ARTSREACH, Dorset’s rural touring arts charity, has been selected to be part of this year’s Big Give: Arts for Impact campaign. From midday on Tuesday 17th March to midday on Tuesday 24th, every pound donated to Artsreach through the Big Give platform will be doubled – meaning twice the support for the charity’s work across…
QUEEN Camilla visited Bath Theatre Royal during rehearsals for the theatre’s epic community play, David Copperfield: A Life, which runs from 20th to 22nd February. Her Majesty has been Patron of the theatre since 2008, and last visited in 2009. As well as meeting some of the cast and crew of the play, she also…
JENNIFER Saunders returns to Bath Theatre Royal in October to star in The Sea, Edward Bond’s masterpiece. It is the first revival in nearly 20 years of the play, which is a blend of wild farce, high comedy, biting social satire and bleak poetic tragedy. The star, best known as half of French and Saunders…
TWO of the region’s leading theatres are collaborating on an autumn production of the darkly funny and popular musical Little Shop of Horrors. Opening at Exeter from 1st to 17th October, this will be the first full production of a musical at the Northcott in more than 20 years. The show will be moving to…
IF you would like to be part of Yeovil Swan Theatre’s production of The Unfriend, due on stage from 18th to 23rd May, there are auditions on Sunday 8th at 2.30 and Tuesday 10th February at 7.30. Director Sarah Ambrose is hoping for a good turnout. The play is all about what happens when a…
COMPANIES across the FTR core area have taken the top awards in this year’s Rose Bowl contest, and leading the way was Claudia Pepler’s astonishing production of Come From Away (pictured right) at the Merlin Theatre in Frome in July, which took the Bristol Evening Post award for best musical production. Sarah Nias (right) won…
THE Mowlem Theatre at Swanage has stood proudly overlooking the sea for almost 60 years, sometimes battered by winds, rain and even snow. But now the old roof is leaking and the theatre has launched an urgent crowdfunding appeal for £10,000 to stop the leaks and save the building. This much-loved community space has a…
“A stage where everyone’s story can be told” BATH’s Theatre Royal has received planning permission for Venue 4, a new community studio theatre for the public on St John’s Place. Subject to a fundraising campaign, Venue 4 will be a new home for the theatre’s Engage adult participation programme and will offer a range of…
THE hilariously funny, cuddly, wry and inspired Howard Coggins, best known in the south west as co-founder of Living Spit and nationally for his Lottery adverts, has died at the age of 52. He was diagnosed with cancer late in 2022. Frustrated with playing bit parts in other people’s shows, Howard and Stu McLoughlin started…
SOUTH Somerset District Council’s arts and entertainment service has been awarded almost £760,000 and National Portfolio Organisation status in the newly announced Arts Council England awards, covering the period from 2023 to 2026. Adam Burgan, the venues manager for the district, says: “Becoming an NPO for the Arts Council is a huge milestone in our…