Arundel Festival

An entertaining and inspiring mix of words and jazz is on offer at the Arundel Festival with the Mike Carey Big House Jazz ensemble and four South Downs poets with a reputation for lively performance – Amanda Waring, Lou Beckerman, Chris Hardy and Barry Smith.

Jailhouse Jazz Featuring Poetry and Jazz is held in the Arundel old town jail. Four cells complete with bars form the backcloth for the performance in the atmospheric setting. The event starts at 8pm on Monday, August 24.

Amanda Waring has starred in West End musicals; Chris Hardy is the guitarist from poetry/music band Little Machine who have worked with Roger McGough; and Lou doubles as a jazz singer and artist while Barry was shortlisted for the Bread & Roses Songwriting and Spoken Word Award.

Mike Carey is the master of ceremonies at the popular Arts Junction events at the Vic in Arundel. He leads various ensembles, but the big band is the one that takes flight at Festival time. A full, five-piece band, the ensemble are skilled in a wide range of jazz styles and are very much up for the challenge of mixing words with music.

Barry Smith said: “We all had such a fantastic time at the Arundel Festival last year so we’re delighted to be invited back for a re-run in 2026 with the same line-up who entertained in last year’s festival. Chris and I work regularly together in the jazz/roots/poetry ensemble Poetry in Motion. We’re delighted to be performing this time with two such accomplished performers as Lou and Amanda, both skilled in working with music in settings from clubs to major theatres.”

Amanda Waring hit the headlines playing the title role in the West End production of the well-known musical, Gigi. Amanda, the daughter of celebrated actress Dorothy Tutin, is a singer, actress, comedian and activist. She voiced the Princess in the movie The Princess and the Pea and has performed her poems at the United Nations. She is also known for roles in TV programmes such as Outside Edge.

Chris Hardy has travelled widely and after many years in London now lives in Sussex. He is the secretary of the Chichester Stanza. His poems have been published in numerous magazines, anthologies and online platforms and have won prizes or been highly commended in the Poetry Society’s National competition, the Live Canon competition and others. Chris’s fifth collection Key To The Highway is published by Shoestring Press.

Lou Beckerman’s career in the arts has spanned several genres – as an established vocalist and songwriter, artist-illustrator and community musician. Her former work as a health professional enabled her to integrate these elements as a healing arts practitioner.

During lockdown, with the enforced break from both performing and MD of a community choir, she embraced the opportunity to write poetry and short fiction. She now has pieces published in anthologies, and has recently completed a new poetry collection, with her own illustrations.

Tickets: https://bighouse.band/jailhouse-jazz