The Play’s the Thing

A very modern 1920s wife

CONSTANCE Middleton has everything – a loving family, a beautiful home, a fulfilling career and a husband as devoted to her as he is to his mistress. What could possibly go wrong? The answers may surprise you in the RSC production of The Constant Wife which comes to Poole Lighthouse from 27th April to 2nd…

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The deadly rise of a nobody

WHEN Patricia Highsmith published her first Ripley story, The Talented Mr Ripley, in 1955, she created an anti-hero who would become one of her favourite characters and the star of many television and film adaptations. Ripley has now undergone another metamorphosis in a stage version, coming to Salisbury Playhouse, from Monday 27th April to Saturday…

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New medical comedy

TWO popular small touring theatre companies have got together to produce a new comedy, General Medical Emergency Ward 10, which continues at Tacchi Morris Arts Centre at Taunton on 21st April. Award‑winning Dyad Productions and Company Gavin Robertson have reimagined the worlds of Holby City, Casualty, ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Doctors and many more in this…

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New romcom reveals hidden lives

A PLAY that began as a 20-minute short has been developed into a full-length solo show, which Dorsetborn is premiering at Poole’s Lighthouse arts centre on Wednesday and Thursday 15th and 16th April. Described as a romcom-thriller, Lessons from Teacher x explores love, suspicion and the warring roles we play in adult life. Cam is…

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Memory and regret with Beckett

VETERAN actor,David Westhead, takes on the challenge of Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape, in a new production coming to Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bedminster, Bristol, on 27th and 28th April. Krapp’s Last Tape is a journey through an old man’s life, filled with hilarious memories and hopes for the future, coupled with the mourning of…

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The Spider Woman in Bristol and Southampton

THE first major revival of the musical version of Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman comes to Bristol Old Vic from 29th April to 16th May, and to Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre from 2nd to 6th June. Set in an Argentinian prison, Molina, imprisoned for his homosexuality, is put in a cell with political prisoner…

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The call of the sea

THE sea in all its beautiful, dangerous and unpredictable drama is the focal point of the New Waves Festival, two reimagined classics and a new piece, performed by students of Theatre Royal Bath Theatre School at the theatre’s Egg space, from Friday 10th to Saturday 18th April. Brimming with imagination, energy and creative ambition, the…

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If you go down to the woods …

… on Friday 10th April, look who you may meet, at Westlands entertainment centre at Yeovil. Last Baguette will give two performances at 10am and 11.30, of A Woodland Wonder, a play-along theatre adventure. Join Ratty as she learns about the environment and plant your very own seeds! There’ll be silliness, play-acting, games and music…

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Still relevant – Fred is back

HIJINX Theatre, one of Europe’s leading inclusive theatre companies, is coming to Taunton Brewhouse on Tuesday 7th April and Dorchester Corn Exchange on Thursday 9th April, with Meet Fred. The company is marking the tenth anniversary of this darkly funny satire, following the experiences of Fred, a puppet fighting for his independence as his Puppetry…

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Pipeline chosen for national tour

SOUTH West-based theatre company Pipeline has been awarded funding to develop a new play, George and the Drag Queen, for a national tour this autumn. The company has been commissioned to develop the project by the Create Tour Connect partnership. The Falmouth-based company won the commission after a competitive application process. The selection process for…

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