ARTS SCENE
LOOKING FOR JOE DIMAGGIO
From Titchfield Festival Theatre Until March 28 titchfieldfestivaltheatre.com
Looking for Joe DiMaggio, by local playwright Gary Orchard is Titchfield Festival Theatre’s final play in its 2021 New Writing Season. The play explores love, relationships and romance – in a funny, humorous way with relatable characters. All productions from TFT are currently being livestreamed. Looking for Joe DiMaggio is Gary Orchard’s second production for TFT this season – with hints of the successful TV sitcoms The Royle Family and Gavin & Stacey.
Judy is fed up with life. An usherette in a cinema, she dreams of the life she sees in the movies. Judy is in a loveless relationship, tired of the drudgery of life and a boring family.
Enter Max, a film addict and a romantic; can his outlook on life in his old age change her future for ever?
Set in 2005, this is a wonderfully
VOYAGES OF THE HEART
From Turner Sims, Southampton April 23 turnersims.co.uk
Voyages of The Heart, a powerful new work by renowned composer, producer, cellist and kora virtuoso Tunde Jegede, will bring the Mayflower 400 project to a close next month. This new ensemble music project is inspired by the stories of Southampton’s migrant and refugee communities, collected through the City Archive and a new National Lottery Heritage Fundsupported oral history project. It has been commissioned by Turner Sims Southampton and Southampton City Council as part of the Mayflower 400 programme.
Tunde describes the piece as: ‘about heritage, journeys, migration and the transitory sense of home and identities… [asking] pivotal questions of our perception of culture, memory, race and how we see the world.’ The piece involves 25 funny and heart-warming new play.
Sassy Harvey is making her directorial debut. She says: ‘Joe DiMaggio’s marriage to Marilyn Monroe was brief, lasting only nine months. However, after she died DiMaggio placed an order for roses to be laid on her grave hree times a week, hence e reference to roses in e play. A truly romantic esture; in spite of erything, Joe loved arilyn. is show is therefore ut how romance can exist in our lives. Judy is standing inside the Roxy cinema out of the rain, and starts up a conversation with Max. Max is an older man and a romantic – as well as a good listener. Judy, a young woman in her 20s, is unhappy in the relationship with her fiancé. As Max tells Judy the story of DiMaggio and Monroe, the two people get to know each other.’ ‘I have loved directing this play – and we have a great cast. Looking for Joe DiMaggio is funny, entertaining – and suggesting that in all of our lives, maybe old fashioned romance can still happen?’ musicians from a range of backgrounds including: gospel; opera, a Gaelic singer, and an Indian classical vocalist. Instruments include: a string quartet, Irish folk violin and flute, guitar, sitar, oud, tabla, drums and bass.
Caterina Loriggio, Mayflower 00 anniversary director ays: ‘It is fantastic to onclude our Mayflower 00 year with such a nique and uplifting oject. Throughout the gramme we have been ebrating Southampton as a city and a community made from journeys and migration, this truly heartfelt commission presents us with the hardships, struggles, fortitude and triumph of so many people who, for generations, have made Southampton their home and in doing so, not only inspires, but also reminds us of our commonality.”
Kevin Appleby, concert hall manager at Turner Sims adds: ‘Tunde Jegede has created an extraordinarily powerful, memorable and relevant work in response to the commission.’ It will be recorded at Turner Sims, to be premiered online.