Thrills, frills and possibly spills

5 July 2007

The National Theatre's free Watch This Space summer festival is back this year with a decidedly European flavour. With exciting and innovative acts ranging from bicycle ballet - in advance of the Tour de France - to Belgian circus, Dutch dinosaurs, Spanish flamenco and Polish street theatre, there will be thrills, frills, and possibly spills at Theatre Square on London's South Bank from 6 July to 1 September.

The Festival, sponsored by the European Commission Representation in London, the Polish Cultural Institute, and thelondonpaper, is expected to be viewed by hundreds of thousands.

National Theatre Director Nicholas Hytner said he was delighted that the EC Representation was supporting the visiting European companies taking part in the "Watch This Space" festival.

"These companies have international reputations for creating some of the most innovative and striking outdoor work and we are thrilled to welcome them to London. Despite the British weather, we hope that their performances at the National this summer will offer both breathtaking spectacle for our audiences and inspiration for the British Street Arts sector", he said.

For further information on the Watch This Space festival click here

Magnum: 50 years of Europe

European faces, landscapes and documentary images taken over the last 50 years by Magnum photographers such as Eve Arnold, Elliott Erwitt, Martine Franck, Leonard Freed, and Martin Parr will be projected onto the National Theatre to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the EU, and to coincide with the launch and finale of the Watch This Space festival of street theatre. Supported by the European Commission office in London in association with Magnum Photos and the National Theatre, the images will be projected onto the National Theatres fly tower on the following dates: 9.45pm on 6th, 7th & 11th July, 8.30pm on 30th & 31st August.

To see the Magnum pictures click here.