News

Standon Calling Is A Crime Scene

• 20th May 2010

Standon Calling presents “Murder On The Standon Express”. Every nook and cranny of the festival site will be turned in to a real life set for this year’s Murder Mystery production. Think murder mysteries, whodunits and classic crime on a country manor. Elsewhere, think Bugsy Malone glamour & pie slinging hilarity. With burlesque and cabaret, world class foods and vintage fairs, Standon Calling has ensured this year’s festival site will be crammed to the rafters with inventive mayhem.

Heralding a festival first, Standon Calling plans to build a network of timber framed cobbled streets around its central hub of crime – BAKER STREET – leading into winding alleys of house and shops that will form the habitat of a host of characters brought to you by Interactive Theatre pioneers, The Heritage Arts Company. The HAC are also performing on 28th May at a pre event at The Cobden Club, West London.

Back at Standon, Sweeney Todd has set up shop offering wet shaves, Lord Binghams own personal tailor is on hand to glitz up your garb, the Lexi on the Run cinema will be screening a selection of classic crime while The Alibhai Gallery will be exhibiting all art at the festival as well as the much anticipated unveiling of Lord Bingham’s private collection. Also in the fold is Dr Sketchy’s crew featuring burlesque life drawing. For breakfast visit the Baker Street bakery for bread baking or later food workshops led by 2005 Masterchef Winner and Wahaca founder THOMASINA MIERS.

At the end of Baker Street lies the monolithic Standon Station housing the
Twisted Licks stage complete with platforms as well as Standon’s very own Victorian boozer – all aboard for one almighty weekend of Murder Mystery Mayhem!

Mat Burt from Heritage Arts Company says:
“We're really excited to be returning for our third year. It's going to be a unique experience for festivalgoers; there's no other event with the kind of living, narrative community we've got planned. There's a role for everyone – it's perfect for the imaginative and creative crowd that find themselves flocking to Standon Calling.”

INTRODUCING THE MURDEROUS SPACES…

Our onsite nightclub (6am license) returns under the moniker Camp Alcatraz that separates the men from the boys with a big dance line up as we raise our rainbow flag and release the pink police to patrol the proceedings.

Twisted Licks stage will be transformed into Baker Street Train station circa 1900 complete with platforms and archways which form the backdrop to Twisted Licks’ line up of the year’s hottest breaking acts.

The Crooked House stage will be a series of yurts with a classic Murder Mystery Country House backdrop, mixing décor inspired by Cluedo and Agatha Christie. Beware of secret passages! In Crooked House doors don’t always lead you were you might expect!

Book Club Boutique
Back by popular demand, BCB will be playing an even bigger part in the 2010 proceedings. Running their very own ‘Speakeasy’ area Radio 4 resident poet SALENA GODDEN’S Book Club Boutique believe wholeheartedly in preaching the 3 B’s – Books, Booze and Boogie-woogie. All themed around crime fiction, they run late into the night every night.