Neville Holt Festival 2024
Nevill Holt, near Medbourne, a 13th century Leicestershire estate, is this year celebrating art in all its forms, when scores of famous names and acclaimed productions stop by for its inaugural multi- faceted festival which has expanded its annual opera festival to host music, theatre, art, comedy and fascinating talks with the likes of Andrew Marr, Elizabeth Day, Phil Tufnell and Kristin Scott-Thomas sharing the line-up with Mozart and Max Richter.
In addition, there will be a two-day residency from Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra, leading jazz and soul musicians Alexis Ffrench, Jalen Ngonda, Cecile McLorin Salvant and Jordan Mackampa will join comedians Jason Byrne, Seann Walsh, Mark Watson and the Austentatious improv group throughout the festival. Cricket legends Jonathan Agnew and Phil Tufnell will share captivating and hilarious tales in An Audience with Aggers and Tuffers, with other onstage versions of podcasts including Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail; Richard Coles, Cat Jarman and Charles Spencer’s Rabbit Hole Detectives, and Rachel Johnson and Plum Sykes’ Difficult Women.
Actor Anton Lesser, who played Thomas More in the TV drama Wolf Hall, will read excerpts from Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novel, with original music by Debbie Wiseman performed by Katherine Rockhill. The festival will include appearances from Alice Roberts, Emma Dabiri, Jenny Kleeman, Anthony Quinn, Mary Wellesley, Amy Trew, Audrey Osler, Love Ssega and Kassia St. Clair – while Michael Morpurgo will read passages from his novel War Horse with music from the National Theatre production.
As well as enjoying a range of food and drink from fine dining to BBQ, visitors will have the chance to explore outstanding pieces of modern British sculpture which feature throughout the gardens – including works by Anthony Caro and Antony Gormley.
Throughout its history, the estate’s owners have championed the arts, from the Kirkby and Nevill families to the Cunards, to its current owner David Ross, who has spent 12 years on the estate’s restoration.
David Ross said: “After twenty years of our highly popular summer opera festival, we wanted to create a more accessible model to build and expand upon our past success.
“I have always wanted the work we do here to be inviting to a genuinely wide range of audiences, and by expanding the programme we aim to create a Festival that has something for just about everyone.”
There is still time to book some of the productions for the festival’s final week.
Go to nevillholtfestival.com for a list of what’s on.
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