Coffee Afternoon & Folkestone Live

Free coffee afternoon with Folkestone Live mini talk by Michèle Rowland.

There will be an informal talk at 3.15pm on Folkestone Live by Michèle Rowland.  However, you can join our drop-in session at The Community Room on The Bayle for free refreshments at any time between 3 – 5 pm and find out what’s happening at Folkestone Live ’25.

ABOUT THE THEME & GUEST

Folkestone Live is a fringe-style performance festival aiming to showcase and connect a range of local talent from Kent and surrounding areas. Returning in 2025, it promises a weekend of theatre, children’s shows, dance, plays and stand-up comedy.

The festival takes place 19-21 September. Performances will be held in the following venues:

• Channel Suite
• Neptune lower room
• Grand Burstin Hotel
• Old Cigar and Olive

Previous Folkestone Live events you may have seen include:

• A Kidsummer Night’s Dream
• Funny Folke
• Hill and Jones: Sketch Show Goes Wrong
• James Whale: Beyond Frankenstein
• The Signalman
• Mr Sleepybum
• On The Halls with Marie Lloyd
• The Sound of Muzak
• Teeny Boppers Dance Show
• Ultimate Jewish Mother
• The Vagina Monologues

If you are a performer and would like to participate in a future Folkestone Live event, the team would love to hear from you! Come along and introduce yourself.

ABOUT THE VENUE

The Community Room is located at 19 The Bayle, where Dance Easy used to stand, in an attractive Georgian-style townhouse.  It is run by the Sunflower House team on a partnership model, where local groups and organisations offering community benefits with similar values are able to utilise the space.

TRAVEL TO THE VENUE

By Bus:

The venue is about a 600 metre walk (one-third of a mile) from the bus station.  Head down West Cliff Gardens (between the HSBC and Lloyds banks) and straight through the churchyard, turning left when you get to the British Lion pub.  The room is opposite the Bayle Pond.

For step-free access avoiding cobblestones, go down the pedestrian precinct to the Town Hall and turn right onto Church Street.  Follow that to the end (past the school), turn left and veer left as above.

By Car:

The nearest Pay and Display car park is Upper Payers Park, accessed from Dover Road (passing the F51 skate park) next to the amusements where the Banksy was located originally.  Walk to the end of Payers Park, turn right onto the Old High Street and walk up to the top.  Turn left, then take the first right.  The building will be on your right after the Glendale building.

For step-free access avoiding cobblestones, walk out to Dover Road and turn left.  Walk around the amusements building to the front, carry on down Rendezvous Street, cross the road and turn left at the gate (onto what is still Rendezvous Street).  Walk to the top, turn left onto Church Street, follow it to the end (past the school), turn left onto The Bayle and follow the road, which veers left.  The room is on the left, opposite the Bayle Pond.