This year’s Norfolk and Norwich Festival is another casualty of coronavirus – but it is launching a free daily radio programme to bring at least a little cheer.
Originally planned as a 24-hour show as part of the festival, Radio Local, will instead be a one-hour long live programme broadcast every day from May 8 to 24 – the original festival dates.
The show will be hosted by comedy duo Hunt & Darton and broadcast on Norwich’s Future Radio and online every day at 3pm. Highlights will also be broadcast on BBC Radio Norfolk.
The festival says the show will feature artists who had been due to perform at the Festival, alongside survival tactics for isolation, boredom busters, remote food reviews, live reports and audio tours of homes.
There will be intergenerational challenges, scavenger hunts and competitions – such as jingle making from household items.
The deadpan presenting duo will be joined by their guest presenter Victoria Melody featuring the region’s best amateur stand ups to keep audiences laughing.
The show will also feature a legends slot, with the great and good from across the county sharing the tracks of their life, and local artists Lucia Scazzocchio, Lewis Wickwar and Odd Comic exploring Norfolk remotely.
The show will also include a roster of virtual first dates, agony aunting, Twitter based soap operas, phone ins and more.
Daniel Brine, festival artistic director, said: “We were gutted to cancel this year’s Festival but we’re committed to doing our bit for the community and in these difficult times we wanted to make sure we brought the people of Norwich and Norfolk some light cultural relief.
“Radio Local is our chance to celebrate the great work of our local key workers, to connect in a time when we’re distancing, and to think about the things which bind our community together.”
The full 2020 Norfolk & Norwich Festival was cancelled in March.
