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Welsh Singing Sensation Sophie Evans and actor Luke Davies add their names to the day’s showbill. The Castle grounds will provide a stunning setting for a day of Summer Celebration with the Firing Line and Soldiers’ Arts Academy

Welsh Singing Sensation Sophie Evans and actor Luke Davies add their names

to the days showbill

The Castle grounds will provide a stunning setting for a day of Summer

Celebration with the Firing Line and Soldiers Arts Academy

With the world reverberating from the shockwaves of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine

there has never been a more appropriate time to appreciate and to celebrate the

service of armed forces personnel, their families and veterans.

What better way to do this than through the creation of a garden party packed with a

host of wonderful things to enjoy culminating in an evening of top-notch

entertainment and packaged up in a summer festival atmosphere.

On 13th August the grounds of Cardiff Castle will play host to a spectacular Summer

Garden Party & Summers Eve Concert open to all and hosted by the Firing Line

Museum alongside members of the Soldiers' Arts Academy.

Excitingly more stars are lending their support to this inaugural event and today it is

announced that Welsh stars Sophie Evans and Luke Davies are to provide an extra

sprinkle of stardust. Sophie came to prominence when she appeared in Andrew

Lloyd Webbers BBC One search for Dorothy in 2010, resulting in her appearing at

the London Palladium aged 17. She has since gone on to perform alongside Alfie

Boe, Michael Ball, Paul Potts and Kerry Ellis.

Sophie is recognised globally for performances in major venues and arenas

including the Lyric Theatre on Broadway and The Colosseum at Caesars Palace,

Las Vegas where she was a lead in Michael Flatleys Lord of the Dance.

Luke, who began his career as a weather presenter, will be a familiar face to S4C

viewers. He trained and was mentored by the Game Of Thrones actor Ross

OHennessy and went on to play the lead in a CBS Reality Documentary, a

time-travelling superhero in the feature film Generation Y and more recently as

Charles Evans in Tom Delmars Terra Nova. Luke will provide the all-important Welsh

speaking element on the day.

This special event is designed to showcase the widespread assistance provided to

Armed Forces families and veterans throughout Wales through the Armed Forces

Covenant Trust, who support the work of the Soldiers' Arts Academy. The result will

be a tangible demonstration of the effects the funding has on veterans lives through

the work of the Academy.

The focal point will be this unique stage for veterans to perform to the public.

So what can visitors expect? The Garden Party is at its heart a fun day out for all

at Cardiff Castle. Theatre, art, poetry, dance, acting classes, face painting, Puppet

workshops, artisan food stalls and much, much more will be there for the taking.

Daytime entertainment will include a special appearance by Shenkin IV & Emrys

Forlan Jones, the regimental goat & pony of Royal Welsh & Welsh Cavalry. The day

will also include a specially adapted version of the play, "Little Manfred" by Sir

Michael Morpurgo OBE, the creator of War Horse, brought to life by members of the

Soldiers' Arts Academy theatrical company.

As the day stretches towards its climax there will be a short pause. The castle doors

will open for an evening event of theatre, film, music and dance led by veterans will

unfold under the banner of "Service". There will be music aplenty provided by

Orchestra of the Swan, The Military Wives Choir and Wembley Anthem Singer

Maurillia Simpson with Chris Hatt who is the Associate Musical Director of Broadway

and West End hit Hamilton. Exit 12 dance company will perform and there will be

poetry readings and the building of a light sculpture by local artist Rhianna Yates.

Poems will include a specially commissioned poem by Welsh Poet Joe Dunthorne.

The evening will end with champagne from the bar, illuminated by fire eating and

pyrotechnic displays. All told, a triumphant day for the arts, armed services, Wales

and the wider community.

Amanda Faber, founder and Creative Director of The Soldiers' Arts Academy

says: "We are delighted to be invited by the Firing Line Museum and Cardiff Castle

for this exciting event in such a wonderful location. We provide a platform for the

arts for serving and military personnel. Our platform is also open to their families.

Our workshops which we will be showcasing enable all who participate to recover, to

train in the arts and to transition into work either in the performing arts or beyond.

This day will be a chance to recognise the important contribution made to the local

community by those currently serving and veterans and their families."

Ends