08/06/2026
🌊🎭 What a fantastic evening we had at June Fringe! 🎭🌊
Last week’s A Day at the Seaside brought a brilliant hour of humour, music, poetry and seaside chaos to the Talisman Fringe. Our journey was guided by TalisTrips coach driver John Nichols, keeping everything moving smoothly while pointing out places of interest along the way.
The classic cheeky humour of the British seaside postcard provided plenty of laughs as Chris Carpenter and Dave Crossfield attempted to negotiate the purchase of a postcard to send home. The theatre’s hugely talented artist Wendy Morris painted a seaside scene live on stage, starting from a canvas begun by set designer John Ellam and adding details inspired by each performance as the evening unfolded.
Highlights included the moving Triptych, featuring three generations of a family scattering their Grandad’s ashes and reflecting on shared memories; The Marmoset, with Dan Gough and Elli Lake considering climate change from opposite ends of a coastal bench; and poetry from Nigel Prentice, beautifully performed by Matthew Salisbury.
We were also treated to a glimpse of a future “Kenilworth-on-Sea”, chaotic seagull encounters (and flying crisps!), and music from Matthew Salisbury, who performed two original songs while Richard Crump provided the ever-present soundscape of waves and seabirds.
A huge thank you must go to Matthew Salisbury, who wrote and directed this unique collection of original pieces especially for June Fringe. Through humour, music, poetry and poignant storytelling, he crafted a delightful hour of entertainment that captured all the charm, nostalgia and occasional chaos of a British day at the seaside.
👏 And thank you to everyone involved on stage, behind the scenes and in the audience for another brilliant Fringe night.
🎟️ Next up: July Fringe – Youth Theatre Takeover!
📷 Thanks to Gwyn Davies for these snaps!
