It’s just a few hours to go before we batten down the hatches and head off to Great Yarmouth’s Vauxhall Park for the second part of SFW’s tenth anniversary shenanigans … and yet no sooner is this event planned and set to GO state, than we’re looking forward to the eleventh outing for the good ship SFW and all who sail in her!
Yes, SFW XI is already on track, and we’re taking Vauxhall Park all over again from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26th April 2020 … and we hope you might want to be there!
Why? Well as usual we have a whole host of goodies to present to you, and if you’ve been before you’ll know the work, time and effort which goes into providing the very best of Geek Camp experiences, at a top venue, with Media, Artist and Author guests coming at’cha from all sides.
We’re expecting Thursday night to follow a similar format to SFW-X Part 2, with the SFW AWARDS taking place in the Main Void, while we have a secondary entertainment stream in the Spaceport for anyone not moved (or able) to attend the Awards. The Awards bring together all the great and good who make up our Geek Family. From film makers and actors, through artists and designers, authors and screenwriters, fans, cosplayers … if you’re Geek you need to be there!
Then over Friday and Saturday we aim to bring you the usual packed programme of talks, panels, entertainment and fun … Bringing every aspect of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror under the spotlight, with a feast of items to choose from …
We already have some guests confirmed for the Weekender, and some were announced earlier in the year in Sheffield. As usual with these things, some have even had to cancel already, so we’re sorry to announce that MARINA SIRTIS will not be with us due to other commitments.
However we do have two new names to announce in this update.
From STAR TREK we have the amazing CHASE MASTERTON joining us once more. Chase’s first major role came in 1994 as Ivy Lief on General Hospital. She then spent five years portraying the Bajoran Dabo girl Leeta on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from 1995 to 1999. Her film roles include starring as a sultry singer in Yesterday Was a Lie, which she also produced, and voicing Janice Em in the animated film Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles. Her television guest-starring roles include ER, The Flash and Sliders. She is passionate about helping young people and founded the anti-bullying organisation the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, a non-profit organization speaking out against bullying, racism, misogyny, cyber-bullying, LGBT-bullying, and other forms of hate, and has spoken widely and inspirationally around the world on the subject, including at the United Nations, and in Vienna for one of the 2019 TED talks.
And from the cult hit STRANGER THINGS we have MARK STEGER. Mark played the terrifying Demogorgon in Season One of the show. Mark also appeared in Stan Against Evil, The Nun, The Last Witch Hunter and The Pact. He also played Harold the Scarecrow and the Pale Lady in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and as Hoboman in Velvet Buzzsaw.
We also have the following previously announced superstars still confirmed and planning to be with us in Great Yarmouth next year:
From the worlds of STAR TREK we have the Enterprise’s Security Officer, DENISE CROSBY joining us. Denise co-starred alongside Fisher Stevens and Jennifer Tilly in the Fox series, Key West, and has played recurring roles on the acclaimed series, NYPD Blue, The X-Files, Mad Men, and Lois And Clark: The Adventures Of Superman. She has guest starred in numerous TV series, most recently, How To Get Away With Murder, Dexter, Scandal, Castle and the recurring role of Mary in The Walking Dead. Denise played Captain Susan Sallinger on the acclaimed series Southland on TNT. She is currently recurring in the role of Deb on the series Ray Donovan for Showtime starring Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight, and The Magicians for SyFy. She also co-starred in Stephen King’s classic film, Pet Sematary.
We also have ROBERT PICARDO appearing as himself rather than a hologram! Yes, STAR TREK’s popular virtual Doctor will be with us. Robert made his feature film debut as Eddie Quist, the serial killer werewolf in The Howling. He is known for his portrayals of Dr Dick Richards on ABC’s China Beach; the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), also known as The Doctor, on Star Trek: Voyager; the Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years (where he received an Emmy nomination); Ben Wheeler in Wagons East; and as Richard Woolsey in the Stargate television franchise. Picardo is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Planetary Society. He played a number of roles in Explorers, and later appeared in The ‘Burbs, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Matinee, Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Small Soldiers.
We also have the eighth Doctor, PAUL MCGANN appearing. Paul is perhaps best known for playing the eponymous ‘I’ in the cult classic Withnail And I and the 8th Doctor in the TV film, Doctor Who. Other film appearances include: Empire Of The Sun, Alien 3, The Three Musketeers, Paper Mask, Fairytale: A True Story, Lesbian Vampire Killers and B&B. His television work includes: Series 1 & 2 of the BBC drama Luther, Hornblower Series 1-4, Ripper Street, The Hanging Gale, Our Mutual Friend, and Holby City.
Everyone’s favourite vampire, SOPHIA MYLES, will also be with us. Sophia started acting aged 17, and after several smaller parts was cast as Johnny Depp’s wife in From Hell. She also starred in The Life And Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby, The Abduction Club, Heartbeat and Foyle’s War. In 2003, Sophia won a supporting role in Underworld and went on to be cast in the thriller Out Of Bounds. She joined the big screen version of the cult hit, Thunderbirds playing Lady Penelope. Other projects include Art School Confidential, Doctor Who, Colditz and Marple: Sleeping Murder.
As well as our initial tranche of Media Guests, we have some confirmed Authors and Artists for you as well …
FREDA WARRINGTON is known for her epic fantasy, vampire and supernatural novels. Four of her novels have been nominated for the British Fantasy Society’s Best Novel award. Dracula the Undead won the Dracula Society’s 1997 ‘Children of the Night’ Award.
PAUL FINCH is a novelist, screenwriter, short story writer and journalist, whose published and broadcast work covers a wide spectrum of genres, including crime, thrillers, horror, fantasy and science fiction. His crime novels can be found gracing the top ten lists in most supermarkets and bookshops.
J R PARK is a writer of horror fiction based in Bristol, UK, and co-founder of the publishing imprint the Sinister Horror Company. Art house, pulp and exploitation alike inform his inspirations, as well as misheard conversations, partially remembered childhood terrors and cheese before sleep.
KATHRYN EVANS writes books that are a product of her weird reading history – contemporary fiction with a distinct Sci-fi flavour with a seasoning of horror. The Bookseller describes her latest book, Beauty Sleep as ‘high concept with a Black Mirror style twist’. A Carnegie medal nominee, her debut More of Me also won the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award and the Edinburgh International Book Festival First Book Award – the only YA author ever to do so. In her spare time, Kathryn runs a farm with her husband, fences competitively and belly dances for fun.
BRYONY PEARCE is a stalwart of SFW. She’s also an author of award-winning YA thrillers and science fiction. Her books include Angel’s Fury (winner of the Leeds Book Award and the Cheshire Schools Book Award), The Weight of Souls, Phoenix Rising (shortlisted for Cheshire Schools Book Award and Wirral Paperback of the Year), Phoenix Burning, Windrunner’s Daughter, Wavefunction and Savage Island.
JIM BURNS is a contemporary British science fiction illustrator. His work mostly deals with science fiction with erotic overtones. His paintings are generally intricate photo-realistic works of beautiful women set against advanced machines and spaceships. While his preparatory sketches are more erotically focused, his final works and published book covers have a more academic tone portraying far off and imaginary worlds. Apart from book and game covers, Burns briefly worked with Ridley Scott on Blade Runner, and his illustrations and paintings comprise much of the book Mechanismo by Harry Harrison. He has also had books of his own works published, including Lightship, Planet Story (written by Harry Harrison), Transluminal, and Imago. Burns won the Hugo award for best professional artist three times and has also been awarded 12 BSFA awards.
JEFF CUMMINS will be returning to SFW. Jeff worked with Paul McCartney on the Thrillington album sleeve and with Storm, Po and Pete at Hipgnosis visualising and illustrating for such luminaries as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Moody Blues and Peter Gabriel. In 1979, Paul and Linda McCartney commissioned the painting for Wings Over America which propelled Jeff into the international arena. An involvement with Doctor Who came along in 1978 when Jeff was commissioned to provide cover images for several of the novelisations published by Target books. He also provided covers for a range of factual books called Doctor Who Discovers, and in the 1990, covers for several original Doctor Who novels. Today, Jeff’s work is diverse. He develops characters for corporate identities, packaging, childrenswear, and TV. Occasionally illustrating and paper engineering children’s books (including the design and engineering of Sindy’s Carousal-Doll’s House for Hasbro). Currently Jeff is working on concepts for children’s television, still designing CD covers and continues to crave the creative challenge!
In addition, DAVID J HOWE and SAMANTHA LEE HOWE (AKA SAM STONE) and the Telos Publishing Team will be running AUTHOR CENTRAL all weekend, selling books and hosting signings. The fantastic comic artists in the STRIP CLUB will be back as will the biggest and best COSPLAY COMPETITION.
As for entertainment … well how does the return of DOCTOR AND THE MEDICS float your boat?
If you were at SFW X Part 1 in Sheffield you might have caught the Doctor’s performance which blew the room apart! Now they’re back to rock again at Part 2! Formed in London in 1981, the group enjoyed success in the eighties with the smash single ‘Spirit in the Sky’ which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart. They play much more though, and if it’s charismatic feet-tapping dance pop you’re after then you won’t want to miss them this time!
Also back by popular demand is BLUES HARVEST. The perfect sci-fi Cantina band returns to SFW with their blend of Star Wars parodies and other classic movie songs. Calling all Rebels, Avengers, Ghostbusters, time-travellers, and Jedi: get ready to party with the coolest Cantina band since Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes! Be there or be trapped in carbonite!
And as usual there are MANY more guests from Media, Literature, and Comic Art yet to confirm and announce, as well as the traditional and MASSIVE schedule of daytime and evening entertainment … Will THE DARK ROOM be back? Will the weather be nice for us? What massive live bands and entertainment will be lined up? What Cosplay delights will you, the attendees, conjure up for us to marvel at? Will we all survive SFW X Part 2? Only time will tell …
GET READY 11TH CYCLE
To all of our loyal fans of previous Weekenders, and the amazing City events in Sheffield, we welcome you to come along to SFW-XI.
Here’s a reminder of our recipe for simply the most entertaining Sci-Fi and Fantasy event on the calendar in Europe …
Take the best Sci-Fi convention you can think of, with great stars, movies, gaming, stalls, interactive entertainment, authors, comic artists and more. Throw in your best night out ever, including a mind-blowing Sci-Fi cabaret, science comedy quizzes, cosplay, and the best live and party music you can imagine. Add a few thousand like-minded people, maybe a few intergalactic gargle blasters to help you forget about your day job, don’t worry about missing the last interplanetary shuttle home at the end of your evening (‘cos you’ve got your own private moonbase less than a klick away) and you’re getting close to what you’ll experience at SFW XI. So jump on board, get your pods, caravans and tickets booked, and punch the date into your diaries. No time for cryosleep. You don’t want to miss this …
So it’s Official, last 78 rooms are now released as we look to Sell Out this weekend. Tickets for SFW XI will be available at the box office all weekend @ SFW X Part 2, or alternatively can be booked online @ www.scifiweekender.com or phoning Charlotte on the Ticket Hotline: 0207 193 1865.