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…
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, at Bankside Gallery, on Thames Riverside, London, from 4th to 23rd February. The exhibition will be opened by Hal Bishop, the writer, curator and administrator of the Golsoncott Trust, the…
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…
THE National Trust is restoring areas of wood pasture on Purbeck, as part of a project to amplify nature’s chorus. Wood pasture is a prime habitat for our much-loved songbirds, like this beautiful thrush. One of the UK’s most biodiverse habitats, wood pasture is a mosaic of grassland, scrub, hedges and trees. It provides important…
BRIDPORT Arts Centre features two outstanding folk duos in its February programme – Sound of the Sirens on Friday 7th February and Miranda Sykes and Jim Causley on Saturday 22nd, Sound of the Sirens are acoustic singer-songwriting duo Abbe Martin and Hannah Wood, who are based in Exeter. Honing their craft over the past decade,…
DEVON-born actress Caroline Corrie has made an impressive debut as a film director with Shalborne and there are two screenings at Honiton’s Beehive on Saturday 8th February, at 3.30pm and 7.30pm. The versatile actress, who trained at RADA, has not only written and directed this debut feature film, she also designed the costumes and sets…
CONCERTS in the West, the musical charity which promotes rising stars of the chamber music world, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025. The first concert series of the year, on 14th and 15th February, brings the period instrument quartet Ensemble Hesperi to Bridport Arts Centre, Ilminster Arts Centre and the Dancehouse at Crewkerne. Ensemble Hesperi,…
THE Neil Maya Quartet, popular throughout the region through regular gigs and tours with Dorset’s Artsreach, is touring with a celebration of the music and tragically short life of one of the greatest jazz musicians ever – Charlie Parker. The Charlie Parker Story continues Gillingham School on Wednesday 12th February, Nether Compton village hall on…
ONE of the finest British actresses of her generation, Maxine Peake comes to Bath Theatre Royal’s Ustinov Studio in a production of the powerful drama Doubt. Ben Daniels, an Olivier Award-winning actor and well-known from many television roles, co-stars in the production, which runs from 7th February to 8th March. Doubt, A Parable, by John…
SOME of the most recognisable characters ever to be created on TV appeared in one of the 64 episodes (plus Christmas specials) of Only Fools and Horses. And as each new one, faithfully and accurately recreated, first appeared in this musical adaptation, they raised a cheer and a laugh. How tempting it therefore must have…
THE inventive Spitz &Co return to Dorset’s Artsreach touring circuit with a new comedy, looking back to the early years of the King of rock’n’roll. Elvis in Blue Hawaii, with comic mayhem and audience interaction, plus all your favourite Elvis songs, comes to Studland village hall on Wednesday 5th February, East Stour on Friday 7th…
MIDNIGHT Mole continues at Bath Theatre Royal’s dedicated children’s theatre space The Egg until Sunday 9th February. Described as a heart-warming adventure for the very young, it is full of puppetry and music, and specially created for younger audiences aged between six months to four years old. Audiences can join Madame Ranevsky in her favourite…
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…
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…
VISITORS to the National Trust’s world-famous Stourhead landscape gardens, near Mere in Wiltshire, can now discover the history of the property as they walk around the gardens. A new audio introduction brings the history of this masterpiece of 18th century landscape creation to life through narration and storytelling, with professional actors and an original score….
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…
DORCHESTER Arts has a packed programme for February ranging from tribute shows to half-term fun, from a one-man play about Quentin Crisp to a one-woman entertainment celebrating opera and triathlon! Crisp is remembered on Thursday 6th, when Mark Farrelly presents his captivating one man show, Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope. The multi-talented performer explores the life…
IF you are a fan of Ian McKellen – and surely most of us are, who admire great acting and infinite versatility – you will probably enjoy The Critic, Moviola’s most screened film for February in our region. It’s a good, old-fashioned melodrama, a period thriller with some colourful characters, a slightly creaking and at…
OVER the last quarter of a century, performance poet Luke Wright has built up a reputation as one of Britain’s most popular and entertaining performers, winning a host of awards along the way. His 2025 tour continues at Bristol’s Wardrobe Theatre on 12th and 13th February, Corsham’s Pound Arts Centre on 14th March, Salisbury Arts…
CIRENCESTER’s adventurous independent Barn Theatre opens the 2025 season with a new comedy featuring a casting director facing the challenge of casting an actor for the world’s most famous spy. Jordan Waller’s A Role to Die For, running from 30th January to 15th March, stars Olivier Award-winner Janie Dee, and is directed by another Olivier…