Brand-new venue opens at Chichester Festival Theatre

The Nest, a brand-new venue at Chichester Festival Theatre, will throw open its doors over a launch weekend on Thu 31 July – Sat 2 August. The Festival and Minerva Theatres are world-renowned, and this intimate new studio space offers something different:  powered by CFT but with its own rhythm and feel. Think fringe theatre, open mics, comedy, live music, family shows and community-led events – all in one welcoming space.

Nestled among the trees beside the Festival Theatre, The Nest seats 120 and has its own bar and accessible facilities. Sustainability is at its heart; the core structure was previously located at the Pleasance Theatre in London and used at the Edinburgh Festival.  

The opening taster weekend offers a snapshot of what’s to come, with further programming to be announced in July.  

The Nest is dynamic, it’s bold and it will allow us to offer Chichester a totally different experience,” said CFT’s Artistic Director, Justin Audibert. “This new space is for emerging artists, local creatives, fresh ideas and bold performances. We’re incredibly grateful to our amazing supporters and community who responded to our fundraising appeal to make The Nest a reality in less than a year. Please come and check it out!’

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Launch Weekend Programme // Thu 31 Jul – Sat 2 Aug

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Comedy at The Nest headlined by Lou Sanders, with support from Cecily Hitchcock

Thu 31 July

Headlining the first ever Comedy at The Nest is Lou Sanders from the telly: Last One Laughing (Amazon Prime), Taskmaster (Channel 4), Would I Lie To You and QI (BBC). She’s bringing punchlines that arrive out of nowhere, like a spiritual epiphany in a Wetherspoons. Lou will be joined by Cecily Hitchcock, a comedy siren, crowd enchantress and heckler annihilator.

Ascension Dance: Early Weaves

Fri 1 Aug

Early Weaves is a non-verbal introduction to dance theatre for ages 0 – 4. It’s a heart-warming tale of friendship, curiosity and play. Exploring sound and movement, the show will create magic and laughter and invite the audience in to play.

Sura Susso

Fri 1 Aug

Step into a world of rhythm, soul, and cultural richness with Sura Susso, the internationally acclaimed kora virtuoso, joined by formidable percussionist Amadou Diagne. Be transported into the heart of West Africa as each performance is a masterclass in musical storytelling.

Filskit Theatre: Wonder Gigs

Sat 2 Aug

Wonder Gigs is a family-friendly live event for music-loving grown-ups and little ones aged 0-4. Each themed session includes acoustic covers of well-known pop, rock and folk tunes from a professional musician. At the same time, an experienced play facilitator will ensure that little ones are well catered for with props, puppets, bubbles and gentle child-led play.

Sarah Cameron West: Karen

Sat 2 Aug

Karen invites you into the uproarious world of our protagonist. Life takes an unexpected turn when she is unceremoniously dumped by her long-term boyfriend, Joe, at the Alton Towers, on her 30th birthday. Trapped in office hell, Joe starts dating her arch-nemesis, Karen. Through laughter, tears, and sharp sarcasm, she learns that healing comes from facing pain head-on.

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Future Theatre Makers Festival // Mon 4 – Sat 16 Aug

Following the launch weekend, the first-ever cohort of CFT’s Artist Development Programme will take to the stage, presenting the work they’ve been developing over the past two years across a fortnight.

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The Brown Ranger by Ben Grant

Mon 4, Thu 7 and Sat 9 Aug

The Brown Ranger is a solo show, created with a captivating blend of movement, visuals and an original score. When seven year-old Thomas experiences his first racially charged encounter on a park swing one day, it sparks a lifelong struggle to embrace his identity. He finds inspiration in his hero, the Brown Ranger, in a world that overlooks him. But with age, his battles become tougher, and his defender’s power begins to fade.

Man!fest: A Boy Band Fantasy by On the Nose Productions

Tue 5 Aug, Fri 8 - Sat 9 Aug

The world’s hottest boy band embark on their second world tour, bringing a non-stop rollercoaster ride for fangirls far and wide. With constant pressure for perfection from management, the band have to fight to keep themselves from collapsing. It’s a whirlwind performance of girls playing boys playing girls.

Sticky by Alice O’Hanlon

Wed 6, Fri 8 - Sat 9 Aug

Sticky is a bold and tender new play told through shifting timelines, surreal humour and raw honesty. This poignant story follows Charlie as she navigates the emotional labyrinth of her father Patrick’s early-onset dementia. From 1970s Belfast to a care home in Bognor Regis, Sticky is a kaleidoscopic look at how the past shapes us, what we take with us and the sticky ways we try to hold our families together.

Hydrophobia by Shani Kantor

Thu 7 Aug - Fri 8 Aug

Hydrophobia is a dance theatre show exploring how the absence of community increases our desire to find it. Diving into 2010’s Essex, two unlikely strangers are drawn together on an unsuspecting night. This contemporary story, littered with nostalgic pop culture, is told through a queer, working-class lens.

Moon River by Phoebe Hyder

Thu 14 -  Sat 16 Aug

Moon River is a non-verbal, solo, semi-autobiographical performance, blending puppetry, movement and immersive visuals to explore grief, memory and the quiet intimacy of fly fishing. In a quiet cabin tucked beside the River Findhorn in Scotland, a girl tries to remember how to tie a fishing fly. Feathers, thread and memory twist together as objects wake, and the past floods in.

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The Nest comes to Chichester Festival Theatre on Thu 31 July - Sat 16 Aug  

All tickets will be priced at £20 or less.

For more details and to book, visit: www.thenest.cft.org.uk

www.cft.org.uk