IF your thoughts go north of the border at the mention of “the Fringe” you clearly haven’t discovered the Shaftesbury Fringe, a weekend of entertainment, comedy, music, dance, theatre, cabaret, poetry, eccentricity and all-round original creativity. This year’s Shaftesbury Fringe, running over four days, from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th July, features a massive line-up…
CRANBORNE Chase, with the Cursus, Badbury Rings and many prehistoric remains, is a magical landscape – where better to launch a new festival which aims to reconnect with nature and the rural environment, in a multi-arts programme of music, dance, storytelling and theatre for all the family? The Labyrinth Arts Festival will take place at…
COVENT Garden Dance Company celebrates 15 years of Ballet Under the Stars in the beautiful historic walled garden at Hatch House near Tisbury. This year’s four night festival, from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th July, will include the first live music, the first time Balanchine’s Diamonds has been performed and a debut for the Somerset-based…
TURN the clock in your head back to the time of Jane Austen and imagine you have been invited to a ball at Bath’s most fashionable venue, the Assembly Rooms. Then move forwards in time and here it is – an invitation to a ‘Fancy Ball’ on Saturday 15th June, from 6.30pm, at the elegant…
BIG band tributes and big flavours are on the menu at the Upton House Food and Music Festival at Upton Country Park near Poole, on 14th to 16th June. The popular three-day family-friendly festival features top UK tribute acts and some of the region’s finest food and drink producers in the beautiful setting with views…
LUCA Silvestrini’s Protein dance company comes to Somerset and Dorset in March with the acclaimed contemporary dance theatre piece, May Contain Food, May Contain You. The local dates continue with Artsreach at West Lulworth village hall on Wednesday 13th and the Exchange at Sturminster Newton on Thursday 14th. Have you ever been swayed by the…
BRIDPORT’s Electric Palace is the venue for Paradigm, with the Bridport Youth Dance and street dance crew on Saturday 2nd March. This is the group’s 20th annual showcase of high energy street dance, dynamic tap choreography and soulful contemporary dance, with performances at 2.30pm and 7.30. With choreography by BYD artistic director Nikki Northover, Bec…
SOMERSET-based contemporary dance company Project Dance has two January dates with Artsreach, Dorset’s touring arts charity, at Buckland Newton village hall on Friday 19th and Drimpton hall on Saturday 20th, both at 7.30pm, with the acclaimed two-person dance theatre work, Fragments. Project Dance is led by artistic director James Bamford, who comes from Yeovil and…
SAY “Wassail” to most people in the West Country and they picture January-cold orchards, raining or even snowing, with a bunch of cider-fuelled people, many with leaves in their hair, gathered round a bonfire, celebrating the ancient heritage of cider. An event at Bruton’s At The Chapel on Saturday 20th January provides an introduction to…
DANCE fans are in for a treat when Rambert returns to Bath Theatre Royal from 2nd to 4th November, with choreographer Ben Duke’s new double bill, Death Trap. Described as a meta dance comedy, it is an original and darkly funny programme. Goat is inspired by the music and spirit of Nina Simone, with a…