Bristol Mayfest 2014 Festival announced

Details have been announced for 2014 Mayfest, Bristol’s annual festival of contemporary theatre, which this year brings 39 shows, in 18 venues over 11 days running from the 15 to 25 May.

Headlining the 2014 programme is the UK premiere of The Roof, from Requardt and Rosenberg, creators of 2010’s sell-out Electric Hotel, produced by MAYK. A high-octane mix of parkour and contemporary dance, this is a 360° performance that will capture imaginations under the night sky in Millennium Square. Wearing headphones, the audience will enter a specially constructed square of rooftops, and will be transported into the body and mind of ‘a reluctant hero, desperate to stay alive.

For the first time in Mayfest history there will be a unique strand of family shows included in the festival. Kicking off is multi-award winning international company Aracaladanza with Constellations – a magical dance-theatre piece that uses puppetry and digital visuals to enchant ages 4 at Bristol Old Vic. There will also be a day time children’s version of the festival’s late night cabaret bar, at The Blind Tiger Cub.

Other shows include the multi-award winning international hit Smashed that brings contemporary circus to BOV with nine jugglers, 80 apples and four crockery sets and guarantees to ‘smash all your preconceptions about juggling to tiny pieces’.

The offsite Nightwalk is an immersive experience from artists Tom Bailey and Jez Riley French that follows a year-long residency with the National Trust. Audiences will be taken on a re-exploration of Leigh Woods using sounds that have resonated through the beloved Bristol landscape across its history.

New Art Club presents Feel About Your Body at Tobacco Factory Theatre, a show about how we ‘feel’ about our bodies. I Wish I Was Lonely at The Island (from the makers of last year’s the oh f**k moment) explores ‘contactability’ – inviting the audience to leave their phones on during the show – and asks how much of ourselves we’ve given up to the new gods in our pockets. Other highlights include an all-male version of Wuthering Heights, Opera North and The Tiger Lillies presenting LULU, and #TORYCORE, a punk gig where all the lyrics are taken from the speeches of chancellor George Osborne.

Matthew Austin and Kate Yedigaroff, artistic directors of Mayfest and MAYK said: "Mayfest is now in double figures and our 2014 programme continues to champion inspirational theatre-makers who dream big and think differently. As our festival heads in to its tweens we’re looking to the next generation with a new pilot strand of work for children and families.

"This year’s programme features a genre-busting selection of theatre from punk rock to ballet, spoken word to parkour, and we’re delighted to be welcoming artists from all over the world to a city where audiences are curious, adventurous and open to new experiences."

For further details please visit www.mayfestbristol.co.uk and www.mayk.org.uk

– Kris Hallett