National Hate Crime Awareness Week commences this Saturday (October 14) in Newport when The Crush Hate Crime Festival, an all-day festival of live bands, acoustic acts, guest speakers and a hard-hitting play takes place in two of the city’s venues.
In Warehouse 54 from 2pm, Newport’s pub theatre group, Reality Theatre will present the hard-hitting play, A Little Bit of Banter. A harsh, brutal, but honest drama with strong language the play will explore the impact of everyday hate crime incidents.
Reality Theatre will present the play, A Little Bit of Banter by Julie Benson, for Newport’s Crush Hate Crime Festival.
A Little Bit of Banter was commissioned by Gwent Police and is written by local playwright, Julie Benson.
Julie says of the play “The play is a brutal look at life as a victim and offender of hate crime and raises questions about the society in which we live and what it means to be British.”
Also taking place in Warehouse 54 will be guest talks by John Griffiths AM, Steffan Lewis (Plaid), Pippa Bartollotti (Green Party), Dr Martin O’Neil (Merthyr Rising) and Rainbow Newport. There will also be acoustic music from musicians Ian Lynn Palmer, Rhys Hone, Ellie McCue, Sophie Louise and Daisy Blue.
Crush Hate Crime Festival will take place across two Newport venues on October 14.
Top bands from the metal, punk and ska genres are also giving up their time to join in with Saturday’s festival with music performances in Newport’s Meze Lounge from 3pm. Among the line-up are Soylent Majority, SOIM, Helldown, Chaos Trigger, Lacertilia, Revival and 6foot7. Also, taking time out from an extensive UK tour to headline the day’s events will be Strange Bones who are currently undertaking an extensive UK tour.
Cost to both venues is £5 via eventbrite.co.ukor £6 on the door. Profits will go to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation.
- Two further performances of A Little Bit of Banter during National Hate Crime Awareness Week. Newport’s Pen & Wig will present a performance on October 19 at 7.30pm and the play will headline the ‘Let’s Stand Together’ day for Gwent Police on October 21 at 2pm