Festival Opening Night With Special Guest Nigel Planer
Our special guest for the evening is the multi-talented Nigel Planer. The seated event will also play host to a number of short live music performances from Indie/Folk/Americana band, ‘Concrete Prairie’, soloist, ‘Jo McGregor and an appearance from ‘Frome Street Bandits!” (They could appear at anytime!).
We look forward to having you join us to celebrate the arts, and the “official” opening of Westbury Festival.
Nigel Planer
Everyone of a certain age will know Nigel as Neil from The Young Ones and he has an impressive television profile also famously playing Ralph Filthy in Filthy Rich & Catflap as well as Leading roles in Shine on Harvey Moon, The Grimleys, King and Castle, Bonjour La Classe and Roll Over, Beethoven. He starred in Michael Palin's Number 27, Simon Gray's Two Lumps of Ice, Emma Tennant's Frankenstein's Baby, Blackeyes by Dennis Potter, Marcella, Cockroaches, Ratburger, and Loaded.
He has appeared in many West End musicals, including original casts of Evita, Chicago, We Will Rock You, Wicked, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He has also appeared in Hairspray. He won a BRIT award in 1984 and has been nominated for Olivier, TMA, WhatsOnStage and BAFTA awards.
And he has a string of theatre appearances and has appeared in many films such as Flood, Virgin Territory, Bright Young Things, Hogfather, The Colour of Magic, The Wind in the Willows, The Land Girls, Clockwork Mice, Carry On Columbus, Brazil, The Supergrass, I Give It a Year, Burn, Burn, Burn, The List and Yellowbeard.
He is a regular voice actor famously being in most of the audio books of Terry Pratchett's disc world series.
But beyond acting he is a polymath and he has had a successful career as an author, musician and composer - with both spoof projects (UK #2 as Neil and album), 1980s (spoof) rock band Bad News as well as more serious releases under his own name. He also writes novels, articles, plays, scripts and poetry and it this for which he is currently best known. Nigel will be joining us to headline the opening night, reading some of the poems with which he he toured the UK in 2023. The evening will include a Q&A and book signing.
Concrete Prairie
The Indie/Folk outfit will be opening and closing the night with their foot tapping, upbeat Folk/Indie sound! Having spent last year touring the clubs and Festivals, Concrete Prairie have come along-way since their debut in Westbury at the 2022 Christmas Lights Switch On event
Frome Street Bandits
The 12 piece street band, ‘Frome Street Bandits’ could arrive at anytime! Yes, The Frome Street Bandits return! A festival favourite, guaranteed to raise a smile with their music mashups and unique style. Will they just suddenly appear from nowhere?
Jo-Joe
Singer/Songwriter, Joe McGregor is an up and coming artist, and we think he’s great! He’s also local! Come and see Jo-Joe McGregor, and it’s possible you’ll one day saying, ‘Do you remember that really intimate show with Jo-Joe? Could he be a future superstar in the making? He’s certainly an excellent songwriter!
