Free Theatre Tickets! For under 26's: A Night Less Ordinary

The hat Factory is a multi-facility vibrant Arts Centre situated in the culturally diverse town centre of Luton. It provides an eclectic programme of live music, theatre, dance, film, gallery exhibitions, workshops and classes. The hat Factory also plays host yearly to international film festival, Filmstock and a two week festival of national/international music and theatre, called Brakin Arts.

Forthcoming:

• 30/04/2009 - 30/04/2009 Ha Ha Hamlet

  Jamie Wilson Productions presents...

  Shakespeares greatest tragedy re-written as the rip-roaring comedy It shouldve been. This is Hamlet as you’ve never seen it before! Three street theatre stars from Londons famous Covent garden bring you the show you’ve been waiting to see for a very long time... Experience “The Ha Ha Boys” cope with putting on the most famous play ever written. How do they drown Ophelia? How does Hamlet set sail for England? Was Horatio secretly in love with Hamlet?

  This show is tightly packed with clever routines and top class witty adlibs it can only be described as “A Great Night Out!”

  IT’S HILARIOUS, IT’S DAZZLING, IT’S COD-PIECES A GO GO!

  ‘If the question is to go or not to go, the answer is rather simple: yes.’ - Hairline Review Edinburgh 2008

  Age: 10+ / Runtime: 2hrs including interval

  
  
  
• 07/05/2009 - 07/05/2009 Mozart Question

  Scamp Theatre presents...

  Paolo Levi is the greatest violinist in the world. But he refuses to play Mozart. Why? This brand new dramatisation of Michael Morpurgo's extraordinary story takes us from the beauty of Venice to the horrors of the Nazi gas chambers in a tale that will move and inspire both young and old.

  A wonderful and poignant piece performed by actor/violinist Andrew Bridgmont.

  ‘I’m thrilled to bits. I just think that the quality of what Scamp do is amazing’ Michael Morpurgo, (Independent 06.08.08)

  Age : 8+ Running time 55 minutes

  
  
  
• 14/05/2009 - 14/05/2009 Dolce Via

  Take the Space Theatre presents...

  What’s happening to the dream-catchers who show us other worlds? They meet us on the winding road to fill us with amazement: the actors, the mentalists, the escapologists, the fire - eaters, the ventriloquists, the musicians and the magicians. But how do these poets survive today? How would Wordsworth fare in our brave new world? In Dolce Via, two intrepid artistes, passionate and angry, seek the elephant beyond the footlights

  Take the Space who brought you Sam & I and 'Hanging Hooke' return to the Hat Factory with a new play, inspired by the films of Fellini and Charlie Chaplin.

  Join two vaudeville entertainers for the most tempestuous show of their lives.

  Plays International in 2007 said that Hanging Hooke was “the most wonderful piece of new writing I have seen in years”

  
  
  
• 18/04/2009 - 18/04/2009 Messy Art

  Arty Crafty activities aimed at children 4 - 10 years.

  Splash, squish and splodge your way through all the things you wouldn’t be allowed to do at home! Glitter, sand, clay, collage, printing, sponging, marbling, stencilling and plaster of Paris. Get into mess and create wonderful art using paint, glitter, ink, plaster, sand and clay. If your kids love paint but you hate the mess, then bring them to our Messy Art session.

  Overalls provided, but dress for mess!

  Ages 4+

  
  
  
• 25/04/2009 - 25/04/2009 Flowers and Cacti

  Arty Crafty activities aimed at children 4 - 10 years.

  Using tissue, foam, clay, paint, glitter and glue make your own small plant sculptures. You will also be given a flower pot to decorate and take home. Ages 4+

  
  
  
• 16/05/2009 - 16/05/2009 Pottery Workshop

  Art expression with clay and paint for children aged 4+

  Founder and chief artist of world7- Conrad Walker, presents a fun afternoon of art expression with clay and paint for children. The workshop will help children to look at different ways to manipulate and decorate clay, using stamps, surface decoration and different paint techniques. Ages 4+

  
  
  
• 23/05/2009 - 23/05/2009 Sun Catchers Workshop

  Learn to use glass paint to make window hangings - for children aged 4+

  Learn to use glass paint to make window hangings from recycled packaging materials and create a sparkling jam jar lantern. Create sparkling decorations from glass paint and recycled materials. Please bring one or two clean jam jars, labels removed. Overalls provided but wear old clothes.

  
  
  
• 17/04/2009 - 17/04/2009 Mark Morriss

  The Bluetones lead singer plays brilliant acoustic set.

  Best known as the frontman in The Bluetones, Mark Morriss released his debut solo album Memory Muscle on June 2, 2008. Getting his hands dirty with his own set of songs has been an inspiring experience for Morriss who started trying them out acoustically at open-mic nights in London way back in 2004: Mark Morriss will be hitting the hat Factory to share these newly embellished songs with whoever enjoys a persuasive melody and a nifty way with a word.

  With songs from his recent solo album ‘Memory Muscle’ as well as some Bluetones classics to keep the fans happy.

  
  
  
• 15/05/2009 - 15/05/2009 Maggie Bell and Dave Kelly

  An evening with two stalwarts of the British R&B scene, two great voices, two great reputations.

  Their voices work magically together, and audiences have loved the concerts and their rapport... with each other and with the crowd.

  Maggie Bell - Scotland's Queen of Soul, founder member of Stone the Crows, later had an incredibly successful solo career on both sides of the Atlantic, now once again back on the music scene after a 20 year lay off. She was a resounding hit at the Led Zepplin reunion concert in 2008.

  Dave Kelly - London's slide guitar king, having learned his trade in the backing bands of, and recording with, Son House, Howlin Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells to name but five blues legends, a founder member of The Blues Band, still wowing audiences after nearly 30 years..

  Doors open at 8pm