SMOKE & MIRRORS: 4 & 5 NOVEMBER 2023
ENTERTAINMENT! BONFIRES! PYROS! REFRESHMENTS!
Photo by Thomas Byron Photography: Attendees at Smoke & Mirrors 2023.
Our 2023 Bonfire evening event, Smoke & Mirrors, took place at Paston Farm and Westraven Gardens on 4 and 5 November.
The evenings featured Lamphouse Theatre’s hilarious, musical retelling of the Gunpowder Plot; Chris Marley, Fire Performer; and live music by The String Beans and Peterborough College. Plus a bonfire, guys, sparklers, food and a family-friendly competition.
Tickets:
Tickets for this event were on a Pay-What-You-Can system.
WHAT IS PAY-WHAT-YOU-DECIDE?
“It’s like an honesty box.”
We think everyone should be able to afford to access Jumped Up’s live events. No one should have to choose between putting the heating on and coming to a great night of music and theatre. So we have set the lowest* price at 50p for children under-12, and £2 for everyone else. If you have been struggling to pay the bills we are very happy for you to pay this price – and appreciate your support.
If money is not such a big worry, we hope you will pay more, reflecting your income and how much fun Smoke & Mirrors is.
Or donate to Jumped Up Theatre here – the more we make from donations the more events we can create for young people and communities in the future.
Featured Acts:
Lamphouse Theatre & The Story of the Gunpowder Plot
Peterborough’s much-loved Lamphouse Theatre, with songs by Tom Fox and script by Becky Owen-Fisher, took audiences back through history, telling the tale of the failed Gunpowder Plot from 1605.
Get ready for a silly, funny and fast-paced show with lots of laughs in the best Lamphouse Theatre style.
Live Music from the String Beans & Peterborough College
The String Beans, well known for their frantic and heavily improvised live shows mixed with intricately arranged medleys, took the stage while students from Peterborough College, played acoustic music around the campfire.
Finale Fire Performance from Chris Marley
Chris learnt to juggle after a visit to a circus in his hometown. Now, he’s a Guinness World Record Breaker! His career has taken him across the United Kingdom and beyond, performing for audiences small and large at corporate events, cabarets, cruise ships, galas, private parties, and more.
The audience greatly enjoyed the heat of swirling fire sticks and many let out an “ahhhh” as he spun his pyros.
Plus a bonfire sculpture by Rose Croft…
Photos below were taken by Thomas Byron Photography and denote the featured artists and acts as listed above.
Photo by Thomas Byron Photography. An attendee waves a sparkler.
Sparklers & Photos Competition:
Both nights of Smoke & Mirrors ran a family-friendly competition: Which child (under-18) can do the coolest moves with a sparkler?*
The winners on both nights won a prize of two tickets for The Cresset’s 2023 Pantomime: The Wizard of Oz.
*(Volunteers and parents were present to ensure this was done safely.)
Attendees could also enter by uploading event photos and tagging Jumped Up Theatre.
Photo by Thomas Byron Photography. Attendees and volunteers for Smoke & Mirrors 2023.
How Did It Go?
With many attendees paying at the door, both nights for Smoke & Mirrors were sold out.
Attendees enjoyed the various acts, with one commenting:
“The sparklers for the kids were lovely, the band amazing, and the open air play both funny and engaging.”
Given the event was taking place outdoors, there was always a worry about bad weather. But both evenings went ahead with lots of fun and a great time had by all.
