CHIC FESTIVALS, AREA 51 and TELOS PUBLISHING are happy to reveal the line-up so far for SFW X – PART 2 at our new 5 Star venue in Great Yarmouth.
In no small worlds, this is something ultra special, grab a drink, take a seat, we have a lot to tell you…
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE MEDIA TRACK!
GIL GERARD
We’re beyond excited to announce, all the way from the 25th Century, the imminent arrival of the one and only Gil Gerard – better known as Captain Buck Rogers. Gil will be making one of his ultra-rare UK appearances for us this November at our brilliant new venue, also marking a very special 40 year anniversary of one of the defining Sci-Fi Shows of the 70’s/80’s, and film of the same name – we couldn’t be happier! As well as other numerous theatrical work spanning decades – including starring in the long-running series “Sidekicks” and producing and appearing in the award winning documentary “Action Hero Makeover”, Gil is actually real-life pilot and a highly regarded poet – as well as giving up much of his time for charitable causes. But it is for his most Iconic Role that he will always have a seat at the Top Table of true Science Fiction Legends. We welcome you, Starfighter pilot and Captain Buck Rogers!
DAVID WARNER
David made his professional stage debut at the Royal Court in January 1962 in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and has an unrivalled credit list of classic roles to his name. As well as a huge amount of TV work beginning in 1973, David has also managed to become a cult horror star and is very popular to fans of the genre. Early horror movies he appeared in include The Omen. Since then, he has often played villains; The Thirty-Nine Steps, Time After Time, Time Bandits, Tron – together with television and animated series such as Batman, Spider-Man, the Men in Black, Disney’s Gargoyles and Freakazoid.
David has also gained a cult following in sci-fi has movies such as Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Avatar, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. More horror followed with a brief role in Wes Craven’s Scream 2. David appeared recently in independent television’s adaptation of Hornblower. David also appeared in three episodes of the second series of Twin Peaks. He also continues to play classical roles. In “Chain of Command”, a 6th-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, he was a Cardassian interrogator, Chancellor Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. In an episode of Lois & Clark he played Superman’s deceased Kryptonian father Jor-El, who appeared to his son through holographic recordings. He also appeared as mad scientist Dr. Alfred Necessiter in the film The Man with Two Brains in 1983 alongside Steve Martin and Kathleen Turner. David also worked with acclaimed horror directer John Carpenter, on Body Bags and In The Mouth Of Madness.
Add to this an incredible catalogue of voice work – games such as Fallout and Baldurs gate – and we are only really scratching the surface of one of our truly great British actors.. a true powerhouse we are honoured to have on board – and what could be better for Halloween than having “Evil” (Time Bandits) himself along?
PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED GUESTS:
For our Media track we are delighted to welcome back the wonderful SOPHIE ALDRED who most of you know from her connection with classic Doctor Who!!
SOPHIE ALDRED played the role of Ace, companion to the Seventh Doctor, from 1987-1989. Even after the original series was cancelled, the character of Ace lived on through books and comics and, when Big Finish launched their line of Doctor Who audios in 1999, Sophie returned to play the character once again.
Born in Greenwich, London and raised in Blackheath, Sophie studied drama at the University of Manchester and worked in children’s theatre, working men’s clubs and musicals before being cast in Doctor Who. Since the cancellation of the original series, Sophie has continued to stay busy with work on programs like Words and Pictures, Corners, Tiny and Crew, ZZZap! and, more recently, extensive voice work, including animated programs such as Dennis and Gnasher, Bananas in Pyjamas, Peter Rabbit, and Tree Fu Tom. In fact, in Tree Fu Tom, someone called David Tenant played her sidekick!
We’re delighted to welcome writer and actor DAVID GERROLD along to SFW-X.
DAVID GERROLD’s work is famous around the world. His novels and stories have been translated into more than a dozen languages. His TV scripts are estimated to have been seen by more than a billion viewers. His prolific output includes teleplays, film scripts, stage plays, comic books, more than 50 novels and anthologies, and hundreds of articles, columns, and short stories. He has worked on a dozen different TV series, including Star Trek, Land of the Lost, Twilight Zone, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, and Sliders. He is the author of Star Trek’s most popular episode: ‘The Trouble With Tribbles’.
Many of his novels are considered classics of the science fiction genre, including The Man Who Folded Himself, the ultimate time travel story, and When HARLIE Was One, considered one of the most thoughtful tales of artificial intelligence ever written. His stunning novels on ecological invasion, A Matter For Men, A Day For Damnation, A Rage For Revenge, and A Season For Slaughter, have all been best sellers with a devoted fan following. His young adult series, The Dingilliad, traces the healing journey of a troubled family from Earth to a far-flung colony on another world. His Star Wolf series of novels about the psychological nature of interstellar war are in development as a television series.
A ten-time Hugo and Nebula award nominee, David Gerrold is also a recipient of the Skylark Award for Excellence in Imaginative Fiction, the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Horror, and the Forrest J Ackerman lifetime achievement award.
In 1995, Gerrold shared the adventure of how he adopted his son in The Martian Child, a semi-autobiographical tale of a science fiction writer who adopts a little boy, only to discover he might be a Martian. The Martian Child won the science fiction triple crown: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Locus Poll. It was the basis for the 2007 film Martian Child starring John Cusack and Amanda Peet.
An accomplished lecturer and world-traveler, he has made appearances all over the United States, England, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. His easy-going manner and disarming humor have made him a perennial favorite with audiences.
He is currently completing the fifth book in The War Against The Chtorr series.
Alongside David, we have several other top authors along for SFW-X: Some of these we have invited back by popular demand, while for others this is their first taste of SFW
ALSO ADDED TO THE LINEUP:
JAMES FAULKNER
James Faulkner is an English actor best known for his roles as Pope Sixtus IV in the historical fantasy series Da Vinci’s Demons, and as Randyll Tarly in the HBO series, Game of Thrones.
After extensive early stage work, in 1972 Faulkner made his big screen debut, being cast as Josef Strauss in MGM’s musical, The Great Waltz. Without question, a cavalcade of roles soon followed, appearing in films such as Whispering Death, Murder on the Orient Express, and Priest of Love. In 1988, he appeared opposite Jeremy Brett as one of the biggest enemies of Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Some of his more notable appearances include roles in I Claudius, Underworld: Blood Wars, and the Bridget Jones films.
Over a long career in front on the lens, Faulkner has also lent his voice to a number of video games, including Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, voicing Severus Snape, and additional voices in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Most recently, he voices Swain in the world-renowned League of Legends.
Announced in 2016, Faulkner joined the cast of the HBO series Game of Thrones, portraying Randyll Tarly, a character mentioned frequently throughout the duration of the show. His lifespan, though short, is one of the more memorable, as it was his harsh and ruthless ways that led him to his untimely death. Most recently, James Faulkner has appeared in the films Atomic Blonde and Final Portrait, and as Saint Paul in Paul, Apostle of Christ, as well as voicing Frith in the BBC-Netflix adaptation of Watership Down.
ANDREW LEE POTTS
Andrew Lee Potts is an English actor and director. He is best known for his role as the quirky dinosaur hunting Connor Temple on 6 seasons of ITV’s British science fiction programme ‘Primeval’ and The Mad Hatter on the SyFy’s mini-series ‘Alice’. He is now a veteran TV actor and has been in a catalogue of some of the best in British and American television. Series regular on the long-running programme ‘Ideal’ and channel 4’s ‘The Mill’. Jackson appeared in in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Band Of Brothers’ and most recently, roles in the late Stan Lee’s ‘Lucky Man’ for Sky One and New Netflix original, the supernatural show ‘The Innocents’ with Guy Pearce. Netflix announced Andrew is to play the key role of Michael Collins, pilot of Apollo 11 (first moon landing) in the huge hit and Golden Globe winning Netflix show The Crown.
EMILY BOOTH
We will of course need a “Scream Queen” for Halloween! Emily has appeared extensively in UK television/film for decades, starting young as a presenter on popular video game review show ‘Bitz’ in 1999. This strong start to a career in presenting led on to landmark shows such as ‘The Big Breakfast’ before find her home more recently on The Horror Channel where she has been established as an important part of their brand, in addition to becoming a horror-culture aficionado.
In addition to a highly successful career as a presenter, Emily has appeared extensively in film and TV in various roles. Most recently appearing as one of the leading roles in Shed of the Dead, which we hope to Screen this year, she’ll be discussing her favourite Horror films with us too.
EWEN MACINTOSH
MacIntosh’s big break in television when he was cast as the deadpan accountant Keith Bishop in The Office. Ewen has also appeared on various shows such as Miranda and Little Britain. He formed a double act with Tim FitzHigham and they performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2007. He appeared in a new West End show Geek, A New Musical. He is also a regular on the radio sitcom Cabin Pressure, as Carl, the bored ATC operator. As well as film appearances –such as Lionel in British romantic comedy film Finding Fatimah.
As well as all these and a huge list of cameos – Ewen’s little known darker side has seen him make appearances in Shed of the Dead (with Emily Booth) and Fanged up. And remember his set at The Office Xmas party? Well Ewen will be taking to the Decks once more especially for you!
TOBY SEBASTIAN
Toby Sebastian is an English actor best known for his role as Trystane Martell in Game of Thrones. With a passion for music, Sebastian’s first television appearance was in 2008, as a contestant on Channel 4’s Orange unsignedAct. Though not proceeding to the final round, he gained recognition and debuted in his first role the following year as a rebel soldier in The Hollow Crown.
Sebastian then brought attention to himself as an actor, scoring the roles of Russell in film After the Dark and Re-mose in the American miniseries, The Red Tent. He also portrayed Cash Fenton in Barely Lethal, a film he also lent his music abilities to, providing several songs to the soundtrack. Another standout role came in The Music Of Silence, opposite Antonio Banderas, for which Toby received the Award of Excellence at ICFF Canada 2018.
Sebastian was a fresh face in the fifth series of Game of Thrones, a choice made by Nina Gold who explained that he possessed a romantic feel the show desperately needed. A Prince of Dorne, his character was murdered in the sixth series by Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes, he suffered as a result of his father’s apathy. We are absolutely delighted to have Toby on board, and he has also kindly agreed to sing for us as part of our incredible music line-up!
FINTAN McKEOWN
Fintan McKeown is an Irish actor best known for his role as Ser Amory Lorch in the HBO series Game of Thrones, and for appearances in episodes of Merlin, Atlantis and Star Trek: Voyager.
McKeown has appeared in numerous films and television series produced in the United Kingdom. Alongside his screen credits, McKeown has been heavily involved with the stage, working alongside actors including Howard Davies, Judi Dench and Daniel Day- Lewis. With a variety of roles throughout a lengthy career, his work has extended throughout the UK, Europe and America. His role in Star Trek: Voyager entailed him being the only on-screen lover of Captain Janeway. In 2011, he was confirmed in the role as Ser Amory Lorch, a knight sworn to House Lannister. Joining the cast as a guest star in the second season, McKeown’s character was eventually killed off by Jaqen H’ghar at the behest of Arya Stark.
Fintan McKeown has most recently appeared as Igulomerus in the American docudrama Barbarians Rising.
LISA BOWERMAN
Lisa Bowerman has had an extensive connection, and is probably best known for her work with Doctor Who – and its assorted spinoffs – since 1989. For the BBC, she played the role of Karra in Survival (the final serial in the original run of Doctor Who in 1989), and voiced Saruba Velak in Dreamland. In November 2013 she appeared in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot. Since 1998, she has played companion Bernice Summerfield in the Big Finish Productions’ Doctor Who audio plays. As well as appearing in six Doctor Who audio plays opposite Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor and Sophie Aldred as Ace, she has starred in over 90 audio plays based solely on Bernice.
She was also a regular in Casualty, and has appeared in Dodgem, The Count of Solar, Grange Hill, The Vision Thing, Doctors, McCallum, Bad Girls and Night and Day and Coronation Street amongst others. In 2007 she guest-starred as the Home Secretary’s PA in Spooks.
GHOSTWATCH: BEHIND THE CURTAINS
In 2007, producer-director, Rich Lawden launched the “Ghostwatch: Behind the Curtains” retrospective project, chronicling the legendary, ‘live’ BBC Screen One special drama, infamously said to have ‘spooked the nation’ on Hallowe’en Night, 1992.
In addition to his well-received documentary of the same name, as featured on both the BFI Mediatheque and BBC Store “Frightmares” collection, Behind the Curtains is also known for “National Séance”, an annual event in which ‘Ghostwatchers’ from across the globe virtually join hands to mark the original airing date for the film. In late 2017, Rich was part of the celebrations for the 25th Anniversary of Ghostwatch, which coincided with the 10th for Behind the Curtains, in a double screening event that took place in London and Manchester. He has made numerous appearances at various talks and conventions, and we’re delighted to have him along as many of you have requested.
PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED IN OUR AUTHOR TRACK:
RICHARD DINNICK is the creator and writer of the new Legendary Entertainment series Rob: Young Robin Hood. He is a TV writer with credits on shows such as Thunderbirds Are Go! (ITV/Amazon), Tree Fu Tom and Go Jetters (both BBC) as well as being Lead Writer on the Disney show Eena Meena Deeka. He writes a great many things for Doctor Who and is currently the Lead Writer on Titan’s 12th Doctor ongoing series, wrote the 2017 San Diego Comic Con special and the back up strip for the 7th Doctor mini-series coming in June 2018 as well as something special later in the year… He has written several books for Doctor Who including Underwater War (2016), Myths & Legends (2017) and The Missy Chronicles (2018). Richard has written prose, scripts and comics for many series including Sherlock Holmes, Stargate, Sapphire & Steel and of course Doctor Who. He currently has TV, book and graphic novel projects in development in both the UK and in the USA.
ZEN CHO was born and raised in Malaysia. She is the author of Crawford Award-winning short story collection Spirits Abroad and editor of anthology Cyberpunk: Malaysia. She has been nominated for the Campbell Award for Best New Writer and honour-listed for the Carl Brandon Society Awards for her short fiction. Her debut novel Sorcerer to the Crown (Ace/Macmillan), about magic, intrigue and politics in Regency London, won a British Fantasy Award for Best Newcomer and was a Locus Awards finalist for Best First Novel. She lives in the UK.
NEW AUTHOR ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Returning favourite Cambridge graduate BRYONY PEARCE fled her ‘real London job’ in 2004 and now lives in the Forest of Dean. She is a science fiction fan, a lover of films, books and all things superhero. People are often surprised at how dark her imagination is, as she is generally pretty nice. When the children let her off taxi duty and out of the house, she enjoys doing school visits, festivals and events. Her novels include: Angel’s Fury (a multi award winning thriller about a teenage girl who has been reincarnated), The Weight of Souls (a supernatural thriller about a teenage girl who sees dead people), Phoenix Rising and Phoenix Burning (award winning dystopian adventures about pirates who sail on junk-filled seas seeking redemption), Windrunner’s Daughter (a science-fiction adventure set on Mars with a feminist message), Wavefunction (a science-fiction novel about a young man who can jump between universes) and Savage Island, (a horror novel focused on the question ‘what would you do for £1million?’). She also has short stories appearing in the anthologies Now We Are Ten by Newcon Press and Stories from the Edge.
Byrony will be running some children’s writing workshops throughout the weekend – so watch out for more information on these!
Following his debut appearance at SFW in the City in 2018, we are very happy to welcome back IAN WHATES. Ian lives in a sleepy Cambridgeshire village with his partner, Helen, and a manic cocker spaniel called Bundle. A writer and editor of science fiction, fantasy, and occasionally horror, he is the author of seven novels (four space opera and three urban fantasy with steampunk overtones), the co-author of two more (military SF), has seen some seventy of his short stories published in a variety of venues, and has edited more than thirty anthologies. His work has been shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award and twice for BSFA Awards. His novel Pelquin’s Comet, first in the Dark Angels sequence, was an Amazon UK #1 best seller, and his work has been translated into Spanish, German, Hungarian, Czech and Greek. His new novella The Smallest of Things is due from PS Publishing in October 2018, while his fourth short story collection in English, Wourism and Other Stories, will appear via Luna Press in 2019. Ian served a term as a director of SFWA (the Science Fiction Writers of America) and is a director of the BSFA (the British Science Fiction Association) an organisation he chaired for five years. In 2006, Ian founded multiple award-winning independent publisher NewCon Press by accident, and he continues to be baffled by the number of titles the imprint has produced.
And new horror author DAVID MCCRAN also joins us for the second time. Having been an Armed Forces child, David moved across Europe for the first fifteen years of his life, until his family settled in the beautiful, cathedral city of Lincoln, in the East of England.
He began his working life as a stage technician at Lincoln’s Theatre Royal, then as a stage manager, touring the country with many different and diverse productions.
David currently teaches in a rural, secondary school in the county of Lincolnshire, where he has been an established member of the school staff for the past sixteen years.
Married with two children, he likes to spend his time watching football and playing bass guitar with his band.
RAVEN DANE is a UK based author of dark fantasy, steampunk novels and horror short stories. Her first books were the dark fantasy Legacy of the Dark Kind trilogy, Blood Tears, Blood Lament and Blood Alliance. These were followed by a High Fantasy spoof, The Unwise Woman of Fuggis Mire.
Her steampunk novels so far are the award winning Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron and sequel Cyrus Darian and the Ghastly Horde. She has had many short stories published, including one in a celebration of forty years of the British Fantasy Society and in international horror anthologies. These have included Tales of the Lake 2, alongside Richard Chizmar, Ramsey Campbell, Tim Lebbon and the late Jack Ketchum. She also had a story in the late Billie Sue Mosiman’s Frightmare –Women Write Horror which was shortlisted for a prestigious Bram Stoker award in 2016.
She has appeared in two international lists of best female horror writers. In 2013, she was signed up by Telos Publishing for her collection of Victorian ghost stories, Absinthe and Arsenic and in 2015, the alternative history/ supernatural novel, Death’s Dark Wings. All the Cyrus Darian books are with Telos now in new editions, with the third book in the series due in 2019. This will be entitled Cyrus Darian and the Wicked Wraith.
A lifelong Dr Who fan, Raven was delighted and honoured to be part of the script team on a spin off film, The Daemons of Devil’s End by Reeltime Pictures in 2017. She also contributed to the novelisation of the film, published by Telos.
Raven brought out a horror novella, The Bane of Bailgate in 2018 and is currently working on a Victorian-based supernatural novel, The Arcane.
DACRE STOKER is the great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker and the international best-selling co-author of Dracula the Un-Dead (Dutton, 2009), the official Stoker family endorsed sequel to Dracula. Dacre is also the co-editor (with Elizabeth Miller) of The Lost Journal of Bram Stoker: The Dublin Years (Robson Press, 2012). His latest novel, Dracul, a prequel to Dracula, co-authored with JD Barker, released in October 2018, has been sold to Putnam in North America, Penguin Random House in the UK, and publishers in France, Spain, Hungry, Brazil, Taiwan, Vietnam, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Poland with film rights purchased by Paramount Studios.
A native of Montreal, Canada, Dacre taught Physical Education and Sciences for twenty-two years, in both Canada and the U.S. He has participated in the sport of Modern Pentathlon as an athlete and a coach at the international and Olympic levels for Canada for 12 years. He is also an avid player and coach of the unique game of Real Tennis. In May of 2016 an athlete he has been coaching for the past 4 years, Camden Riviere, won the World Championships of Court Tennis. He currently lives in Aiken, SC, together with his wife Jenne they help manage the Bram Stoker Estate.
Dacre Stoker will also be presenting his Multi-media presentation STOKER ON STOKER.
In addition, SAM STONE and DAVID J HOWE will be running AUTHOR CENTRAL all weekend, selling books and hosting signings. SAM STONE is the popular author of The Vampire Gene series of novels, and the Kat Lightfoot Novella series which kicked off with Zombies at Tiffany’s. Her latest book is a collection of Lovecraft-inspired tales called is the final part of her JINX TRILOGY, Jinx Bound. DAVID J HOWE is a non-fiction writer with over 35 titles to his name, including the seminal work on Doctor Who: The Television Companion.
Sam Stone will also be running a writing workshop for over 16s. More information to follow.
BANDS:
HENGE
ATTENTION EARTH! This is Henge. We bring you the gift of COSMIC DROSS – A kind of music new to your World. Imagine Monty Python making music like the Prodigy and you’ll get an idea of what Henge are all about. Their live shows are colourful, imaginative and probably like nothing else you’ve seen before. Their own brand of ‘Cosmic Dross’ is seeing the band become a cult. There are no earth words to describe these sounds, but you will learn how to LOVE and DANCE again! THIS IS YOUR FUTURE. PUT DOWN THE WEAPONS. UNITE. AND COLONISE SPACE.
“THE BEST BAND IN THE MILKY WAY” Xenon of Andromeda Galaxy
JOHN COGHLANS QUO
John Coghlan joined Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster in their newly-formed band ‘The Spectres’ in 1962. The group went through a series of name changes, including Traffic Jam, before becoming Status Quo in the late 60s when Rick Parfitt also joined the line-up. In the years that followed, a string of chart-topping albums and an almost endless stream of hits included Pictures of Matchstick Men; In My Chair; Paper Plane; Caroline; Down Down; Rain; Wild Side Of Life; Rockin’ All over the World, and many more. For Quo fans and critics alike, this time is often regarded as Quo’s “Classic” period.
THE SWINGHOPPERS
The Swinghoppers are a 3-piece live act who take classic Swing songs and Hip Hop-ify them and vice versa. The result is something that is familiar enough for crowds to immediately connect with, whilst original enough to thrill them with its freshness. Comprising a rapper (Offbeat), beatboxer (Pye) and singer (Sharleena Ray). The Swinghoppers have burst onto the scene with vigour, performing at a wide range of shows and festivals across the country and have a slew of collaborations in the pipeline, most recently with Steampunk/Chap Hop extraordinaire Professor Elemental.
EZXP
These guys were great last time… EZXP came to life in 2016 and have been merging modern geek culture and classic heavy metal attitudes ever since. This UK five-piece creates huge metal arrangements from classic video game, TV, and movie soundtracks that earn substantial praise from both the rock music and gaming spheres. Already an in-demand live act at e-sport competitions and gaming conventions, EZXP’s YouTube medleys consistently spread like wildfire through online forums and attract notable collaborators like Jason Paige, the original Pokemon theme vocalist.
JOLLYBOAT
Making a return for Part 2! Jollyboat is a British musical comedy double act. They are known for their Pirate Pop Songs and Keyboard Love Song. In 2011, Jollyboat won the Musical Comedy Awards, and perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival every year – All Aboard!!
FORKTAIL
FORKTAIL is a musical project by 2000AD artists Si Davis and Boo Cook exploring the themes of folklore/folk horror/ancient history and the allure of The Horned One.
DOOMTRODON
Loud, proud and dangerous to know – Legendary artist Simon Bisley trades daytime Strip Club for night time Old School Metal.
BLUES HARVEST
Blues Harvest have built up a cult following through their diverse song choices from the world of movies, TV and a few guilty pleasures along the way. With set highlights including music from Star Wars, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Guardians of the Galaxy and many more, Blues Harvest is the perfect cantina band to celebrate the sci-fi, comics and fantasy genres. “Magnificent!” – Mark Hamill.
FLESH TETRIS
Pop music for unpopular people. Retro SciFi Eurotrash armed to the teeth with barbed pop hooks and weaponised synths. So uncool they’re cool.. we are sooo looking forwards to this!
HATS OFF GENTLEMEN, IT’S ADEQUATE!
Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate have been developing a cult reputation. Their music deliciously mixes progressive rock, classic rock, acoustic, blues, metal, folk, funk, minimalism, and electronica, and explores scientific and philosophical themes.
FOR COMIC FANS…
STRIP CLUB
The strip club will of course be making a welcome return, packed with illustrious artists you know and love.. the talent truly overflows with this lot, as you’ll see when they take to the stage – either for a bit of music making, or perhaps most impressive for the funniest panel of the weekend… yes that’s correct – GLENN FABRY is back! And after the year Glenn has had, we are determined to give the weekend of his life! Of course there will be the Biz, Boo Cooke and Si Davis – a bit of Dez Skinn and some Frazer Irving and Clint Langley too.. with a few more to announce yet.
GAMING
MINEVENTION – MINECRAFT COMES TO SFWX!
Exciting news for gamers! SFW are incredibly pleased to announce something very new for our 10th year; teaming up with Minevention, an official Minecraft Community Event, we’ll be presenting a fully featured 60 PC Minecraft gaming set-up, featuring custom-built games, along with Xbox build battle competitions for the creative gamers. Hosted by MineVention staff, there will be tons of crafting fun throughout each day… NOT ONLY THAT! Come the night, we’ll transform the set-up into a pure FPS Deathmatch arena… Anybody for a bit of 60 player Quake?! This will be all kinds of awesome…
RETRO GAMING MUSEUM
A huge selection ranging from the 1970s to the late 1990s – with iconic systems such as the Sega Dreamcast, SNES, N64, Atari 2600 – not tom mention our cherished C64’s and Spectrum. Revisit your childhood – or introduce your kids to birth of gaming.
SCREENING
STAIRS
Director Tom Paton will once again bringing us an exclusive preview screening – and discuss his latest film Stairs – Special Forces trapped in a mind bending time loop – “Hell’s Bastards” are sent to infiltrate a civil war to retrieve intel. The unit soon find themselves trapped on a never-ending stairwell forced to climb or die. To survive, they must revisit their past sins if they ever want to get off. Starring Shane Ward and Bentley Kalu.
CABARET AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT
THE ELVIS DEAD
The Elvis Dead is an audio/visual mash-up concert show, telling the story of Evil Dead 2 through the classic songs of Elvis Presley, and a love letter to both. Winning both the Best Show and Best Musical awards at the Leicester Comedy Festival in 2017, The Elvis Dead enthralled Deadheads and Gracelanders alike, winning over lovers of one, and haters of both (or so they tell me). Edinburgh Fringe loved it – it’s perfect for SFW! From the man himself..
“Truth be told, I wrote a show for myself. A niche idea to amuse me and my friends, and as a challenge to see if I could do it. I am glad people like it though.”
FOXDOG STUDIOS
After their incredible and frankly mind blowing debut at SFW in the City – we’re bringing Foxdog to Yarmouth! Award winning Interactive live comedy made by computer programmers.
LEVEL UP LEROY
Grab a drink, get to the dance floor and experience why level up Leroy is THE best Nerd DJ on the planet – no question! (like you didn’t know that already)
PROFESSOR ELEMENTAL
An extraordinarily talented Hip-Hop artist, hailing from Brighton, our very own Professor will also be joining us for our 10th birthday part 2! He’ll be bringing his Fighting Trousers along, please be on best behaviour!
PAT SHARP
Not only an 80’s living Legend – Pat won the DJ edition of ‘The Weakest Link’. He has appeared on Channel 4’s ‘The Games’, ‘Celebrity Come Dine With Me’ ‘Never Mind The Buzzcocks’ , even having cameo roles in the movie ‘Superman Requiem’ and in the E4 sitcom ‘Drifters’. And of course he had a horrid time in the jungle! Anyway – the hair may be gone, but Pat is back for another dose of cheese delivered directly to your dancefloor!
THE DARK ROOM
Yes he’s back for Part 2! And this time he’s bringing a special new KIDS version to terrify our youngsters – well it is Halloween, isn’t it?! So Everyone should know this by now. You walk into a dark room, you get abused, you love it, no one gets out… but if they do they get £10K! John Robertson presents a true tour-de-force of perfectly crafted adult geekery.
POP UP PUPPET CINEMA
Ever popular, SFW wouldn’t be the same without em. Showing a mix of your fav Horror movies but in puppet form – including John Carpenters The Thing.
MMORPG
D&D Live but so much more. A mighty fine show from the creators of Knightmare Live. Always popular.
IMAGINARIUM AND AREA 51
Cabaret night from AREA 51… what strangeness comes your way this time? home of the Professor and your gateway to entertainment for a truly wild weekend!
EXPERIMENTAL SONIC MACHINES
Need some chill time? Grab a drink and enjoy some home-made music. No…really, everything used on stage is completely fully homemade. Bonkers and truly brilliant!
PANAOKE
You know him well as the Pan Man. Did you also know that not only does he DJ… he now does Karaoke too? Well you do now!
BEHIND THE SOFA
Fiona Angwin is a storyteller and puppeteer as well as a writer and actress, and works as The Yarn Spinner, telling stories and puppeteering at festivals and events, as well as performing in schools around the country. Her new show will be called Time Travel Tales and will take us hopping through time, coming across characters and creatures who may just bear a striking resemblance to some of your favourite sci-fi characters. The show should appeal to everyone who loves sci-fi; her fellow geeks should get the gags – and children will adore the puppets (so will the adults, for that matter!)
COSPLAY
Our host with the most Jim Credible will of course have a full contingent of Cosplay stars and guests – headed by Tabitha Lyons and Artyfakes, Sons of Skarro and of course the Galactic Knights – together with build demos and a display of their wonderful creations – we’ll announce all at a later time! And of course we’ll have our famously awesome Cosplay competition once again with a special new category for those who have a little less time on their hands – we give you Half-arsed Cosplay!
Admiral Jonni Davis commented, “SFW X PT1 was announced the other day and will be an unbelievable start to this incredible year of Science Fiction & Fantasy Frolics, SFW PT2 in our 5 Star Holiday Resort in Great Yarmouth will bring together probably the biggest line up to date. This is Geek Camp in another dimension, something we cant wait to enjoy with you.”
With the SFW Awards and all the other surprises we have in store, we feel this goes above and beyond anything we have achieved in the past. If you need a last minute seat at the SFW Awards on Thursday night, we have a dozen places due to the main Void being larger than Pwllheli. We have also managed to get another 33 units added as new fleet for November, so if you haven’t secured accom on site, fancy grabbing an awards place down the Red Carpet or need a signing pass for some of these incredible stars, then jump onto www.scifiweekender.com toute suite or ring Charlotte on 0207 193 1865.
Hold on Tight, this is going to be an unbelievable ride!