The
Accidental Festival takes place at the
Roundhouse in Camden over four days in May. Back for its sixth year, though its second at the Roundhouse, the festival promotes every artistic genre imaginable, giving artists and performers an opportunity to experiment and push the boundaries of their discipline, entertaining and provoking audiences, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure.
The event is organised by students studying Theatre Practice Performance Arts at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Many of these students have used their experience and gone on to work at major events such as Glastonbury, Latitude, the Brighton Festival and the Edinburgh Festival.
A special feature of this year's Accidental Festival is its work with the International Student Puppet Festival. The two events will be combining to "celebrate puppetry's unique ability to
engage with all types of people, not just theatre-going audiences," a spokesperson for the Puppet Festival says.
More than 40 performers and acts have been lined up for the Accidental Festival so far, with more talent being added all the time.
So what shows are on? For starters there's a performance at the Studio Theatre by the Accidental Youth Theatre and the Hampstead Theatre called
Heat & Light. Tickets cost just £5 for the show, which takes place on the 21st of May.
Also on the 21st is the
Comedy Showcase (again at the Studio Theatre). Besides a selection of comedy sketches, the evening also promises "a special new performance from the team behind the hit E4 series School of Comedy". Tickets are priced at £6.
If you'd prefer to save your cash and see something for free, you also have options, with various performances taking place in the bar, out on the terrace, and in the foyer. Click
here for details.
The Accidental Festival gives up-and-coming artists a great chance to work alongside more experienced performers while trying out new material. In the process, they gain wider exposure and audiences get to have an entertaining night (or afternoon) out.
