Hammersmith's Free Summer Festival Continues through June

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Next week's Theatre in the Square features Monotone Man

Hammersmith's eighth annual Summer Festival launched this week and continues through June and July.

The festival begins with promises to offer an action-packed summer with Wimbledon, the Royal Opera and a giant squid lead the line-up.

The festival, which includes live screenings of Wimbledon and the Royal Opera in Lyric Square begins with three weeks of free lunchtime Theatre in the Square.



Week two, beginning on Tuesday, June 16, brings the phenomenal Monotone Man, who searches for the colour in our lives while combining music, physical theatre and a transforming set. The season draws to a close with Citizen Squid, on Tuesday, June 23 as the Puppets with Guts company, who worked on the extraordinary War Horse puppets, unleash Barbara the Squid on Lyric Square.

All shows will be staged on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12noon – 3pm and will be taking place as part of the HF Arts Fest.

To coincide with the London Festival of Architecture, John Humphrys, renowned presenter of the award-winning Today programme on Radio 4 will be hosting a Question Time style event in the Lyric Hammersmith from 6pm on June 18.

A panel of experts will be provocatively debating how Hammersmith would change without the flyover and what the alternatives could be. This event is supported by a three day exhibition, in a pop-up gallery in Kings Mall continuing today and tomorrow, June 12 and 13 between 12noon – 6pm.

Presenting images of Hammersmith: Past, Present and Future, this exhibit will examine the upcoming projects that could radically transform the town centre, including the flyunder. This will also feature the design work of local school children who have vividly imagined a Hammersmith of tomorrow. These events are also being held as part of HF Artsfest.

Pull up a deckchair and watch as all the drama from SW19 unfolds live on the HammersmithLondon Big Screen broadcasting all the action from the Wimbledon Tennis Championships from Monday, June 29 to Sunday July 12. Then join the audience on Friday, July 3 as HammersmithLondon beams Mozart’s Don Giovanni live from the Royal Opera House into Lyric Square.

Picnic in the Square is also back by popular demand when local people will be invited to unwind during their lunchtimes, so sit back and soak up the sun on rolled out turf and or enjoy an outdoor snack at 20 foot long picnic from 13-15 July and 20- 22 July, between noon and 3pm.

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Throughout the festival you can also get active and learn about the local area by taking part in Free Guided Walks on Saturday, June 6, Saturday, July 4 and Saturday, August 1.

On June 6 the blue badge guide will tell you exactly why Hammersmith in the 1800s was known as Popes Corners. On July 4 celebrate the return of the Great Chiswick River Swim and on August 1 walkers can uncover the history of Olympia. Walks start at 11am.

For more information on all these events visit HammersmithLondon.

June 12, 2015