Nevill Holt Festival 2024 includes comedy, music and authors
A three-week festival is underway with music, theatre, art, comedy, and talks by well-known people.
The first Nevill Holt Festival will see the likes of Andrew Marr, Elizabeth Day, Phil Tufnell and Kristin Scott-Thomas share the line-up with Mozart and modern-day composer Max Richter.
Nevill Holt Hall is a Grade I listed building, dating back to before 1300 in the village of the same name, close to Eyebrook Reservoir and the Rutland county border.
The festival events take place in the award-winning Nevill Holt theatre, within the estate grounds, and in the estate’s medieval chapel.
Tickets to Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra have already sold out, along with a talk by Alice Roberts on her new book, Crypt.
But tickets are still available to see comedians Jason Byrne, Seann Walsh and Mark Watson; cricket legends Jonathan Agnew and Phil Tufnell; and onstage versions of podcasts including Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail; Richard Coles, Cat Jarman and Charles Spencer’s Rabbit Hole Detectives; and Rachel Johnson and Plum Sykes’ Difficult Women.
Actor Anton Lesser, who played Thomas More in the TV drama Wolf Hall, will read excerpts from Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novel, with original music by Debbie Wiseman performed by Katherine Rockhill.
The festival will also include Michael Morpurgo reading passages from his novel War Horse, with music from the National Theatre production.
Fine dining through to barbecue food is available at the venue, and visitors can enjoy the Nevill Holt gardens, featuring sculptures by Anthony Caro and Antony Gormley.
Throughout its history the estate’s owners have championed the arts and its current owner David Ross, a co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, is no exception.
He said: “After 20 years of our highly popular summer opera festival, we wanted to create a more accessible model to build and expand upon our past success.
“I have always wanted the work we do here to be inviting to a genuinely wide range of audiences, and by expanding the programme we aim to create a festival that has something for just about everyone.”
The 2024 festival includes the organisation’s first ever guest festival director in the form of award-winning director and producer James Dacre and a new executive chair of the board, former director of Sky Arts, James Hunt.
James Dacre said: “For three weeks in June, Nevill Holt will be alive with music, performance, conversation and celebration.
“The very best of the performing and visual arts as well as literature and conversation will all join together in this magical place to present a diverse, entertaining and unique festival that I hope everyone will be proud of.”
James Hunt said: “Nevill Holt Festival 2024 will host an extraordinary programme of local, national and international talent.
“Thanks to the generosity of our many supporters, one of the Midlands’ most spectacular and notable estates will once again welcome an ever-broader audience fulfilling the long-held dream of owner David Ross to create a truly inclusive arts festival and venue fit for the 21st century.”
To view the full schedule and buy tickets visit https://nevillholtfestival.com/whats-on/
If you have an event coming up email news@lincsonline.co.uk
