Sophie Ellis-Bextor joins Diane Chorley at The Flick for comedy, music and more, launching the final weekend of the National Theatre’s River Stage

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The National Theatre brings this year’s River Stage festival to a close, with a jam-packed weekend from today, Friday 12 to Sunday 14 August. The final weekend of the free summer festival on London’s South Bank will feature the very best of music, comedy, theatre, dance and workshops for the whole family alongside a very special screening of Jack Absolute Flies Again, streamed live from the Olivier Theatre by National Theatre Live.
Diane Chorley kicks the weekend off with a throwback to their iconic ‘80s nightclub, The Flick, on Friday evening at River Stage. Expect to see comedy, cabaret, music and drag; with a fantastic line-up, featuring a very special performance from Sophie Ellis-Bextor live on the South Bank. Diane will also be joined by Monica Dolan, Le Gâteau Chocolat, Mawaan Rizwan and warming up crowds with his mobile karaoke will be her partner Ron.
On Saturday, actor, director, and facilitator Mumba Dodwell will introduce performances throughout the day, including bestselling children’s novelist Sam Sedgman, who will share the inner workings of his award-winning series Adventures on Trains. Later, audiences of all ages are invited to put on their dancing shoes for a series of energetic workshops and performances from ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company. Watch 40 young performers from the National Theatre’s Space to Create programme take to the stage, in a showcase of work created in collaboration with professional theatre makers, followed by a storm of feel-good pop and sing-a-long classics from London’s coolest choir, Some Voices. The evening continues with swing sounds from top vintage band, Shirt Tail Stompers, alongside a special Charleston dance workshop with Jack Absolute Flies Again choreographer Lizzi Gee, to get audiences in the musical mood for the captioned NT Live screening.
Ease into Sunday with a meditative yoga session led by Jenny Hayes, mesmerising sounds from Elaha Soroor, and a puppet making workshop with Little Angel Theatre, a family activity for children aged 3-8 years old. Bringing the weekend to an end, the tweed-clad Old Dirty Brasstards introduce their exhilarating party jams and indie classics with a 10-piece brass powerhouse, promising a stylish River Stage summer finale.
A mouth-watering line-up of KERB market traders will be serving up delights throughout the final River Stage weekend. Street-food slinging names include Nazari, Baba Dhaba, Lil Watan, Gamekeeper, STAKEHaus and not to mention Milk Tree, serving up ice cold, silky gelato. Escape from all the fun and action of the River Stage by booking a table at Bob’s Lobster bar & restaurant on the National Theatre Terrace, who will be serving up their signature lobster rolls, English sparkling wine and cocktails. Or pop into The Understudy, where you’ll find Nashville hot chicken from Lucky’s and tacos from Dos Mas, as well as the KERB bar stocked with East London Liquor Co cocktails, South London brewery Gipsy Hill beers, and a host of soft drinks from Square Root. You can find out more about KERB at the National Theatre here.
National Theatre’s River Stage festival returns to the South Bank this summer with a fantastic free summer programme. Over five weekends, from Friday 15 July to Sunday 14 August, leading arts and culture organisations from London and beyond will take over the stage – including an unmissable line-up of performances from drag artists, dance companies, music, comedy, spoken word and more. This year’s River Stage partners include The Glory, HOME Manchester, Hackney Empire Young Producers, Hofesh Shechter Company and the National Theatre.