Here comes the Hat Fair (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Here comes the Hat Fair

12:50pm Friday 7th May 2010

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THE Hat Fair, one of Europe’s largest and longest-running street theatre festivals, returns to Winchester from Thursday, July 1 to Sunday, July 4.

The annual extravaganza, now in its 36th year, aims to bring dozens of colourful shows to the city’s medieval streets.

Thousands of visitors are expected for the event, which is completely free, although people are welcome to put coins in the buckets carried by stewards if they like the shows.

Indeed, the festival takes its name from the upturned hats that street theatre folk used to display to attract loose change from passers by.

This year’s four-day event will feature more than 40 performers from the UK and overseas.

They include The Pitts, Pete Sweet and The English Gents and eye-catching shows from the Wired Aerial Theatre, Skate Naked, Stickleback Plasticus, Motionhouse and Urban Playground.

There will also be interactive installations around the town and at the Cathedral Green and The Great Hall courtyard including Little Lupin, BOSI’s Squirt or Shirt and Akedemi’s new show TBC to name but a few.

Festival organisers are also working with French partners in the ‘ZEPA network’ to present Les Trois Points de Suspension, Acid Kostik and VO Compagnie.

As well as the Anglo-French shows there will be several education events such as a parade of around 1,000 schoolchildren in the city centre on Friday, July 2.

And the day before, the festival will open with its traditional curtain raiser of ‘Inside Out Day’ where youngsters can ask questions of civic chiefs in Winchester.

The event is due to finish on Sunday lunchtime with a family picnic at Oram’s Arbour.

For more details about this year’s show visit www.hatfair.co.uk or call 01962 849841.

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