Author Archives: Tamla Thornton

1. Our 2025 Festive Gift Guide

   November 27, 2025 1:10 pm Comments Off on Our 2025 Festive Gift Guide

   It’s that time of year again…

   Our curated festive gift guide is back to help you win those brownie points around the tree on Christmas morning! From gigs to galleries, cinema to performance and comedy to courses, there’s an incredible experience waiting to be gifted to your loved ones this festive season.

   What’s more, gifting your loved ones an experience from us helps to continue doing what we love; providing the very best creative experiences for our community, all year round.

   Not sure what to buy? A Gift Voucher can be redeemed for anything in our programme, and makes the perfect present for that tricky-to-buy person.

   Take a look at our gift guide below and give an experience they’ll remember this Christmas.

   A gift for the gig-goers

   From ska to indie folk, we've got a music gig lined up for every music fan. Head to our full music programme, or see some 2026 highlights below.

   

   Au Pairs
   Fri 30 Jan | 7pm

   The first concert in over 40 years for legendary Post Punk group Au Pairs.

   

   Mother Vulture
   Sat 31 Jan | 7pm

   Celebrating the release of their new album ‘Cartoon Violence’ with a headline show at Exeter Phoenix.

   

   Omar Perry
   Wed 18 Feb | 7.30pm

   Omar Perry, son of Lee “Scratch” Perry, is joined by Easy Riddim Maker to pay tribute to one the greatest reggae legends ever.

   ONE FOR THE ART LOVERS

   We've got a series of limited-edition artist’s prints has been produced with Phoenix Gallery exhibiting artists to offer an affordable opportunity to buy contemporary artworks. The small profit from each sale is split between the artist and supporting Exeter Phoenix.  

   Take a look at the prints we have on sale here.

   

   a TRIP TO the theatre

   Take a look at our full performance programme here.

   

   I'm Muslamic Don't Panik

   Tue 03 Mar | 7.30pm

   A hilarious and heart-felt story of one man’s journey to Iran to discover his cultural heritage. Featuring a captivating mixture of live music, spoken word, break-dancing and comedy.

   

   The Mexico Mission

   Tue 14 Apr | 1.30pm

   Featuring a broad streak of quirky comedy, playful film noir references and inspired by the art of Frida Kahlo, The Mexico Mission! is a highly interactive playable show for families.

   for the film buffs

   

   

   With a programme packed full of eye-opening documentaries, special screening events, groundbreaking new releases and unique film festivals, there's a film waiting to be watched in our independent cinema, Studio 74.

   CINEMA TICKETS
   See our programme here and gift your loved one a pair of Cinema tickets for an upcoming film.

   STUDIO 74 MEMBERSHIP
   Alternatively, our Studio 74 Membership gives film lovers the opportunity to join our club, access discounts on every film we screen and receive exclusive offers at our café bar and with our partners.

   For the Comedy Lovers

   Take a look at our full comedy programme here.

   

   Mike Rice

   Tue 27 Jan | 7.30pm

   In this show Mike talks about doing psychedelics with his brother, an entanglement with a Spanish Sausage Dog named Nino, and many other such rotten adventures.

   

   Tom Rosenthal

   Sun 01 Feb | 8pm

   Star of Friday Night Dinner (C4) and Plebs (ITV), this is Tom’s much awaited return to stand-up following his critically-acclaimed 2019 show, Manhood.

   

   Chloe Petts

   Thu 19 Feb | 7.30pm

   Following three sell-out shows, Chloe Petts (Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You) returns with a brand-new tour, and she’s delving where she’s never delved before: this is a show about sex.

   For Families and young people

   

   James Phelan - The Man Who Was Magic

   Tue 06 + Thu 08 Jan | 8pm

   Dare to believe in magic as the UK’s #1 magic show returns with a completely new and uplifting production for 2026.

   

   Brickfilm: Lego Animation Workshop

   Mon 16 + Tue 17 Feb

   In this two day hands-on workshop you will use stop motion animation techniques to design, plan and shoot a short film using your favourite Lego from home.

   

   Willow Weaving Family Workshop: Notice Board

   Sat 21 Feb | 10.30am - 1pm

   Work with willow to weave your notice board for all those important things you want to remember and share.

   For the Creatives

   Take a look at our full courses & workshops programme here.

   

   Introduction to Radio & Podcast Production

   Thu 29 Jan | 10am - 5pm

   Take your first steps in podcasting and radio production and learn how to plan and produce your own short audio feature for podcast or broadcast.

   

   Willow Weaving: Bird Feeder

   Sat 17 Jan | 10.30am - 1pm

   Learn some basic willow weaving techniques and gear up for the spring and be ready to give your feathered friends a treat.

    

   

   Content Creation for Business

   Wed 25 Feb + Thu 26 Feb

   This course is your gateway to mastering the art of video production tailored specifically for business needs and marketing on social media.

   

   Introduction to Abstract Painting (5 Week Course)

   Mon 23 Feb - Mon 23 Mar

   Artist Liese Webley will guide you through a series of exercises designed to give you the confidence to develop your own abstract painting style.

   

   Digital Photography for Beginners

   Mon 23 Feb + Mon 02 Mar

   This photography course will build your confidence in photography skills, taking you from beginner to brilliant over two days.

   

   Gelli Plate Printing and Collage (5 Week Course)

   Thu 26 Feb - Thu 26 Mar

   This course has a focus on creating prints to use as collage material as well as combining collage and printing techniques.

   For our Supporters

   

   Know someone who loves visiting Exeter Phoenix?

   Gift them a Friend of Exeter Phoenix Membership for an exclusive peak behind the curtain with personal newsletters as well as a welcome pack featuring a limited edition pin badge and an exclusive set of postcards designed by members of our community.

   

   Treat a dedicated Exeter Phoenix fan to one of our Limited Edition T Shirts - available to purchase online here.

   The T Shirt design was created by Louise Ord and is based on a drawing by Sarah Smalldon (commissioned by LOW PROFILE).

   

   Adopt a Seat in our Auditorium in someones name - they'll get a plaque on seat that reads whatever you like, perfect for frequent event goers to show off to their friends! When you adopt a seat, they'll receive:

   • A plaque on the back of our seat, with up to 60 characters to say whatever you want. This will stay in place for five years.
   • A certificate and photo of your adopted seat and plaque
   • A bespoke I Chaired Up Exeter Phoenix enamel badge
   • Your name right here on our website and a thank you on social media
   • A special I Chaired Up Exeter Phoenix profile pic for your Facebook profile

2. Guest Blog: A Film Review of Bugonia by D&C Film

   November 13, 2025 4:10 pm Comments Off on Guest Blog: A Film Review of Bugonia by D&C Film

   Bugonia | Lanthimos serves up comedy, conspiracies and tragedy

   By Rocco Plaja Morgan, originally posted by D&C Film

   Is there any comedy in turning to conspiracy theories to deal with personal tragedies? –  This is the central question which will determine whether Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia will work for you.

   The word ‘Bugonia’ itself is a Greek term which describes an ancient Mediterranean practice and/or poetic belief that bees could spontaneously be generated out of a cow’s carcass. This then lends itself as an appropriate title for this adaptation of the 2003 Korean film Save the Green Planet!

   “Like sex… only better…”

   Accordingly, the film begins with a narration from Jesse Plemmons over shots of bees pollinating flowers, setting up the environmental concern central to the film. Plemmons’ character Teddy describes the pollination process as being “like sex… only better, because no one gets hurt”: a quote which might be the best initial contextualisation of the film and Plemmons’ character’s worldview.

   CONSPIRACIES

   The commencing story then follows Teddy along with his cousin Don (Aidan Delbis) as they kidnap pharmaceutical CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone), suspecting her to be an alien from Andromeda sent to destroy Earth. The belief stems from Teddy’s indoctrination into an online conspiracy theory. Due to radicalisation and conspiracy theories being rife within the current digital age, Bugonia’s premise sets up a contemporarily relevant context with its portrayal of characters and themes.

   Compelling corporate-ese

   Adding to the worth of Bugonia’s premise, stars Emma Stone and Jesse Plemmons once again deliver emotional and compelling performances, once again meeting the high bar these two actors are known for. The interactions may stagnate in places; the back-and-forth between these two characters follows a repetitive scenario of “duck season/rabbit season” arguments, with Michelle’s attempts to deny her alien accusation and Teddy’s unwavering commitment to his conspiracy. However, the actors turn this exchange into compelling viewing, particularly with the inhuman corporate-ese vernacular of a pharmaceutical CEO.

   ‘Bees, basement and spaceship’

   Outside of the performances, the arresting orchestral score composed by Jerskin Fendrix is also a highly noteworthy component of the film. Fendrix had to compose the score without a script; the only instructions offered by Lanthimos were the words ‘bees, basement and spaceship’.

   Pain and destruction

   While Bugonia may frustrate some (don’t expect any answers to the societal and personal issues presented in the film), I still think it is a film which has value in its endeavour to consider humans who are drawn to conspiracies to explain away their personal tragedies. It questions the humanity of the powerful who have a direct hand in contributing to human pain and earth’s destruction. Coupled with the artistic merit of the production and performances, Bugonia is a film which should be seen and interpreted by those willing to be engaged in these discussions… and those who can handle some gore alongside.

   NATURALISTIC

   Bugonia is in some ways more naturalistic than the stereotypes associated with Lanthimos’s filmic style. The dialogue is one key indication of this shift in form. However, I think it’s redundant to try and rank Bugonia among Lanthimos’s other work. I would certainly stress to potential viewers that they should take what they can from the piece, and understand and interpret the film on its own merits, rather than viewing it through the context of trying to place it within the artist’s oeuvre.

   10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

   If you fit these criteria, the Exeter Phoenix will be the perfect venue to visit it in, as this stable of the South West’s art scene celebrates its 10-year anniversary as Exeter’s home of independent cinema. Experiencing Bugonia in Studio 74 was a particular pleasure.

   Bugonia is at Studio 74 from Fri 14 to Thu 20 Nov. Check the times and get your tickets here.

3. Reflections and Award Winners from Exeter Contemporary Open 2025

   November 11, 2025 1:36 pm Comments Off on Reflections and Award Winners from Exeter Contemporary Open 2025

   Exeter Phoenix recently closed the door on another brilliant Exeter Contemporary Open (ECO), our annual exhibition celebrating some of the most exciting new contemporary art being created across the UK. Running from 12 Sep to 01 Nov 2025, this year’s exhibition brought together fourteen artists working across a diverse range of artistic practice, from painting and sculpture, to film, photography and textiles.

   Now in its nineteenth year, ECO continues to play an important role in the South West’s cultural calendar, providing a platform for the careers of emerging artists.

   Audience feedback described this year’s exhibition as “thought provoking and delightful,” “a great selection of work with strong relevant themes” and “better than the Tate Modern, visually and in passionate meanings behind all the works.” Thank you to each and every one of you who visited!

   In this blog, we look back at the artists who made up this year’s exhibition, reflect on some of the feedback from our audiences, and highlight the award winners (Overall Awards and Audience Choice Award), who were recognised for their outstanding contributions to ECO 2025.

   Featured Artists

   This year’s artists were selected by Harriet Cooper (Director of The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum), Remi Rana-Allen (artist and educator), and Matt Burrows (Gallery Curator and Manager, Exeter Phoenix). From hundreds of national submissions, the panel selected fourteen artists whose work reflected the diversity and ambition of contemporary practice today.

   Helen Acklam

   Helen grew up in a coal mining valley in South Wales and is now based in Bristol. Through an embodied, site-specific practice, she makes sprawling connections between land and body, somatics (physical perception) and personal mythology.

   Collaborating with the already-meaningful materials of the landscape – earth, coal and stone – she explores her identity as a mother without children, and the impact of culture and place on individuals, communities and land.

   helenacklam.com @h.a.pics 

   

   Stacey Allan

   Stacey is a Surrey-based multi-disciplinary artist using sculpture, installation, video, and sound. Her work explores feminist world-building to address the everyday silencing of women through a whimsical, allegorical lens.

   She draws influences from folk art, surrealism and science fiction to develop her own mythology of deities and imagined realms, where the overlooked stories of women are celebrated, and all women’s voices are heard.

   staceyallanart.com @staceyallanart 

   

   Chris Alton - OVERALL AWARD WINNER #1

   Chris is a Devon-born, Manchester-based artist whose practice includes socially engaged projects, video essays, textile banners, and publications. 

   Each of his projects addresses an array of interconnected social, political, economic and environmental concerns, including; public space, mythology, soft power, tax avoidance, hierarchies, Britain's colonial history, and climate justice, amongst others.

   chrisalton.com @chrisalton

   

   Yiduo Cheng - OVERALL AWARD WINNER #2

   Yiduo is an interdisciplinary artist, based in London. Her practice seeks to uncover hidden and institutionalised structures, perceptions, and narratives within the chaos of contemporary social order, while challenging the anthropocentric and hierarchical paradigms that dominate our understanding of the world.

   She explores the tension between viewing animals as autonomous beings versus commodified resources, a duality that mirrors broader ethical dilemmas in capitalism, ecology, and post-humanist philosophy. She interrogates the paradox of our dual roles as caretakers and predators, a dynamic that echoes colonial structures in which dominance is masked as benevolence.

   @yydd_cheng

   

   Andy Cluer - OVERALL AWARD WINNER #3

   Andy is a Devon based visual artist working in sound, sculpture and drawing. His practice explores relationships between different environments and human experiences, aiming to understand how we perceive and interact with the spaces we occupy, and how we have inflicted our presence on the land.

   He intends to reveal new dimensions and possibilities within these environments, which may have otherwise gone unnoticed.

   andycluer.co.uk @andycluer

   

   Mani Kambo

   Mani is a multidisciplinary artist, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, whose practice is rooted a family history within the caste system. Influenced by her upbringing in a household filled with superstition, prayer and religious ceremony, she employs a variety of personal totemic symbols.

   By layering and editing these images, she collages narratives and weaves dreamscapes, focusing on objects, routines and rituals distilled both from both the everyday and from mythology.

   manikambo.co.uk @manikambo

   

   Kenji Lim - AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD WINNER

   Kenji is a Singapore-born British artist who works in sculpture, video, digital collage, installation, and painting. His work reflects and refracts the experience of the natural world through the prisms of culture, myth, philosophy, and the metaphysical. He attempts to shed the human way of seeing the world and think about what the world might look like through non-human eyes, those of another entity.

   Our visitors particularly loved Cherbub - an angelic floating baby, hanging from a stream of its own glittering faeces. Its gaze challenges the viewer, meeting you as an equal of unfamiliar origin with huge unblinking eyes.

   kenjilim.com @kenji_lim_

   

   Giles Round

   Giles is based in East Sussex and works across architecture, art and design. His work often plays out through open-ended projects in which exhibitions themselves become the medium, creating conceptual frameworks to interrogate the role of the artist as an agent of transformation.

   gilesround.co.uk @gilesround

   

   Divya Sharma

   is a London-based British Indian artist who works in tapestry to weave strands of myth, stories and culture around her mother tongue Tamil. She uses salvaged or constructed materials, often combining tufting with glass beads that catch and refract the light to explore imagined, hidden, forgotten and ignored stories.

   artbydivya.com @divyasharmastudio

   

   Nancy Singh

   Nancy is an academic and artist originally from India who now lives and works in Bristol. Working in photography, installation and film, she explores themes of gender, identity, race and culture, aiming to capture reimagined moments that come from a place of nostalgia, memory and experience.

   nanceesin.com @nancee.sin

   

   Ross Taylor

   Ross is a London based artist who, through painting, performance and making books, reveals an inner world of personal stories and fictional characters, while probing the ambiguity of the creative process itself.

   On taking part in ECO 2025, Ross said: “I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for including my work and myself in such a brilliant show and part of a lovely experience. It genuinely was one of the most positive, friendly and best curated shows I've been part of.  I had such a lovely few days in Exeter, all of the artists and the team at the Phoenix were so warm and lovely. A real testament to the Open itself.”

   ross-taylor.info @rislepeross

   

   Sophie Wake

   Sophie is a Devon-based painter and ceramicist who is influenced by shamanism, rock art, ancient clay models and pottery, and celebrates the power of raw basic human emotion in simple and authentic forms.

   Her practice is guided instinctive and automatic process of deep self-enquiry that are suffused with spiritual practices of meditation and ceremony.

   sophiewake.com @sophiewake_artist 

   

   Charlotte Warne Thomas

   Charlotte lives in London, UK. Her practice explores the relationships between labour, work and care to disrupt perceptions of value through a feminist lens.

   She focuses on invisible labour, both of unpaid familial care by mothers* and of women artists, whose work continues to be overlooked and undervalued by a market-oriented art world. She probes the way these two inequalities intersect, the role of ‘love’ in both unpaid domestic care and (women) artists’ work, and the concepts of both reproductive and emotional labour.

   charlottewarnethomas.com @charlottewarnethomas

   

   Lily Wei

   Lily is a Chinese-New Zealander who lives and works in London. Drawing on her experiences growing up between New Zealand and China, she explores themes of Third Culture identity - those who don't fully identify either with their parents' culture, or the culture of the place they live.

   Her paintings aim to celebrate being part of the Asian diaspora, and to explore displacement, museum repatriation, movement and the (Welsh) concept of Hiraeth - or longing for home and identity.

   yuyanglilywei.com @lilywei_art 

   

   From large-scale installations to intimate paintings, this years exhibition offered audiences the chance to engage with new perspectives and contemporary artistic experimentation.

   We’d like to thank everyone who visited the exhibition, came along to a tour, or voted in the Audience Choice Award, and we look forward to returning with ECO 2026 next year.

   Image credits: Dom Moore

4. Studio 74 10th Anniversary: A Decade of Difference

   October 27, 2025 6:08 pm Comments Off on Studio 74 10th Anniversary: A Decade of Difference

   Celebrating 10 years of studio 74: The Home of Independent Cinema

   This year marks 10 years of Studio 74; a whole decade of eye-opening documentaries, special events, film festivals, exclusive previews, and unique experiences.

   To celebrate, we’re looking back at the first 10 films programmed at our iconic cinema here at Exeter Phoenix. These films capture the spirit of what Studio 74 has always been about: bold, brave cinema that draws from the old, the new and the unseen.

   Join us on a trip down memory lane and revisit some of our first ever screenings with us!

   BRIEF ENCOUNTER

   Brief Encounter first arrived in Studio 74 ten years ago and was originally programmed alongside the BFI LOVE season. You can read our 'Behind the Scenes' review of Brief Encounter from 2015 here.

   In December, it returns to Studio 74 as part of our Too Much: Melodrama on Film series  — a chance to experience David Lean’s timeless story of love, restraint and what might have been, exactly where it belongs: on the big screen. Get your tickets here.

   

   THE WOLFPACK
   

   Directed by Crystal Moselle, who later directed a programmers’ favourite, Skate Kitchen featured as part of our WOW Exeter programme.

   This screening came with a post-show conversation with some of the UK’s most epic roller and board sportspeople, including regional surfer Sophie Hellyer.

   Read our Q&A from the year 2015 with Crystal Moselle here.

   IT FOLLOWS

   David Robert Mitchell’s unsettling horror about a teenager haunted by a nightmarish vision after a sexual encounter. The director’s new film Flowervale Street opens in 2026, and we can’t wait to screen it!

   THE LIVES OF OTHERS

   Part of our Crossing the Line season and winner of Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, The Lives of Others captures the tense world of a police surveillance officer in 1980s East Germany.

   THE DESCENT

   Hands up — who went caving after watching this one? This sell-out screening partnered with Exeter’s Underground Passages, who hosted a pre-show spooky stroll through the subterranean tunnels beneath the city. We even had a personalised intro from the director.

   Fun fact: The Descent turns 20 this year — sounds like an anniversary worth celebrating…

   BLUE VELVET

   David Lynch has a special place in our hearts (and on our screens) and bringing Twin Peaks to Studio 74 earlier this year was a standout moment.

   Blue Velvet featured as part of the BFI LOVE season — complete with hidden “ears” under the seats and prizes for those who found them.

   SUFFRAGETTE

   Directed by Sarah Gavron, who went on to create Rocks (screened at Studio 74 in 2019).

   Suffragette championed the power of British filmmaking and the stories of women who fought for their rights.

   

   THE LOBSTER

   This was when Yorgos Lanthimos met Colin Farrell — before they teamed up again for the multi-award-winning The Favourite.

   In this macabre, dystopian and absurd second feature, single people are turned into an animal of their choice if they fail to find a partner.

   For fans of Lanthimos, his latest film Bugonia screens at Studio 74 from November, with a special event screening on the Sat 01 Nov 2025.

   TAXI TEHRAN

   Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been a Studio 74 regular across our first decade. Taxi Tehran is a playful, on-the-fly look at everyday life, following Panahi as a taxi driver capturing candid conversations across Tehran. His films are always humane, heartfelt and quietly rebellious.

   We were also recently privileged to host a preview of his latest film It Was Just An Accident (with thanks to Mubi) on Sat 25 Oct 2025.

   LADY IN THE VAN

   Alan Bennett’s true story of Miss Shepherd comes to life in this Nicholas Hytner adaptation starring Maggie Smith as the eccentric lady living on Bennett’s driveway. It was a crowd-pleaser with real warmth and wit.

   RARE EXPORTS

   “The most wonderfully demented, off-the-rails Christmas movie you’ll ever see.”

   A frequent festive visitor to Studio 74, this Nordic anti-Santa tale spreads joy through its message of community spirit — with a side of chaos. Nothing says Christmas like having to take down Santa and his little helpers with your fellow villagers on Christmas Eve.

   Here’s to the Next 10!

   10 years in, Studio 74 remains a space for bold, brave cinema that inspires and connects. From cult classics to contemporary voices, packed-out previews to cinematic discoveries, every screening has added to the vision of Studio 74 that we set out to create back in 2015.

   Here’s to the next 10 years, and to all of you who make Studio 74 a home for independent film!

5. Introducing the French Film Festival 2025

   October 24, 2025 7:52 am Comments Off on Introducing the French Film Festival 2025

   For the first time, Studio 74 is thrilled to be part of the French Film Festival, a nationwide celebration of cinéma français, with a hand picked selection of 5 of the best French Films available to audiences in 2025. 

   Our selection was created with Studio 74 audiences at its heart, which is why we have gone brave and bold with a blend of new (wave), animated story telling and thrilling big screen experiences.

   There really is something pour tout le monde!

   

   The Shepherd and the Bear
   Le Berger et l’Ours
   Fri 07 Nov | 5.45pm

   The Festival opens on Fri 07 Nov with The Shepherd and the Bear, a documentary featuring breathtaking cinematography and immersive storytelling of a community’s relationship with a vanishing natural world (and bear tracking).

   Through its breathtaking cinematography and immersive storytelling, this modern folktale tells of tradition, community and humanity’s relationship with a vanishing natural world. UK film-maker Max Keegan moved to France for three years to make it.

   Nouvelle Vague
   Fri 07 Nov | 8.15pm

   Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague headlines Friday night. A mischievous declaration of love for the 1959 cult film, Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard), sees the director revisits this film movement that changed the history of cinema by using techniques characteristic of that time; elliptical editing, black and white, breaks in tone, and hand-held cameras.

   Nouvelle Vague is as stylish and inspired as we all hoped it would be. Linklater appears again in Studio 74 this month with Blue Moon. 

   

   

   A Magnificent Life
   Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol
   Sat 08 Nov | 3.30pm

   Saturday 8 November offers a tricolour of french fancies starting with the stunning animation by The Illusionist director, Sylvain Chomet and his new film A Magnificent Life.

   French playwright, filmmaker, and inventor Marcel Pagnol at 61 appears very close to giving up on his career, so a younger Marcel comes to the rescue. When asked to write a memoir, Pagnol simply can’t do it––not without the help of hope and optimism personified in the figure of young Marcel.

   A Private Life
   Vie Privée
   Sat 08 Nov | 5.45pm

   Jodie Foster leads as a renowned psychiatrist in A Private Life, investigating the death of one of her patients. She becomes deeply troubled and is convinced that it was murder. She decides to investigate…

   The director plays with the duality of tones: between deliberate comedy and deep dives into a personality full of grey areas. It's thrilling, comical and gripping.

   

   

   Sirât
   Sat 08 Nov | 8.15pm

   The festival ends with an absolute banger, Sirât, which follows a father across a rave strewn desert in search of his missing daughter. Winner of Grand jury Prize at Cannes 2025 this is a mystical odyssey that packs a punch.

   After the film, join us in the bar for a rave inspired DJ set.

   Explore our French Film Festival line up and get your tickets here. Amusez vous bien!

6. South West Dance Hub Present: An Evening of Dance and Collaboration

   October 9, 2025 3:20 pm Comments Off on South West Dance Hub Present: An Evening of Dance and Collaboration

   This month, we shine a spotlight on An Evening of Dance and Collaboration, hosted by the South West Dance Hub (SWDH). The event celebrates and supports the dance companies in the South West by bringing them together for a night of performance and creative exchange.

   SWDH sat down with four dance company directors to explore the inspirations behind their work and the collaborative processes that shaped them.

   Ruth Bell: Swift Dance Company
   Work: Curiouser

   "Curiouser draws on my continued investigation into costume in performance. During the devising process landscapes and characters emerge through the interactions of the performer, Willa Faulkner, with the wearable objects sculpted from 19th century newsprint. We explored themes of time and its circular nature, how words can create limitations or freedom and the sense of exploration and adventure.

   Collaboration with sound artist Jenny Pill is an exciting part of this process. For me working with other artists is a continually evolving dialogue and can bring surprises and new directions to the work."

   

   

   

   Claire Parker: NooN Collective
   Work: Penumbra

   NooN Collective are collaborating with members of Swift Dance Company to present extracts from a new evolving work ‘Penumbra’, first developed for performance in Kent’s Cavern.

   Penumbra is a series of dreamlike encounters in sound, movement and projection, exploring themes of being in the dark, the shadow, mythologies and deep geological time.

   The work is inspired by NooN’s year long collaboration with experimental sound artist Arnont Nongyao based in Thailand with support from a British Council International Collaboration Grant. NooN and Arnont have spent time in caves in the UK and Thailand, and in virtual and imagined caves of the internet and their imaginations. They have collected and shared sounds, images, movement scores and fragments of meaning from these adventures.

   This process and these materials have formed the basis for an experimental and interdisciplinary improvisation practice for performance.
   

   Jenny Pill: Swift Dance Company
   Work: The Golden Spiral

   "My starting point was the Fibonacci Sequence; a fascinating maths equation, evident in many aspects of nature in the form of beautiful spirals. Using this as inspiration, I worked with the dancers to develop physical expressions of the golden spiral. We delved into ‘Fib Poetry’; a discipline using the maths equation as a strict word/syllable boundary. We made a short film on a local beach to accompany the live performance.

   I have created a sound score influenced by both the maths and the dancers. The predominating themes are beauty, peaceful presence, flow and form. It has been a pleasure to develop, and I hope this enjoyment will transmit from the dancers to the audience"

   

   

   Maria Tarokh: SHE
   Work: LAYLI

   "LAYLI is a feminist adaptation of a classical poem (Layli & Majnun), using dance and spoken word. L&M is a seminal classical text that has become part of the cultural zeitgeist across the SWANA region and diasporas. LAYLI focuses on the female perspective, taking a tongue in cheek approach to the descriptions of her beauty and amplifying her voice. The movement focuses on loyalty, devotion, and sacrifice.

   The research and development of the piece has involved working with the dance hub to look at how poetry informs choreography, working on dramaturgy with Beyond Face and liaising with the University of Exeter Middle Eastern studies department to understand the deeper meanings of Ganjavi’s work and how to approach a feminist reimagining of a classical text."

   South West Dance Hub Present: An Evening of Dance & Collaboration takes place on Mon, Nov 10 at 7pm. Book your tickets here.

7. Announcing our Edinburgh Fringe transfers 2025

   September 10, 2025 11:05 am Comments Off on Announcing our Edinburgh Fringe transfers 2025

   Our live performance programmers recently returned from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival — the world’s largest arts festival — a trip they each take every August to discover and experience some of the best shows on offer, with a view to bringing them to Exeter Phoenix. 

   In this article, Exeter Phoenix Director Patrick and Performance Programmer Katy talk us through some of their top Edinburgh Fringe transfers coming up in our Autumn season of events.

   

   THE CHAOS THAT HAS BEEN AND WILL NO DOUBT RETURN

   Katy: One of my highlights from last year's Fringe, that well-deservedly enjoyed a sold-out Edinburgh run, is critically-acclaimed The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return; a powerful, high-energy performance piece set in early-noughties Luton.

   With clever storytelling and a nostalgia-laced soundtrack, the show really pushes people’s expectations of what theatre can be and places working class stories centre stage with humour, and hope – you won't want to miss this one!

   Tue 18 Nov | 7:30pm | 13+ | 75 minutes (no interval)

   FIND OUT MORE

   HELEN BAUER

   Patrick: We’re excited to welcome award-winning comedian Helen Bauer to Exeter Phoenix, bringing a brand new show to our venue!

   As seen on Live at the Apollo (BBC2), 8 Out of 10 Cats (C4), Am I Being Unreasonable (BBC One) and Extraordinary (Disney+), Helen also co-hosts the hugely popular, award-winning podcast Trusty Hogs.
   
   Tue 23 Sep | 7pm | 16+

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   IRONING BOARD MAN

   Katy: One for adults of any age seeking a fun night out, or families with children aged 12+ looking to bring some cheer during the new school term: Ironing Board Man captures imaginations through comedy performer Jody Kamili’s incredible ability to turn everyday mundane objects into hilarious props from movies such as Batman, Dirty Dancing, Titanic, Gladiator and The Matrix, to name a few!

   A perfect embodiment of the creative ingenuity that makes the Fringe.

   Tue 30 Sep | 7:30pm | 12+ | 55 minutes (no interval)

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   ORDINARY DECENT CRIMINAL

   Patrick: A brand new play from the writer of the Fringe First winning England & Son and A Political History of Smack & Crack, Ed Edwards reunites with Mark Thomas to tell a tale of freedom, revolution and messy love in Ordinary Decent Criminal.

   Expect activism and storytelling combined with humour, wit and ferociousness!

   Tue 07 Oct & Wed 08 Oct | 8pm | 16+

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   EDY HURST'S THE WONDERFULL DISCOVERIE OF WITCHES IN THE COUNTIE OF HIMSELF
   
   Katy: Fresh from the Lowry's prestigious ‘Developed With’ artist development programme, Edy Hurst’s The Wonderfull Discoverie of Witches in the Countie of Himself is a lovely little dive into one person's neurodivergent mind; celebrating our differences through a playful mish-mash of popular culture and folklore.

   Thanks to his highly original and inventive work, Edy is fast becoming a rising star of the UK alternative and mainstream comedy circuit; this brilliantly fun and genuinely uplifting show will leave audiences feeling enlightened, while unstoppably grinning from ear to ear. 

   Fri 03 Oct | 7pm | 14+ | 60 minutes (no interval)

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   GLENN MOORE: PLEASE SIR, GLENN I HAVE SOME MOORE?

   Patrick: As seen on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week and Cats Does Countdown, Glenn Moore brings his critically acclaimed show Please Sir, Glenn I Have Some Moore? to Exeter Phoenix this November.

   Known for his lightning-fast delivery and razor-sharp punchlines, Glenn has earned a reputation as one of the finest joke-writers of his generation. A must-see for comedy fans who like their stand-up clever, quick, and relentlessly funny.

   Sun 09 Nov | 7.30pm | 14+

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   DO ALL THE THINGS

   Katy: We are very excited to welcome A&E Comedy back to Exeter Phoenix following their hilarious performance of Witch Hunt back in October 2022.

   As if Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s endorsement “I think they are amazing!” isn’t enough, the incomparable duo have brought joy to audiences all over the UK, receiving comments for their latest show, DO ALL THE THINGS, such as: “What a surprising, entertaining, most magical experience! I think everyone should go and see it. I’d go again and again and again and again, I’d just keep going!”

   This is a wonderful community-building show that presents more as cabaret than theatre, bringing people together through games and sing/dance-alongs (with optional stage invasion) “like the music-hall of olden times brought bang up to date” (FringeReview) and inviting them to drop all their inhibitions and play. 

   Sunday 5th Oct | 7:30pm | 16+ | 90 minutes (including intervals)

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   JOSIE LONG: NOW IS THE TIME OF MONSTERS

   Patrick: Three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Josie Long is back with a new show full of wonder, extinction, and unexpectedly huge prehistoric armadillos. Blending big ideas with warm, offbeat laughs, Now is the time for Monsters  is a funny, heartfelt journey through disaster, discovery, and the tiny things that keep us going — including a surprisingly useful tip about silt.

   Wed 19 Nov | 8pm

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   Much needed laughter, outrageous interactions, otherworldly experience and moments of nostalgia can be expected in our eclectic season of events this Autumn – discover our full comedy and performance programme coming up here and book your favourites in advance while availability lasts!