Café Bohème at Newcastle Fringe Festival
A neurosparkly parlour of fun and performance, a cabaret of creativity, belonging and beautiful difference from Headway Arts Inclusive Theatre Co. It’s afternoon tea at cool cat artist hangout Café Bohème, where the clown waiters serve sandwiches, magic and mesmerism. However, a valuable pearl necklace has gone missing! Could there be a thief?
Wednesday 23rd July 2025
2.30pm – 3.30pm at the Cumberland Arms, Ouseburn, Newcastle
All you cool cats are invited to afternoon tea at Café Bohème, a relaxed neurosparkly immersive space inspired by Lautrec’s iconic images from La Moulin Rouge via Warhol & 60’s hippie chic, where Count and Countess Tortellini rub shoulders with dancer Angelini Hoochie-coo, mesmerist Lady Lola Lasagne, magician Sticky Cardz and Simone ‘Sparkly’ Snakes. When the famous necklace Tortellini pearls go missing, Private Detective Poker Face steps in amongst sandwiches, table magic, mesmerism and clowning to investigate. What can they do but ask Café Bohème friends for clues and inspiration in a place where the curtains are shiny and it feels like family?
Dress to impress (shades, vintage, pearls & sequins encouraged) and come for tea – because you can can can!
A real multi-sensory tea party, Headway Arts brings to the Cumberland Arms a parlour of fun and performance, music and moments of memories, a cabaret of creativity, belonging and beautiful difference devised by Headway Arts Inclusive Theatre Company. Audiences become immersed in the performance as they partake of real tea & cakes and meet the comic-tragic characters of Café Bohème.
Devised & Performed by Headway Arts Inclusive Theatre Co.
Directed & designed by Allie Walton-Robson.
Music by Pete Shaw.
Character Development with Tom Burton and Chris Bowman.
Produced by Fran Castle, Paul Denton and Allie Walton-Robson.
The set is embellished by an exhibition of handmade prints (available to buy) created by Star Gaze Free Press working with artist Pete Shaw, inspired by Warhol’s ice-cream prints. Star Gaze Free Press is an art collective meeting weekly at Headway Arts who make handmade art prints and support wellbeing.
The show motif of pearls celebrates the 30th Birthday/ Pearl Anniversary of Headway Arts.
Posted on May 14th 2025
