CINDERELLA is the most popular of pantomimes, but this season the only professional production in the south west is at Exeter’s Northcott Theatre, where Le Navet Bete (that’s Daft Turnip in translation) has taken the story and shaken it up a bit, to the delight of children, parents, grandparents and other panto lovers. The three…
THE latest manifestation of the Sasha Regan company’s hilariously entertaining all-male Pirates is in Bath this week, complete with its almost-all-new cast of daughters, policemen and gentlemen of the sea. The 17-strong company, along with the phenomenal Giannis Giannopoulos at the piano, bring out all of WS Gilbert’s satire and invention, with (as is traditional) a…
THE big Christmas 2024 puzzler in the Cotswolds is whether 3 is less than 6, just like 6, or greater than 6? And if you have already been to Cirencester’s Barn Theatre this festive season, you may well have the answer. If not, I strongly suggest you get your tickets for The Three Musketeers –…
THE National Trust has the care of some of the most enchanting, historic locations in the south west – and they look their best in the run-up to Christmas. From magical illuminated trails through world-famous gardens to Christmas wreath-making workshops, from the chance to visit Santa’s grotto to the excitement of winter storytelling, here is…
SASHA Regan’s award-winning, hilarious, all-male production of ©Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance, comes to Bath Theatre Royal from Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th December, direct from a four-week run at Wilton’s Music Hall in London. This original staging has now been winning awards – and fans – around the world for…
ONE of the most popular fairy tale pantomimes is the 2024 choice at Salisbury Playhouse, where Lottie Mae O’Kill plays the title role in Sleeping Beauty, running from 4th December to 12th January. Ryan McBryde returns to Salisbury Playhouse to direct the show, once again written by Plested, Brown and Wilsher, with Claudia Kariuki as…
HOT on the heels of the Swan Theatre’s own mystery horror, Civic Players will be performing The Murder Room as their pre-Christmas offering at the Yeovil theatre from 4th to 7th December. Described as a hilarious murder mystery spoof, Jack Sharkey’s The Murder Room was scheduled for production in 2020, when COVID restrictions shut down theatres…
THIS new musical production of one of the world’s most popular stories, with seven new numbers by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe happily blending with the Sherman Brothers iconic original score, is big, bold and beautiful. It has lavish sets with costumes to match, by Bob Crowley, that change with the precision of co-director Matthew…
ONE of Bristol’s most atmospheric locations is the setting for a production of one of Edgar Allen Poe’s classic macabre stories. Red Rope Theatre will be performing The Fall of the House of Usher, in the Anglican chapel at Arnos Vale Cemetery, from 14th November to 6th December. It is a dark tale full of…
MILLSTREAM, the Wimborne-based theatre group for learning disabled and neurodivergent adults, is seeking urgent financial support from individuals, businesses or organisations, to be able to continue running regular drama workshops and creating annual productions. Tam Gilbert, co-director of the group which has its home at the Museum of East Dorset, says: “Although we are starting…
IT is 40 years since Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band first teamed up for their annual Christmas tour of the UK, singing ancient carols and capering about. They mark the anniversary this year with a finale tour, and it starts at Wimborne’s Tivoli Theatre on 2nd December. The 16-venue schedule, which ends at Bradford…
NOVEMBER is here and the pantomime season is approaching fast. Theatres and arts centres around the country have announced their shows and their stars, hoping to ensure the bums-on-seats that ensure their financial viability for the rest of the year. Pantomime is a peculiarly British institution, rich in tradition and full of expectation for younger…
THE brilliant and award-winning National Theatre production of War Horse, adapted from Michael Morporgo’s novel, was a massive hit at the National, in the West End, on Broadway and around the world. Now a new production of this beautiful and deeply moving story is on a national tour, on at Plymouth Theatre Royal until 7th…
AS always, December’s film choice from Moviola,is somewhat shorter than the rest of the year, with at least one perennial festive favourite popping up on a village hall screen somewhere. This year, the old favourite is that 1946 classic, It’s A Wonderful Life, at Chard Guildhall, on Friday 13th December, produced and directed by Frank…
LEWIS Carroll’s story of Alice in Wonderland is intended to subvert your expectations, but when our heroine stumbles into Blunderland instead, there are even more twists and turns on the way down the rabbit hole. A packed audience at Mere had a second chance to enjoy Eric Kincaid and Chris Wood’s version of the famous…
JANE Austen is rightly famous for her portrayal of strong women who often make decisions for themselves – sometimes against the advice or desires of those around them. One of the most independent and controversial is Lady Susan, the subject of Dyad Productions’ new Austen’s Women play, returning to the south and west in December….
ONE of the most enchanting stage stories for children, Snow Mouse returns to Bath’s Egg theatre this Christmas for the tenth consecutive year, from Friday 29th November to Sunday 5th January. This “delightful” (The Stage) seasonal tale for the very young, performed in the Roper Room, is perfect for children aged six months to four…
THE Grange at Oborne, one of Dorset’s most attractive small country house hotels, has taken the top award in the 2024 Taste of the West Awards. The hotel, run by Jon and Jenny Fletcher, was named Best Hotel in the South West. Jenny and Jon were delighted and gave “an enormous thank you to all…
YEOVIL-based Lost Lady Society brings The Saviour, a new comedy musical on a tour which continues at Ilchester Town Hall on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th December. The play is set in a struggling family-run chip shop that faces an unexpected crisis — no potatoes This heartfelt and hilarious musical has been cooked up through…
AN unprecedented hoard of 2,584 silver coins from the time of the Norman Conquest, found by metal detectorists in the Chew Valley, has been saved for the nation, and will have a permanent home in the Museum of Somerset, after being exhibited at the British Museum and in museums across the country. The acquisition of…