-3311 days before the Arts Festival starts. Plan ahead – book your tickets NOW!
Here are synopses of 3 randomly selected events to whet your appetite …
The Hysterical Historical ShowFriday 6 July 8:00pm The Croft Hall  Cult theatre company and comedy duo LipService return to their stand-up roots in the Hysterical Historical Show a wacky whirlwind tour of Britain’s female national treasures. link |
Sleeping Trees: World TourSunday 8 July 8:00pm The Croft Hall  Comedy trio Sleeping Trees have been travelling around the world! They’ve been scuba-diving at the Great Barrier Reef, trekking the ancient Inca trails of Peru and gone dogging in Blackpool But what starts as an innocent journey of discovery soon leads to an intricate series of events, culminating in the secret mission to end all missions A story of love, revenge and friendship, and by friendship, we mean revenge. link |
Twinning Association presents film: The FairyThursday 14 July 8:00pm The Croft Hall  The Fairy (La Fée, dir Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, 2011) Practically a silent film in the spirit of Buster Keaton, Harold Loyd and Jacques Tati, this charmingly quirky tale of a hotel clerk who falls for an unlikely wish-granting fairy is a hugely enjoyable physical comedy Tickets to include sweet and savoury interval refreshments Bar open from 7. link |
Over 50 events in 17 days in July
The Arts Festival has a wide range of events and you can see your favourite ‘genre’ via our Events by Type page – or click on a link below.
| children | comedy | dancing | exhibition | family |
| film | music | photography | poetry | quiz |
| talk | theatre | tour | walk | workshop |
Tickets are available online – and you can save the booking fees by ordering your tickets before 1st May. We have also added a ‘shopping basket’ feature to enable multiple tickets purchase in one transaction.
Theatre events for HADCAF 2016
The Fossil Lady of Lyme
Friday 8 July 7:30pm The Croft Hall
The story of Mary Anning. She discovered the first complete fossil of a prehistoric reptile in Britain at the age of 12.
Just So Kipling: An exceedingly good story
Wednesday 13 July 7:30pm The Croft Hall
Using Rudyard Kipling’s stories and poems, Newbury Dramatic Society explores his life and times in an attempt to unravel the mixed feelings about him.
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Friday 15 July 8:00pm The Croft Hall
Combining edge-of-seat thrills with stunning physical theatre, this award-winning show brings Stevenson’s classic chillingly to life.
The Second Best Bed
Saturday 2 July 7:30pm The Croft Hall
Shakespeare famously left his wife Anne only one thing: the second best bed. This critically acclaimed play stars Liz Grand as Anne Hathaway, alone on the night of his funeral.
If music be the food of love …. we have a feast for you!
Apologies to William Shakespeare but we wanted to draw your attention to the wonderful range of music on offer in the Arts Festival this year.
| Hank Wangford Trio | British alt country music | Friday 1 July | |
| Kennet Opera | Opera | Saturday 2 July | |
| Blues in the Park : inc. Jacqui Dankworth | Jazz, Blues & Poetry | Sunday 3 July | |
| Jessica Wise & Guy Murgatroyd | Recital | Monday 4 July | |
| Songs For Summer | Singing workshop | Saturday 9 July | |
| A Jazzy Soiree : with Steph Richardson | Jazz | Saturday 9 July | |
| HADFEST featuring HAIZE | Indie-rock | Saturday 9 July | |
| Hungerford Town Band Concert | Brass band | Sunday 10 July | |
| Villiers Quartet | Classical | Sunday 10 July | |
| Organ Recital | Organ | Thursday 14 July | |
| Reading Community Gospel Choir | Soulful and groovy | Saturday 16 July | |
| Phoenix Brass Open Air Concert | Brass band | Sunday 17 July | |
| Moscow Drug Club | Cabaret | Sunday 17 July |
And we haven’t forgotten that it’s the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death – why not come and see
The Second Best Bed on Saturday 2 July
– a play set on the evening of Shakespeare’s funeral.
Tickets for all events are available online NOW and no booking fees are applicable at the moment.
Maureen Lipman and Jacqui Dankworth to headline HADCAF 2016
Hungerford & District Community Arts Festival (HADCAF) celebrates its 25th anniversary this year with an extra-special programme headlined by actress Maureen Lipman and jazz singer Jacqui Dankworth who, together with Jeremy Robson and Charlie Wood, appear in an unmissable evening of poetry, music and wit.
Further exciting events include performances by Hank Wangford, ‘the grizzled godfather of alt country music’, award-winning Australian comedian Sarah Kendall, the Villiers Quartet (‘one of the best young quartets around today’), the Reading Community Gospel Choir (finalists in last year’s BBC ‘Songs of Praise’ Gospel Choir of the Year competition), and the virtuosic cabaret quintet, Moscow Drug Club. The Second Best Bed, a play set on the evening of Shakespeare’s funeral, marks the 400th anniversary of his death, while more drama includes a thrilling production of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and the story of fossil hunter Mary Anning, the ‘Fossil Lady of Lyme‘.
The full Festival programme is designed to be diverse and inclusive, embracing a wide range of arts and leisure-related events: theatre, music of all kinds, literature, film, exhibitions, talks, children’s activities, workshops and opportunities to learn about local history, conservation and wildlife through guided walks in our beautiful countryside.
The 2016 Festival runs from Friday 1st – Sunday 17th July.
Tickets are available now online and as an incentive to book early, booking fees will not come into effect until May 1st. Printed programmes and tickets will be available from mid May from Newbury Building Society (Hungerford branch).
HADCAF is run entirely by volunteers and is funded by Hungerford Town Council, The Town and Manor of Hungerford, and Greenham Common Trust, together with sponsorship by local businesses and individuals whose generous help enables ticket prices to be kept as low as possible. Please see our 2016 list of sponsors here. Box office facilities are kindly provided by Newbury Building Society (Hungerford branch) and tickets are also available online.
If you would like to help out with the Festival or offer sponsorship, we would love to hear from you via the form on the CONTACT page.
