We are delighted to welcome Evesham Festival of Words Festival Patron, Alistair McGowan, and his wife Charlotte Page, to the stunning setting of Bretforton Theatrebarn.
Alistair, and Charlotte, bring us their personal selection of some of Noël Coward’s most popular songs in a romantic first half. Think you know Coward? Think again! (With piano accompaniment from Lana Bode.)
In the second half, a further mix of piano music and poetry but this time, Alistair reads from his new volume of poetry (Like Never Before) and plays a selection of classical piano pieces by the likes of Glass, Mompou, Poulenc and Amy Beach with, no doubt a few of his famous and unbettered impressions along the way.
Alistair McGowan is a comedy actor, writer, singer, and impressionist, best known for the BAFTA-winning TV show, The Big Impression. He began his career by providing voices for the puppets on Spitting Image. He has worked extensively as an actor in theatre and television. His piano ambitions reached new heights in 2018. Having gone back to the piano at the age of 49, he released The Piano Album, which reached number one in the classical chart. April 2026 sees the release of his second collection of poetry.
Charlotte Page studied at the Royal Academy of Music. She is well known in opera and music theatre having been a principal soprano with The Royal Opera Covent Garden and other companies. Lana Bode is an American-British pianist, programme and artistic director, highly acclaimed for her performances of contemporary music. She performs as a solo pianist and in collaboration with leading singers and instrumentalists.