The Play’s the Thing

Urgent questions of conscience and power

A REVIVAL of TS Eliot’s theatrical masterpiece, Murder in the Cathedral, has attracted rave reviews – the Evening Standard described the production as magnificent and star Sir David Suchet’s performance as “spell-binding”, and the Daily Mail called it “hugely impressive”. The Orange Tree Theatre production at St John the Divine Church in Richmond is coming…

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Winningest winner wings into Bath

THE most infamously famous person in the world, Donald J Trump, arrives at the Ustinov Studio at Bath Theatre Royal on Friday 5th November, where he will be talking until Saturday 5th December. This entertaining portrait of the man behind the myth and his relentless quest to become the most winningest winner in history is…

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A modern classic at Salisbury

EAST is East was a great film – now Ayub Khan-Din’s modern classic has been adapted for the stage, at Salisbury Playhouse until 14th November. Salford, 1971. The Khan family are living above a chip shop and on the fault line between two cultures. George Khan is determined the family be raised his Pakistani way. His English wife,…

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How to close the tourism trap

MASS tourism is a hotly contested issue these days, with some major cities – including Barcelona – taking drastic steps to curb it, while many popular destinations in this country are looking at taxing tourist accommodation. Jack Brownridge-Kelly has another and more radical plan – find out how this imaginative performer does it in his…

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Doran returns to Bristol

BRISTOL Old Vic Theatre School, which this year celebrates 80 years since it opened at the suggestion of Sir Laurence Olivier as a training arm for the Old Vic theatre, has an exciting end to 2026. Former student Gregory Doran returns to the city to direct current students in Romeo and Juliet, on the floor…

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Orwell’s future doesn’t seem so far away

THE acting students from Arts University Bournemouth will be performing a version of George Orwell’s classic dystopian novel, 1984, in the studio theatre on their Wallisdown campus from 29th to 31st October. Celebrated director Robert Icke worked with Duncan Macmillan on the adaptation of the 1949 novel in 2013, and their version has been chosen…

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Round and back and widdershins

WIDDERSHINS is an ancient word that roughly translates as counter-clockwise. It is also the title of the latest one-man show from the versatile and talented David Mynne, ex-Kneehigh, and now one of Cornwall’s most popular theatrical exports. He brings this new story to Dorset for three dates with Artsreach, beginning on Friday 23rd October at…

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Animal fun and luminous tales

HALF-TERM Artsreach entertainment in the last week of October brings long-time favourite Squashbox Theatre to Dorset with Curious Creatures, on 24th, 25th and 27th October, and Zannie Fraser of Luminous Tales with The Goose and Mrs Frost, an enchanting and mainly non-verbal show for very young children at Hinton Martell on Wednesday 28th. THE Cornwall-based…

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Suddenly, Seymour comes to Poole

ONE of the best-loved musicals of recent years, Little Shop of Horrors comes to the theatre at Poole’s Lighthouse arts centre from Tuesday 20th to Saturday 24th October in a new production by Exeter Northcott Theatre co-produced with the Lighthouse and Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre. Packed with unforgettable songs, infectious rhythms, and bold theatrical storytelling, the…

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