FELA! for Latitude

Latitude Festival is to host a highlight show of the fantastic National Theatre musical FELA! which celebrates the life of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, ahead of their six-week run at Sadler’s Wells this summer.

The show which was also broadcast live to UK cinemas, has had a triple Tony Award-winning run on Broadway, and the highlights show will take place on the Waterfront Stage which floats on the surface of Latitude'’s central lake on Sunday .

Featuring a full cast of 25 performers, lead by the energetic Sahr Ngaujah who returns to the title role the summer show will featurs many of Fela Kuti'’s most captivating songs and Bill T Jones’ visionary staging and choreography, revealing Kuti's controversial life as an artist and political activist through his pioneering music. Recognised as an icon in the international world of rock and roll, soul, jazz and hip-hop, Fela Kuti combined elements of traditional Yoruba, high life and jazz, giving rise to "Afrobeat". Through his music he condemned military regimes in Nigeria. He was arrested more than 200 times and beaten savagely on many occasions. Despite this he continued to live in Nigeria and produced more than 70 albums during his career.

eFestivals suspects that some of the more harrrowing scenes concerning Fela Kuti friends’, family, and his own torture will be dropped from the show, however if not this show may not be suitable for small children. We will try and get clarification and update this page if possible.

also announced, and concluding Saturday'’s line-up on The Waterfront Stage is the Olivier Award-winning Rambert Dance Company, which celebrates its 85th anniversary this year. For Latitude this year the Company performs a new Rambert commission; 'Tim Rushton'’s ‘Monolith’'. Artistic Director of Danish Dance Theatre for 10 years, British-born Rushton returns to the UK to create his first piece for a British dance company, inspired by mystical energies that haunt sites of man-made gathering places.

Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Chief Executive Alistair Spalding said, "“Latitude Festival continues to provide us with a platform to present dance to a wider audience beyond our theatre. We are delighted to be returning to the beautiful surroundings of The Waterfront Stage for a fourth year with an exciting and varied programme of dance which will appeal to all Latitude goers and dance enthusiasts alike.

The midday performance has previously been filled with appearances from Joanna Newsom, Thom Yorke and last year it was the turn of Tom Jones.

Elsewhere throughout the weekend of Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th July 2011 at Henham Park Estate, Suffolk, festival goers can enjoy The National, Suede, and Paolo Nutini who will headline Latitude. Other acts confirmed are (in alphabetical order) Adam Ant, Anna Calvi, Avi Buffalo, The Bees, Bellowhead, Bombay Bicycle Club, Bright Eyes, British Sea Power, Caitlin Rose, Caribou, Carl Barat, Chapel Club, Crocodiles, Crystal Fighters, CW Stoneking, Deerhunter, The Duke & The King, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Edwyn Collins, Eels, Esben and the Witch, Everything Everything, Fight Like Apes, Foals, Foster the People, Glasser, Gold Panda, Glasvegas, Graffiti6, Hurts, I Am Kloot, KT Tunstall, Jenny and Johnny, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Kele Okereke, The Leisure Society, Lloyd Cole, Lykke Li, Marques Toliver, My Morning Jacket, The Naked & Famous, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Paloma Faith, Phidel, Rumer, Seasick Steve, Thea Gilmore, Tripwires, Trophy Wife, The Vaccines, Villagers, Violens, Wanda Jackson, The Waterboys, Yann Tiersen. For the line-up details as available please click here.

More acts are still to be announced for six stages dedicated to showcasing an eclectic line-up of established bands and budding new acts, with a stage nestled in a clearing in the woods, and another beside a lake.

Weekend tickets are priced at £170 and £5 for children aged 5 - 12 years, day tickets are priced at £70 for adults, and £5 years for children (5-12), and a campervan Pass is priced at £30. Children aged under 5 are eligible for free tickets for Latitude Festival 2011 when accompanied by a ticket holding adult.

To buy tickets from from Seetickets - click here.

To buy tickets from from Ticketline - click here.

To buy tickets from from Ticketmaster - click here.

To buy tickets from from Gigantic - click here.

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