Secret Garden Party Unveils Comedy and Speakers Line-up

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Secret Garden Party 2013

The Secret Garden Party is pleased to announce a superb line up of comedy and talks for this summer’s forthcoming Secret Forum/ Sunday Papers Live; funny, provocative, engaging…

Secret Forum unveils comedy and speakers line-up…..

Comedy takes over the reins on Thursday at The Secret Garden Party with upcoming stand–up stars such as Justin Moorhouse (Phoenix Nights, Looking for Eric), Radio 1’s Tom Deacon, Joel Dommott (Skins, Russell Howard), Joey Page (Buzzcocks), plus hilarious sketches from Late Night Gimp Fight; Dick Biscuit: Private Eye – a one-man double act, and all mc’d by world record holder, MC Tim FitzHigham (BBC’s Superhumans), with music from The Mad Cows.

Friday sees Sanderson Jones’ Comedy Sale -The world’s only 100% hand sold comedy show. Sanderson Jones’ personal interactive approach has taken the Edinburgh festival by storm, and rocked out the Sydney Opera House with a sold out show. He’ll be recruiting people in-person for a high-octane interactive Friday night ubershow.

Talks and Speakers..

If we could eradicate all recreational drugs overnight, should we?

This inaugural Deep Banter Assembly will host a stellar panel featuring ex-Government Drugs Czar, Professor David Nutt (Imperial College, London), Jamie Catto (One Giant Leap, founding member of Faithless), Mike Powers (author - Drugs 2.0) and Rachel Seifert (documentary film maker - Cocaine Unwrapped).

Dave will be exploring neuro-psycho pharmacology, Jamie will be chatting about the evolution of consciousness, Mike will delve into the mind-boggling juggernaut of global distribution and Rachel will remind us all of the inhumanly high cost of production in its current form. The point of this discussion is to raise the level of conversation around this critical global issue, avoiding outdated debate traps, in typically interactive and spontaneous SGP style.

Arts and Expression Theme – ‘Superstition’ 

To explore this year’s art & expression theme Secret Forum reached out to some world authorities on the supernatural, the inexplicable, and the irrational; and struck gold.

Bruce Hood - infamous experimental psychologist; Jonathan Cainer – Daily Mail Astrologer; Chloe Rhodes – author, journalist; chair - Chris French – British Humanist Association.  

David Icke – as previously announced, will present a talk in his own inimitable style

How to Act

An experimental interactive Town Hall meeting, where we bring together figures from the coalface of UK Activism for an apathy-smashing discussion on how to change the world. To include: Ed Howker & Shiv Malik. authors of the Jilted Generation; Trenton Oldfield – arrested for interrupting the Boat Race;  Sophia Al–Maria – artist, writer, film-maker; David Babbs of 38 Degrees, plus more TBA.

And… 

Ramita Navai, Danni Paffard - one of the key organisers of UKUncut, MoveYourMoney; Leila Dean -  Greenpeace, most notorious for throwing green custard over Peter Mandelson; Cat Hobbs - runs We Own It, a new online anti-privatisation campaign; Ann Pettifog; David Babbs – 38 Degrees. More to be announced….

Fine Dining Gatsby-style at Soul Fire Restaurant….

Set in an oak framed canvas hall, with white linens, bread ovens, chandeliers and table service, Soul Fire is the calm before the storm...

Doors open at ten each morning for Brunch; the hall is packed until two pm - Bloody Marys, Eggs any style, table service and piano music sotto voce.

At 6pm it’s time for the evening dining extravaganza -  finest attire is encouraged, whether it be superman costume or Gatsby gowns. The team of very lovely waitresses and waiters attend to your every desire. Three courses and a fine wine list. An experience recommended for all Gardeners heading into the night. For Sunday, the traditions of the roast are on offer. Soul Fire uses the finest produce for this.

Head Chef Charlie Nicoll weaves his magic on a daily basis at the much-celebrated Moro restaurant on Exmouth Market, having recently left a position running private dining for Sothebys. To celebrate our fifth anniversary this year we will be bringing in some very special chefs to join in the fun…Details to be announced soon. 

The incredible team of Bombas & Parr will be creating their exotic summer flavoured cocktail desserts.

Soho Theatre takeover at Black Cat Bar

The infamous Soho Theatre curates the surreal Friday revelry. Other wild spectacles, music and performances include Temper Temper, The Little Theatre Of Dolls, Needless Alley Collective's Cabaret Outre and the illustrious Miss Behave…

Pop-Up Parties……….

Across the site this year there will again be a wealth of perfectly formed pop-up parties.

In a smoky room at the back of a dark bar with glittering lights writhes a Sweaty Lingerie Party. With protagonists decked out in lace, latex, sweat and smiles. They move to the music as more people dance into their midst. 

At the Virgin Baptism spritely young SGP virgins will be crowd-surfed by sparkly veterans into the lake. Those young virgins arriving on Thursday will be embroiled in a Pagan Celebration in the Badger Woods as their initiation into the ways of the Garden.

The Bad Luck Ball  will be a place of lone magpies, of walking under ladders, of new shoes on the table, umbrellas held aloft indoors, and some of the cream-of-the-DJ-crop making you move. 

The Eclipse Party will pop the cherry of the new lake on Saturday afternoon. Fabulous fifties, swimsuits and polka dots. Actual real-life synchronized swimmers will perform for your viewing pleasure. 

The Apocalypso is an art-car-boat-bar. With tropical tunes whistling though her sails, she is filled to the gunnels with rare and spirited cocktails and crewed by future pirates.

Elsewhere the Wonderland Collective are teaming up with Bristol’s own Happy Daze for a dazzling glitter-filled party. White Mischief will be throwing one of their extraordinary vaudeville affairs somewhere on site whilst Rebel Bingo are bringing their brand of bingo debauchery for a secret session. Disco Knights will be laying down the beats with the Gypsy Disco crew, Fleet Macwood will be going their own way and wanting to be with you everywhere somewhere on site.

Published on 01 June 2013 by Wayne Feltham

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