The Lyric Hammersmith’s free Summer Party returns this year with a host of interactive events and shows for families, taking place in and around the West London theatre on Saturday 12 July from 10:30 to 16:30.
This year the event is entitled Hegley’s Hammersmith Hanky Party and is themed around images and motifs of the British summer. The theatre and Lyric Square outside will be brimming with Morris Men, deckchairs, hanky hats, hanky bunting and sand pits.
The line up of free shows is headed by John Hegley & The Popticians. The group will perform twice in the main house along with Randolph The Remarkable, who will achieve feats of great skill involving fire and a bowl of lukewarm water. The show also includes a guest appearance from a larger-than-life virtual hanky dancer.
Also during the day, Tall Stories returns to the Lyric Hammersmith with How The Giraffe Got His Neck, a ridiculous new show for youngsters aged four and over; and Lyngo brings you Egg And Spoon, an interactive journey through the seasons aimed at children three and over. In the meantime, Steve Tiplady will be wandering through the party to gather an audience to tell improvised stories from his travels, inspired by what he finds in his hanky knapsack.
Out in Lyric Square there will be a rolling programme of music, circus and street theatre including Cartoon De Salvo’s Humungous Hammersmith Hanky Dance, in which the theatre company teaches the public a Morris dance, before the Hammersmith Morris Men make an appearance to wow the crowds with their hanky skills.
Free workshops for young ones include Messy Play, Hanky Hub – where children can indulge in a host of hanky-related fun – and the Lyric Beach Party, which transforms the theatre’s back terrace into the sea side, complete with sandpits and deckchairs.
Tickets for the Summer Party are free and available from 09:30 on the day. For information on performance times, visit www.lyric.co.uk
CB