Free family magic and comedy shows have returned to East Cowes and Ryde for the summer holidays, with weekly performances taking place throughout August thanks to the support of local sponsors.
Entertainer David has brought his long-running shows back to East Cowes Seafront and Appley Park, with performances taking place every Monday at the Shoreside Cafe and every Wednesday at Appley, both starting at 11:00.
The popular shows, which began in the early 1990s, first came about after the Isle of Wight Council approached David when its commissioned Punch and Judy performer unexpectedly left the Island. Since then, they have become a summer tradition for generations of families.
In 2001, public protests helped save the performances from budget cuts. For the following 20 years, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway part-sponsored the shows, with sponsorship now provided by Shoreside Cafe in East Cowes and Appley Cafe in Ryde, allowing them to remain free to attend.
David has said:
“I am always humbled by the amount of people who come to watch these shows and the warm response that they receive.
“I am very aware of my social responsibility and know that some families find it hard to afford some of the paid events through the summer. These shows are free to the general public thanks to sponsorship from Iso at the Shoreside and Ben and Lana at Appley.
“It’s 25 years since they were saved by the public and hopefully will continue for years to come.”
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Away from the seafront performances, David is enjoying his busiest summer since the pandemic. He is appearing as a special guest performer during the 200th Cowes Week, alongside regular appearances at Chale Show, the Garlic Festival, Wolverton Manor Garden Fair, the Isle of Wight Bus Museum and Ventnor Botanic Garden, as well as a host of other events, hotels and holiday centres across the Isle of Wight.
