Thursday 13th October – Sunday 16th October 2016
The Blenheim Palace Festival of Literature, Film and Music will return to the stunning grounds of Blenheim Palace from Thursday 13th October to Sunday 16th October 2016. A fantastic line-up of events has been confirmed so far and we are pleased to announce that an array of acclaimed actors and stars from the world of film and television are joining this year’s programme.
Award winning actor, director and writer Simon Callow will lead a special talk about the captivating life of film-maker Orson Welles and discuss his own personal fascination with biography and fellow human beings. Callow has written three volumes of biography on Orson Welles and will explore his distinctive work in film, television, stage, radio and ballet.
Best-loved Olivier-winning actress and witty writer Maureen Lipman will take a satirical look on celebrity life, exploring humorous celebrity and animal mash-ups from her latest book dubbed a ‘Lipman-agerie’. Lipman is known for many leading theatrical, television and film roles during her long and successful career and recently starred in West End productions of Harvey and My Mother Never Said I Should.
Actor and director Richard E Grant will chair an illustrated talk by renowned garden designers to Prince Charles and the Rothschilds Isabel and Julian Bannerman. They will discuss the process of creating a garden and explore the spectacular gardens and magical landscapes they have been involved in creating for themselves and famous clients. Richard E Grant is a well-known collector and admirer of Isabel Bannerman’s garden photography.
On the closing day of the Festival, Guildford School of Acting will return to the Festival with its sell-out performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Split Second Productions in the beautiful setting of the Blenheim Palace Orangery. The performance marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death this year and the 420th anniversary of the wedding between Lord Thomas Berkeley and Elizabeth Carey, for whose wedding the play was original written and performed.
The stunning festival backdrop of Blenheim Palace has also provided the setting for many modern films and classic period dramas including SPECTRE (007), Cinderella, The Young Victoria and Harry Potter and visitors can discover these famous locations on the Palace’s Film Trail. All tickets for the main festival events include entry to Blenheim Palace’s magnificent gardens and grounds on the day of the event.
Tickets are currently on sale for these events and booking is now open at www.blenheimpalaceliteraryfestival.com, on 0333 666 3366 or in person at Oxford Visitor Information Centre, Broad Street, Oxford and at The Feathers hotel, Woodstock.
To keep up to date with all speaker announcements and to book tickets, please visit www.blenheimpalaceliteraryfestival.com
If you are involved in this festival you can update or change details via the organisers page . Authors can list here.