Royal Ballet and Opera comes to Maidstone…

A glittering gala performance featuring stars from the Royal Ballet, Rambert and the Royal Opera will be the highlight of a three-week festival celebrating the arts, starting in Maidstone this week.

Adam Park and Daniel Davidson from Rambert will perform a piece composed by Cheryl Frances-Hoad and choreographed by Simone Wurtz in the gala performance, on Saturday July 15, accompanied by Yshani Perinpanayagam on piano.

Performing on the same stage as these groundbreaking artists will be Royal Ballet principal Natalia Osipova, while classical pianist Reinis Zarins will be working with musical performance painter Maryleen Schiltkamp to put on a dramatic collaborative item before the Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Malcolm Greer, and other VIP guests.

Operatic tenor Jorge Colarado Navarro and mezzo soprano Maria Gulik, from the Royal Opera, will perform a specially- composed piece for the festival – a real coup for the county town and something organisers hope will raise the profile of Maidstone as a centre for the arts.

The evening promises to be a night to remember, with appearances too from the UK’s leading avante folk ensemble The Dead Rat Orchestra. Local performers taking part include The Maidstone Singers, Mixed Blessings and the Invicta Jazz Orchestra.

Tickets are now on sale, priced £20, from www.eventbrite.co.uk or 01622 737916.