A SERIES of creative workshops for young people is being run over the Easter holidays at the Neeld Community Arts Centre in Chippenham, by Rag and Bone Arts CIC and Knapsack Productions. The project is supported by funding from the National Lottery and the government’s Million Hours scheme to help young people to work with…
JODIE Comer is coming to Bath Theatre Royal in February 2026, reprising her BAFTA, Emmy, Tony and Olivier Award-winning solo performance in Suzie Miller’s powerful play Prima Facie. Bath is one of nine destinations on the UK and Ireland tour, with the world-famous production appearing at the Theatre Royal from Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th…
HISTORY, it is often said, is written by men about men. It is also said, with equal truth that history is written by the victors. A group of creative women in Dorchester and the surrounding area are confronting these sexist tropes with an exciting new community play project – Women of Dorset. The play, which…
MILBORNE Port Opera’s witty and delightful production of The Drowsy Chaperone took two awards at the recent Somerset Fellowship of Drama David Beach Awards. Lloyd Davies took the award for Best Male Lead for his performance as the Man in the Chair, the wry narrator of the hilarious story. The second award was for props….
The three largest theatres in the south-west region, Southampton Mayflower (seating 2,300) Bristol Hippodrome (1,951), and Plymouth Theatre Royal (1,320), are the places to see the big touring musicals, and their 2025 schedule includes major national tours. The Mayflower will stage Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop American history musical Hamilton (pictured below) , from 18th March to…
DORSET Opera Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary at Bryanston School’s Coade Hall this year, following its move to Blandford from its original home at Sherborne School. This year’s festival will run from 22nd to 26th July, and will include two formal dinners in Bryanston House. The opera programme is thrilling, with Verdi’s cruel but musically…
SLEEPING Beauty, the 2024 Wiltshire Creative pantomime at Salisbury Playhouse, has received three nominations for the Pantomime Awards 2025. The critically-acclaimed show (which had a five-star review in The Stage) has been nominated for Best Pantomime (500-900 seat venues) at the annual awards hosted by The UK Pantomime Association, with Katie Lias also receiving nods…
JACK Dickson, a member of the art department at Bryanston School, Blandford, was featured on a recent edition of Bill Bailey’s BBC series Extraordinary Portraits. The programme featured Jack’s portrait of a remarkable, life-saving, railway worker, Rizwan Javed. East Londoner Rizwan, who works for London Underground, has saved 29 people from taking their own lives…
DORCHESTER has a rich history, and one of its most recent important contributions not only to the town, county and country has been its community plays. It has staged seven – the greatest number of community plays anywhere in the world. The most recent, Spinning the Moon, was due in 2020 and was scuppered by…
THE priceless 13th century Sarum Master Bible is going go on public display for the first time at Salisbury Cathedral, from 28th February to 20th March, following a successful fundraising campaign by Friends of the Nations’ Libraries. The Bible is a manuscript of exceptional artistic value with great significance to Salisbury. It is just 17cm…