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| Peak Voices |
One question mark surrounding this year’s mainly online Buxton Fringe was whether it would manage to have a sense of place.
Interestingly, a combination of our performers’ love of the local area, plus a feeling that the great outdoors is a safer option for us all in this Covid year, has meant that a good number of our shows have been filmed using the Peak District as a fabulous backdrop.
Clearly they are onto something; Peak Voices has had nearly 200 views of its video in which their wonderful singers perform big musical numbers while socially distanced from each other in beautiful green fields with sheep as their only audience. With a full orchestral soundtrack, the effect is quite surreal!
Comedian Andy Quirk introduces his engaging musical parodies from the middle of a wood in a quite personal show that takes his move from London to a new life in the Peak District as its theme. Meanwhile the three witches from Macbeth (complete with inquisitive dog) can be seen at a very familiar reservoir as part of The Shakespeare Jukebox’s locally filmed daily scenes. A different kind of jukebox - The Landscape Jukebox - urges you to engage both heart and mind as you select from a number of landscape scenes released in batches from July 11th.
One of the Fringe’s rare live events, The Lion and Albert (and Friends) is Zoomed to us from the heart of the Peak District - next show Wednesday 15th. Performer Lewis Hancock places himself under a tree and with one of those stone walls we do so well round here just behind him - watch the trailer here. Again, it feels slightly surreal for him to be talking about a zoo in Blackpool from this rural idyll. Then again, the Peak District is the kind of landscape that wants to give you a warm embrace, much like Marriott Edgar’s cheeky poems - even when they do feature a lion that (spoiler alert) actually eats someone!
I’m still working my way through the Fringe’s delicious repertoire of some 100 shows. Have you seen any other shows with Peak District locations? Why not let us know?
Stephanie Billen
Buxton Fringe
Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe
Instagram: @buxtonfringe
Hi Steph, thanks for these top tips on our beautiful surroundings, all absolutley lovely. I'd like add some more urban ones; The Buxton Garden Virtual Tour, The celebration of the Water Street Sensory Garden and The Serpentine Community Garden are all right on our doorstep here in Buxton. Enjoy!
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