OSCAR Hammerstein II, Jewish from his father’s side, wrote the lyrics to one of the most politically and socially telling songs of the 20th century for the musical South Pacific. You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught is often overlooked in the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon, but in 13 lines (the last two verses are omitted…
IF you buy a vintage Rolls Royce motor car in good condition, you do not immediately take it to the nearest garage and have the engine re-tuned, and completely overhaul the paintwork and interior …. perhaps even going to the extent of replacing the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy statue on the front of the bonnet!…
SCOTLAND has Robert Burns, Yorkshire has the Brontes, Hampshire has Jane Austen, London has Charles Dickens (and many Moore) – but Dorset, quite small in comparison, has two great major figures who are rooted in the county – Thomas Hardy and William Barnes, who will be celebrated at a gathering to enjoy his poems, with…
IF you’re suffering Strictly Come Dancing withdrawal, Artsreach has a double dose of tango in February, which may not have the glitz and glamour, but certainly has the passion, with acclaimed trio Tango Calor and a new play exploring love between two middle-aged people, united by a love of the dance but divided by an…
HOWARD Phipps, the distinguished wood engraver, who lives near Salisbury, is the featured artist in the 87th annual exhibition of the Society of Wood Engravers, which opened at London’s Bankside Gallery, and comes to Make South West in Bovey Tracey from 1st March to 21st April and later at galleries on Merseyside, in Oxford and…
WHEN the Sturminster Newton Amateur Dramatic Society, affectionately known as SNADS, takes on the ever-popular pantomime Cinderella you can expect local jokes and references woven into the story of the abused step sister and her meeting with the prince. The SNADS pantomime is rightly famous for its music, dancing, singing and storytelling – something so…
A NEW lighting system at Poole’s Lighthouse arts centre is expected to pay for itself in little more than a year, with savings forecast of almost £10,000 and nearly eight tonnes of CO2e*. The Lighthouse management has recently completed essential improvement works to enhance energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact and ensure the long-term sustainability of…
THERE is quite a trend currently for films to be adapted for the stage but there have been few book-to-film-to-stage versions that are better or more entertaining than Patrick Barlow’s inventive and hilarious staging of the John Buchan classic thriller, The 39 Steps. This brilliant play opens the in-house production season at Salisbury Playhouse, running…
SHAKESPEARE’s dark drama The Merchant of Venice may have one of the most famous speeches in the whole canon, but it is a difficult play for modern audiences. We struggle with the arrogant anti-semitism of Antonio and most of us surely squirm at the twin horrors of Shylock’s merciless revenge and the humiliation he suffers…
DORCHESTER Arts has a packed programme for February ranging from tribute shows to half-term fun – to a one-woman entertainment celebrating opera and triathlon! Next up is a visit from the boisterously energetic folk music from The Churchfitters on Thursday 27th. The last day of February (Friday 28th) brings comedian Alyssa Kyria (pictured) in her…