Malpas gears up for second Arts and Literature festival

Feb 2 2012 by Carmella de Lucia, Chester Chronicle

IT WAS a roaring success in its first year, but the second Malpas Arts and Literary Festival will be better than ever when it returns for 2012, say organisers.

Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Malpas last year as Malfest brought top-quality art, music and drama to the village.

This year the event coincides with the Queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations, when it starts on May 31, and runs until June 3.

Providing some of the musical entertainment in St Oswald’s Church will be Trelawnyd Male Voice Choir, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, Crosby Symphony Orchestra, and festival choir, as well as a number of local bands who will perform throughout the day and evening in the Jubilee Hall.

At the Methodist church in Malpas High Street, talented artists, including some local ones, will be exhibiting and explaining their work to onlookers, from bronze sculptures to 3D imaging and calligraphy to porcelain painting.

On the literary front, there will be national and local authors speaking on diverse subjects, and The Peter Wheeler Short Story Competition will return once again to encourage budding authors to find their inner muse.

And, in the 200th anniversary year of the birth of Charles Dickens, a special performance of the writer’s Farewell Readings will be read by actor David Shaw.

Other appearances at the festival include Helga and Herr Flick from BBC TV comedy series ’Allo ’Allo, antiques expert Tim Wonnacott and Giles Hutchinson Smith, a leading authority on contemporary design.

The new Alternative Cinema feature will entertain both children and adults, showing classic films during the day and evening.

Festival organiser Fiona Midwood described the new addition to the festival as ‘a must for filmgoers to catch some of those wonderful films you’ve always wanted to see’.

She added: “It is going to be wonderful. The festival programme continues to develop and some very exciting names are in the pipeline so just watch this space.”

For latest news on the festival and information on ticket sales, visit www. malfest.com.