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Festival Talks

  • The Beautifull (sic) Cassandra - Audio book talk - 12 noon

    The Beautifull (sic) Cassandra – audio book talk

    Friday 16th September – 12 noon (duration 1 hour)

    A behind the scenes peep into the world of audio books.
    An entertaining presentation explaining the whole process from deciding on the text to finding the right person to read the book.

    Tickets: £12 only available from Theatre Royal, Box Office 01225 448844 or online www.theatreroyal.org.uk

    Venue: Theatre Royal, Sawclose, Bath BA1 1ET

    Theatre Royal booking

  • Rummaging through the Reticule! - 3pm

    Rummaging through the Reticule!

    Saturday 17th September – 3pm (duration 90 minutes)

    What did Jane Austen and her characters keep in their reticules? All will be revealed when the contents of this 18th Century handbag are spilt out in the privacy of a Regency drawing room. Jane Tapley’s talk will be followed by refreshments of various ices, sorbets and cordials which were the height of fashion in Regency England.

    Tickets: £12

    Venue: Kinwarton, 3 Upper Camden Place, Camden Rd, Bath BA1 5HX

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  • Rummaging through the Reticule

    What did Jane Austen and her characters keep in their reticules?
    All will be revealed when the contents of this 18th Century handbag are spilt out in the privacy of a Regency drawing room. Jane Tapley’s talk will be followed by refreshments of various ices, sorbets and cordials which were the height of fashion in Regency England.
    Tickets: £12
    Venue: Kinwarton, 3 Upper Camden Place, Camden Rd, Bath BA1 5HX
    (duration 1 ½ hours)

  • Bergere, Poke and Cottage: understanding bonnets! - 3pm

    Bergere, Poke and Cottage: understanding bonnets! – talk

    Monday 19th September – 3pm - (duration approx 1½ hours)

    Histories of bonnets and hats from the Regency period are riddled with strange names and terms but what does it all really mean?
    This talk from Dressing History attempts to make it all clear. Using accurate reproduction bonnets and hats from 1770 to 1820, we will look at how the styles developed to relate to each other, as well as how they were made and used by Regency ladies.

    Tickets: £9.50
    Venue: Elwin Room, BRLSI, 16-18 Queen Square BA1 2HN

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  • Amanda Vickery - Houses and interiors in Austen - 8pm

    Prof. Amanda Vickery – Houses and interiors in Austen

    Monday 19th September – 8pm (duration 1 hour approx)

    Following her recent highly acclaimed BBC series At Home with the Georgians we are delighted to welcome Prof. Amanda Vickery to the festival for a special question and answer session on houses and interiors in Austen. ‘History doesn’t get better than this!’

    Tickets: £12
    Venue: The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, (near Avon Street car park) BA1 1UF

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  • Darker side of sewing! - talk - 2.30pm

    Darker side of sewing! – talk

    Wednesday 21st September – 2.30pm (duration 1 hour)

    Discover the darker side of Regency sewing, lurking beneath the crisp white muslins on common view. This lecture by Lindsey Holmes (who can usually be found in the Keats House museum in Hampstead, London) takes you on a journey to explore the more macabre side of Regency fabrics, fashions and the ladies who were slaves to the needle!

    Tickets: £9.50
    Venue: Elwin Room, BRLSI 16-18 Queen Square BA1 2HN

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  • Draw back the curtain - Theatre in Austen's time - 2pm

    Draw back the curtain – Theatre in Jane Austen’s time

    Friday 23rd September – 2pm  -  (duration 1½ hours)

    An illustrated talk by Jane Tapley on the theatre in Georgian times and its influence on Jane Austen’s novels.
    Also a peep behind the scenes at the recently restored and one of the most beautiful Georgian theatres in the country.
    Tickets: £10
    Venue: Meet at Theatre Royal Box Office BA1 1ET

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  • Finale - Austen's Women 4.30pm

    Austen’s Women with Rebecca Vaughan – Saturday 24th September – 4.30pm
    (duration 70 minutes no interval)

    In a bold revisiting – using nothing but the words of Austen herself, Emma Woodhouse, Lizzy Bennet, Mrs Norris, Marianne Dashwood, Miss Bates and many more, are brilliantly illuminated. See how many you recognise! A superb production, this one woman show should not to be missed; particularly as it is being held in the original Theatre Royal in Bath where Sarah Siddons the great tragic actress performed and Jane Austen was entertained.

    Tickets: £16

    Venue: Old Theatre Royal, 12 Old Orchard Street, Bath BA1 1JU

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