Rite of Spring - Great May Masquerade Ball

A grand masked ball with a cast of 200 performers including a full symphony orchestra.

Since the dawn of humanity all civilisations have celebrated the end of winter's barrenness and the coming of the fertility of spring. Stravinsky's seminal ballet on the theme, the Rite of Spring, with its lusty rhythms, raucous harmonies and unabashed depictions of primordial behaviour scandalised the bourgeoisie of Paris at its premiere in 1913.

Just over a century later to celebrate the Earth’s annual rebirth and Art’s occasional awakening to new ideas, A Curious Invitation hereby invites you to its own festival of renewal: a grand masked ball with a pagan fair just south of the River Thames.

So shed your inhibitions and join us at the RITE OF SPRING: a concupiscent celebration, a fecund frolic, a dance to the death.

IN THE BALLROOM
The Rite of Spring depicts an ancient ritual in which a pagan tribe gathers to welcome the Earth's annual regeneration and propitiate the gods by selecting a sacrificial virgin, who then ritually dances herself to death.

As the sun rises over the primeval landscape TROYLUS SEARLL will waken the world from its wintry slumber with a selection of his Wiccan waltzes and pagan Polkas.

With the sap now coursing though your veins let the LONDON GAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA conduct you on a terpsichorean trip through the musical ages, taking in the classical, the romantic and the decadent.

Now you are fully sensually aroused BUFFO'S WAKE will invite you to stomp the awakening Earth back into fertility as they take the stage with their heady brew of death waltz, urban skank & gypsy punk.

The gods are appeased and you may now surrender your body and soul to the dirty bouncy beats of DJ MIGUEL DARE with his house, r'n'b and hip pop tunes (though dancing yourself to death may be in breach of our health and safety certificate).

THE CITY OF SHADOWS
Duck under the arches and infiltrate the immersive realm of the Goblin King's Masquerade Ball. Join in the revels of the nymphs, imps, bad faeries and other creatures of the night in their darkling domain where merriment, mischief and mayhem hold sway.

But the awakening of Spring has brought disruptive passions and unrest to the goblin kingdom. Disaffected serfs are forming a rebel faction to depose the king and his despotic courtiers. So enter The City of Shadows if you dare, but choose wisely where your allegiances lie...
BALLET OF THE EARTH
Throughout the evening our CORP DE BALLET under the direction of Jonathan Atwood will present scenes from Stravinsky's mystic and scandalous ballet, including the Adoration of the Earth, the Spring Round Dances and culminating in the Sacrificial Dance of the Chosen One.

THE CABARET
As the days grow longer your moods may be subject to episodes of impulsive, giddy and amorous behaviour. To celebrate this forfeit of your sensible self to the vernal equinox, our cabaret stars will dance, strip and flip in homage to the deities of pagan yore.

Rubyyy Jones - the queen of queerlesque, neo-burlesque beauty, sex education performer and force of nature.

Dunja Kuhn - A delectable , dancing frog lady who slowly cooks herself to death

Lolo Brow - Saucy sideshow artist, harlequin, sparkly Drag King and Lizard Lady.

Miss Cairo - Norfolk's only supermodel, gogo dancer and gender disillusionist.

Tell Tale Tusk - raggle-taggle six-piece klezmer folk band singing songs of wenches, pirates and Prozac.

DJ - Diddy Wah - will vamp the vinyl with his blend of classic blues, surf, rockabilly, R&B, gospel, garage, soul and rock’n’roll.
THE FERTILITY FEAST
Gorge yourself upon the bounties of the newly-fertile Earth: succulent meats, rich cheeses, exotic fruits and other Epicurean aphrodisiacs, seductively served by our gilded and masked mischievants.

THE DEATH RITES
Capture a moment from time immemorial in our life drawing room, as ART MACABRE and their cast of maidens and sage-elders recreate a pagan sacrificial ritual for the delectation of your eye and pen.

THE CHERRY BLOSSOM VIEWING
Celebrate the coming of Spring in medieval Japan, venerated in the traditional observance of the appearance of the cherry blossom, while CAPTAIN CARP initiates you into shibari, the ancient art of rope binding and more...

THE HOT SPRINGS
Shed your clothes and subject your body & soul to ritual purification and ablution in our hot tubs, frothing with primordial potency, while you imbibe our classic movies of adoration, obsession & sacrifice.