our guitar course for adults, Bernie Marsden’s Guitar Mojo will be returning for a third time this coming summer followed by our Rock and Pop school for young people. Both use the Stringer Studios based in the Chung Music School.
Our rising star programme with Stoics continues to delight audiences with the eclectic lunchtime programme in the State Music Room. This next season see monthly concerts, with a world premiere of Resurrexit in March, a new work by House Parent, Roland Johnson.
Another first this year is the inaugural performance of the professional Stowe Festival Orchestra in the Chapel, celebrating the 250th Birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven. Director of Music, Craig Greene (Chandos 07) will lead the performance from both piano and podium.
We honoured the memory of Sir Nicholas Winton (Grenville 27) at our Holocaust Memorial Event: Stand Together on 29 January 2020. As always it was a very special event with both students and staff taking part to mark the occasion.
We have a host of talks throughout the year, with our first Cheltenham Festival Preview hosted by Old Stoic Robert Cooper (Cobham 68) and a fascinating evening with Max Hastings in March.
From a unique opportunity to see The Paperboys hot from their American tour, to Nine Barrow the folk duo who charmed our audience last spring to Rick Wakeman celebrating the Beatles 1963 gig at Stowe, we have an incredibly vibrant music programme this year. We also see the return of Miles Nottage and his Rhythm and Blues Band for Valentines weekend. It should be difficult to choose any one of them as the highlight of the year. But we are especially looking forward to our SOUTHSIDE 20 Festival this year on the eve of Speech Day with Brit award winner, Tom Walker. Supported by some of Stowe’s best singer song writers this will be an evening not to miss. So please book your tickets early as it is the hottest ticket on sale.
Our Opera programming continues to grow with an opera for every season, with our first in January exeat as we love a challenge; the outrageous and extravagant La Belle Helene with Opera della Luna. Early Summer will see Arcadian Opera performing the Magic Flute and Autumn sees them return with Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. On the lighter side of music and theatre, The Fingask Follies return for more frivolity and musical high jinks in the State Rooms in May.
We are seeing incredible theatre in the Roxburgh Hall with Theatre Adinfinitum’s ground breaking production of The Extraordinary Wall of Silence and their widely acclaimed children’s theatre, Chloe and the Colour Catcher. This summer sees the return of the Handlebards to the grounds at Stowe with Macbeth and A Comedy of Errors on the South Front followed by a new venture into the work of Oscar Wilde with the Importance of Being Earnest on the North Lawn of the Music School. But hold on to your picnics and hand bags as they have been known to incorporate the odd quiche or glass of wine in the performance.
Arts as Stowe membership has grown rapidly to over 400 paid members and attendance to all our Stoic performances and various events continues to impress with some wonderful feedback. As an Old Stoic or parent you have a complimentary Arts at Stowe membership; for any enquires about events please email us at thearts@stowe.co.uk or call us on 01280 818012
We look forward to welcoming you to one of our events in 2020.
Deborah Howe,
Director Arts at Stowe