Make ’em Laugh

Wanton wit and wickedness

CABARET should always have a frisson of wanton wit, a hint of burlesque, some risqué songs … and even a pinch of decadence. In the capable hands of Charlie Bicknell and Louise Innes it also has balls or claws – or Claus, if you will. The always in-demand duo have three dates before Christmas, on…

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Winter wizardry

CHRISTMAS is a magical time for families – but there will be a special sparkle when magician Peter Clifford comes to Dorchester Corn Exchange on Saturday 13th December, with his festive show, Wonderful Wintery Wizardry. Peter, who is a well-known actor in Bristol, is highly praised by his magician peers – Derren Brown calls him…

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Living Spit – the hits and myths

When two members of Living Spit are overheard bragging about how good they are, Zeus, up there on Olympus, is enraged by their hubris and decides to teach them a lesson –join them as they bring Too Many Greek Myths to Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, and find out how the king of the Greek gods…

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What’s up, nurse?

THERE is apparently a powerful connection between medicine and comedy – look at the number of doctors and other medics who have combined stand-up with their work, or moved over entirely from the operating theatre to the performing theatre. Take Georgie Carroll, a nurse who has been playing to sell-out audiences for some years. Her…

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Laugh with the leopard

IT’s hardly your average response: “The consultant had told me he was confident I had throat cancer that had spread into the lymph glands. Joyfully, I held his hand, and looked up to the heavens like a South American footballer after scoring a goal. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.” But…

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You – the accused, the jury, witnesses …

COURT rooms are the stuff of drama – comedy, not so much. Improv comedy comes to Stockland village hall, near Honiton, on Friday 1st August at 7.30pm with This Is Your Trial!, a show in which the audience is fully involved! When you come to this court, your role is that of juror. You’ll decide…

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Dickensian ghosts with a comic twist

THE Gavin Robertson company returns to Dorset in March with three performances of a double bill of Dickens’ short haunted stories, with a comic twist! The Ghost of a Smile will be at Sandford Orcas village hall on Friday 7th, Powerstock Hut on Saturday 8th and Shillingstone’s Portman Hall on Sunday 9th, all at 7.30pm….

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An adult feline frolic

BATH’S Ustinov Studio opens its 2025 season with three performances of CAT the Play, performed by Richard Kieswick as a man who dreams of fame in one of Lord Lloyd Webber’s most popular musicals, based on the work of T S Eliot. Described as a comedy drama with a dark twist, CAT the Play was…

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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…

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