The Arts Section

Who killed Lawrence of Arabia?

ONE of the great mysteries of the inter-war years is the death of TE Lawrence – Lawrence of Arabia – in a motorcycle accident not far from his Dorset home at Clouds Hill near Wareham. On Saturday 18th January, Bridport’s Electric Palace has a screening of a fascinating documentary, Who Killed Lawrence of Arabia? is…

Read more...

Cinema returns to Lyme

WORLD-famous Scottish actor Brian Cox is coming to the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis on 28th January for the launch of a new cinema programme. The actor, currently playing the composer Johann Sebastian Bach in The Score at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, was most recently the fearsome Logan Roy in Succession, and has starred in…

Read more...

Harmony from Vermont

THE internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble Windborne travels from New England to Dorset in January, making a welcome return to the Artsreach circuit with To Warm The Winter Hearth, showcasing the singers’ powerful and innovative vocal harmonies. The four singers come to Blandford parish church on Friday 17th January, and Yetminster’s Jubilee Hall on Wednesday 22nd,…

Read more...

Moviola in January

THE New Year opens for Moviola in our area with two films which are distinguished by the remarkable veteran actors starring in them – Thelma and The Critic. Thelma is the most requested film of the month, with more than 30 screenings across our region. Amazingly, it is the first action movie leading role for…

Read more...

Comedy = Tragedy + Time

MARK Twain’s famous quote about comedy provides the title for Ed Byrne’s current tour, which is coming to Weymouth Pavilion on Sunday 19th January. One of the UK’s favourite television comedians, Ed Byrne has extended his nationwide Tragedy Plus Time tour, winner of British Comedy Guide’s Best Comedy Show 2023 – and his most personal show…

Read more...

Peter Pan, Strode Theatre, Street

LIKE so many theatres across the country, Strode Theatre in Street is facing difficult times. Situated in the first county in the UK to “proudly” proclaim it had stopped all arts funding, the theatre has to maintain and shout about its position as an educational hub and a place where the community in a wide…

Read more...

Jeeves Takes Charge, Ustinov Studio, Bath

THE only Christmassy thing about Jeeves Takes Charge, the marvellously entertaining show at Bath Theatre Royal’s Ustinov Studio until 4th January, is the nickname of the writer … Plum. A selection of the beloved PG Wodehouse stories of Bertie Wooster and his ever-dependable butler, Jeeves, have been adapted by James Duke, Edward Duke and the…

Read more...

Sleeping Beauty, Poole Lighthouse

THE story of a beautiful woman cursed by a jealous one, and forced to sleep for a century, is as old as time. The first recorded mention was back in the 1330s, revived by French writer Charles Perrault in 1697 and taken by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. Whatever its history, the tale is a…

Read more...

Jack and the Beanstalk, Westlands, Yeovil

YEOVIL has done it again. Bravely, full of determination and belief, relying on the extraordinary talents of local and visiting performers and support from audiences, the Octagon/Westlands team has mounted a show that is nothing short of a triumph. Jack and the Beanstalk opened on Friday 13th December, flying in the face of superstition. With…

Read more...