GEORGE – he of the Dragon – may be the archetype of heroic Englishness but drag offers a colourful alternative in a delightful new play from Pipeline Theatre. George and the Drag Queen comes to Dorset with Artsreach, for three performances from 9th to 11th October, with George and the Drag Queen.

Described as “a bittersweet, bonkers cake-mix of the epic and the geo-political, beaten together with the everyday and the plain silly, and all set within a typical village fête,” it is the story of two volunteers and the day’s star performer.

We all know what to expect at the village fête – bunting, cakes, outsize veg, and wasps. But, as regular listeners to The Archers will know, these days you need something extra to pack in the punters …

The scene is set with two bantering first-aiders setting up their tent – George, a stand-in grandpa for Maddy, and Maddy, a stand-in granddaughter for George. And then there is the Lebanese drag queen, Eliana Sultana, who has been booked to do the raffle, getting changed in the corner.

In a “twist of fête”, their stories entwine with explosive results. Why has a drag queen been booked for a village fête? What is Maddy’s connection with Eliana’s boyfriend? Where has George seen Eliana’s face before? And just how allergic is Eliana to wasps?

Best served with an open mind. Warning – may contain traces of empathy and kindness!

Pipeline Theatre will be at Sydling St Nicholas village hall on Friday 9th October, Stalbridge hall on Saturday 10th and Broadmayne village hall on Sunday 11th, all starting at 7.30pm.

Pipeline also have dates with Take Art in Somerset on 2nd October at Kilve village hall and Saturday 3rd at Whitstone School, Shepton Mallet. And there are many dates and venues in Cornwall, where the company is based.