Once again Rost Productions will be hosting the Uncommon area at the legendary Green Gathering Festival in Chepstow on the Welsh borders.
Expect live music, street theatre, storytelling, costume and puppet making, DJs, a woodland dancefloor, extraordinary parades, memorable moments, and plenty of mayhem
MARVELLOUS MENAGERIE IS OUR THEME – a bringing together of diverse beings, a weaving of creativity, and a welcoming, safe space for all the wild creatures.
THE NEST is a new home for storytelling, puppetry, and acoustic jams, inspired by Welsh myth and wild imagination. Join us for family story circles and stories for adults, including Tales of the Valleys, Chasing The Wild, Toad’s Story, and How To Be Neurodivergent.
FLEA CIRCUS Roll Up, Roll Up! The Flea Circus is coming to town! Take a step back in time and experience a wonderous street entertainment from the pre-digital age. A miniature marvel of mechanical misdirection; The Flea Circus and its ringmaster Paul Preston Mills bring you all the thrills and spills of the big top, just on a much smaller scale!
PARTICIPATORY ARTS & SUNDAY PARADE We invite you to release your inner beast at our free creative workshops 11am – 5pm Friday and Saturday!
Together we’ll build a giant boar puppet for a brand new promenade performance, or make your own creature carnival costume with our dedicated craft team, using natural and recycled materials to fashion masks, wings, tails and more so you can join in our Menagerie parade on Sunday at midday.
THE MAIN STAGE line up! As well as high energy bands like Maz and the Phantasms, The Kut and The Menstrual Cramps, the unique Uncommon stage will host sensational solo, cabaret and folk artists including award-winning multi-instrumentalist Mara Simpson, loop impressario Matthew One Man, GG faves FOSSILHEADS, and the incredible Harpmonix.
DJ NIGHTS From around 10pm until 2am each night, we’ll be on the decks and dancefloor with an eclectic mix of the finest dance music… UK trance from our very own free party hooligan Fat Man Sneaking / Beatherder legend Snug John who’ll be digging into crates of vinyl for disco, electro, northern soul and anything that moves your feet / Chepstow local DJ Jonre with big energy, late night, jungle dnb rollers / Gramps offering a journey through time, dirty b-lines and jackin beats, taking in 90’s rave, booty bass, jungle, garage, bassline & ghetto tech / Daddy1Love with golden vinyl nuggets of soul, ska, funk and R&B / and original filthy electro breaks from The Uncommon’s own PunkBitch! AS well as many more.
RANDOM HAPPENINGS
You could find yourself on stage during Open Mic, become swept up in the Stoats and Weasels rebellion, get a tune-up from the Fix Tinkers, or join the antics at Border Control…
EATING, DRINKING & FIRESIDE New this year Mead Hall is at The Uncommon – run by Welsh beekeepers from Afon Mel (Honey River) farm, they’ll have ale, cider, spirits and soft drinks too. Next door at Sunbeamz you’ll find ice cream, coffee and cake. Evenings, join the cameraderie around the Uncommon fire.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Providing the solar and sound it’s Kit’n’Kaboodle… coordinating it all is the indefatigable Jessica Rost, and there’ll be so many people supporting her to make it all happen –
Kate, Hel, Ant, Sam, Noel, Jules, Karl, Ryan, Rupert, Julie, Jojo, Natali, Manu, Emma, Cara, Hat, Hannah W, Hannah, Lawrence, Hannah S, Gaz, Cat, Ben, Sian, Rob, Dave, Paul, Steve, Louise, Nadine, Eoin, Lisa, Ray, Lucy, Martin, Trudy, Nick & clan, Ed, Millery, David, Charlie, Nemone, Sara, Keriss, Leonie, Lucan, and all the fabulous wild Uncommoners – too many to mention, all much loved indeed.
Massive thanks to Em Weirdigans for the tireless work she puts in all year round, (thankyou thankyou, thankyou), and big thanks to all the organisers who foolishly allow us to play every year!
