A selection of paintings, prints, ceramics and constructions from the studio.

Work from different stages in my career. Work mainly based around the human image.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

A disillusioned Englishman who goes to work in a school in a divided Argentina in 1976 finds his life transformed when he rescues an orphaned penguin from the beach.
Starring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, this poignant tale highlights the transformative power of compassion and the unique bond between humans and animals.

Director: Peter Cattaneo

Featuring: Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson

Details: UK/Spain | Language: English/Spanish | 2025 | 1h 52m

Showings:

15th August – 7.30pm

19th August – 2pm Tuesday Matinée

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Tickets: From £5.

The Madrigal family live in a magical house and each possess unique gifts granted by an enchanted candle – except for Mirabel.
When the magic begins to fade, Mirabel embarks on a heartfelt journey to uncover the reasons behind the weakening enchantment and prove her worth to her family. Through resilience and love, she discovers that her true gift lies in bringing her family together and restoring their bond.

Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard

Featuring: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow

Details: USA | Language: English | 2021 | 1h 42m

Showings:

Monday 18th August – 2pm 

Tickets: £5.

A disillusioned Englishman who goes to work in a school in a divided Argentina in 1976 finds his life transformed when he rescues an orphaned penguin from the beach.
Starring Oscar nominee Steve Coogan, this poignant tale highlights the transformative power of compassion and the unique bond between humans and animals.

Director: Peter Cattaneo

Featuring: Steve Coogan, Jonathan Pryce, Vivian El Jaber, Björn Gustafsson

Details: UK/Spain | Language: English/Spanish | 2025 | 1h 52m

Showings:

15th August – 7.30pm

19th August – 2pm Tuesday Matinée

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Tickets: From £5.

Where Joy Begins is a joining of four women, expressing their joy of creation through their art.

Our work covers a vast variety of styles and media – the detailed and powerful oil paintings of Sofie Page, alongside the simplicity of line in lino prints by Anna Jackson, the freedom and expression of joy in Camilla James, and Helen Baddeley’s varied painted styles.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Open evening Saturday 23rd August, 5pm to 8pm. Free admission.

To join the reading group, the only qualifications required are to enjoy reading and sharing ideas about books, and to be a member of the Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

We meet on the third Thursday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Rutter Room.

Contact Viv Rudd 01747 851619; reading@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

Presented by Shaftesbury Arts Centre Youth Theatre – Learn an entire, hour-long musical in just five days, ready to perform on Saturday morning. 

Programme:

• Monday 25th to Friday 29th August – 9.30am to 4.30pm.
• Saturday 30th August – 9.30am rehearsal then final show performance at 11am. The course will finish after the show at approximately noon.

Cost: £125 (£75 each additional sibling). This includes 38 hours of coaching and performance and two free tickets to the final show. Age 7 to 17 years.

When their arch-nemesis, Mayor Humdinger, seizes control of Adventure City and creates chaos, the PAW Patrol is called into action to restore order.

Led by Ryder, the heroic pups must overcome personal challenges and work together to confront Humdinger’s dangerous schemes. With thrilling rescues, heartwarming teamwork, and a dash of humour, the team proves that no city is too big and no pup is too small.

Director: Cal Brunker

Featuring: Iain Armitage, Marsai Martin, Yara Shahidi, Kim Kardashian, Randall Park, Dax Shepard

Details: Canada | Language: English | 2021 | 1h 26m

Showings:

Monday 25th August – 11am

Tickets: £5.

Jake and Elwood Blues, two charming but chaotic brothers, embark on a mission to save their childhood orphanage from foreclosure by reuniting their band and performing a benefit concert.
Along the way, their antics draw the ire of law enforcement, neo-Nazis, and other misfits, leading to a series of outrageous chases and confrontations.

Blending music, comedy, and high-energy action, this classic 1980s film celebrates the transformative power of rhythm and blues.

Director: John Landis

Featuring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, James Brown, Ray Charles, Carrie Fisher, Aretha Franklin

Details: USA | Language: English | 1980 | 2h 13m

Showings:

Tuesday Matinée 26th August – 2pm 

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Tickets: £5

Three artists – Barbara Davis, Dick Hewitson and Joan Scott – whose individual styles complement each other, creating an exciting mix of work.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

Three artists – Barbara Davis, Dick Hewitson and Joan Scott – whose individual styles complement each other, creating an exciting mix of work.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

Join us on the 1st September, the day the Hogwarts Express leaves King Cross Station, for the film that started it all.

Orphan Harry Potter enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.

Director: Chris Columbus

Featuring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, John Cleese, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris, John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters

Details: UK/USA | Language: English | 2001 | 2h 32m

Showings:

Monday 1st September – 5pm 

Tickets: £5.

Enjoy creating a masterpiece, have a glass of wine and appreciate a fun creative evening.

All materials provided. Age 16+

Cost: £25 per session. To confirm your place and payment details please email sandyjroberts24@yahoo.co.uk.

The Dashwood sisters face financial hardship and uncertain futures after their father’s death.

As they navigate love, heartbreak, and societal expectations, Elinor embodies restraint and logic, while Marianne follows her passionate impulses. Their contrasting approaches to life and romance ultimately lead each to find happiness in unexpected ways.

Joins us for the 30th anniversary of this much-loved film.

Director: Ang Lee

Featuring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant

Details: UK/USA | Language: English | 1995 | 2h 16m

Showings:

Tuesday 2nd September – 2pm Matinée

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Tickets: £5.

Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honour their beloved grandmother.

Their dream is shattered as they encounter unrelenting animosity from the local villagers. Award-winning tense thriller inspired by a true story.

But their adventure takes a dark turn when the odd couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

“An effortlessly witty, fluent and astringent comedy with a very serious overcurrent” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

Director: Jesse Eisenberg

Featuring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey

Details: Poland/USA | Language: English | 2024 | 1h 30m

Tickets: £7.50. Members & Friends £6.50. U18s £5.50. Film Society members free.

See here for details of Film Society membership.

On a far away planet, two families always avoid each other. The Smeds, who are red, never ever mix with The Smoos who are blue.

So when a chance encounter allows young Janet, who’s a Smed, to become friends with Bill, a young Smoo, their families immediately try to stop it. But Janet and Bill miss each other and sneak out to meet up secretly. As they grow up, they fall in love but when they find out their families could not be more horrified.

Desperate, Janet and Bill sneak away to escape in the Smed’s red rocket to explore the universe alone together. Realising they’ve lost their children, Grandmother Smoo and Grandpa Smed have to travel together across the universe in the Smoo’s rocket to try to find the young couple.

Can the two clans discover how to get along?

Director: Daniel Snaddon, Samantha Cutler

Featuring: Sally Hawkins, Ashna Rabheru, Daniel Ezra, Adjoa Andoh, Bill Bailey

Details: UK | Language: English | 2022 | 26m

Showings:

Saturday 6th September – 11am

Tickets: £3.

The profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor and Moth Winn’s 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline.

After being forcibly removed from their home, they make the desperate decision to walk in the hope that, in nature, they will find solace and a sense of acceptance. With depleted resources, only a tent and some essentials between them, every step along the path is a testament to their growing strength and determination. A portrayal of home, how it can be lost and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

Director: Marianne Elliott

Featuring: Gillian Anderson, Jason Isaacs

Details: UK | Language: English | 2025 | 1h 55m

Showings:

Tuesday 9th September – 2pm Matinée

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Wednesday 10th September – 7.30pm

Tickets: From £5.

Art exhibition by Dorset Romantics.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

The profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor and Moth Winn’s 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline.

After being forcibly removed from their home, they make the desperate decision to walk in the hope that, in nature, they will find solace and a sense of acceptance. With depleted resources, only a tent and some essentials between them, every step along the path is a testament to their growing strength and determination. A portrayal of home, how it can be lost and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.

Director: Marianne Elliott

Featuring: Gillian Anderson, Jason Isaacs

Details: UK | Language: English | 2025 | 1h 55m

Showings:

Tuesday 9th September – 2pm Matinée

Please note: Our Tuesday Matinées feature subtitles for the hard of hearing and will include an interval.

Wednesday 10th September – 7.30pm

Tickets: From £5.

When teachers Rich, Kris and Zara discover a bag of drugs in school lost property, they should report this straight away. But as the school faces imminent closure, is there another way to deal with the bag?

This brilliant new dark comedy looks at what happens when worlds collide, and lines of responsibility get blurred.

Writer/director Ed Viney has worked with theatres across the South West and nationally, including the RSC, Bath Theatre Royal and Bristol Old Vic. He recently received the Creative Scotland Four Nations Award and is the Festival Director of The Script’s The Thing which last year saw over 70 scripts being presented, linking with venues across Dorset and organisations including BBC Writersroom and National Theatre New Work.

Pot licker is part of a new scriptwriting initiative, Pipeline, at the Lighthouse Poole, and is produced by Dorchester Arts as part of a tour. A Dorchester Arts production in association with Lighthouse, Poole.

Age 16+

Tickets: Adults £15. Members, Friends & under 18s £12.50.

In war-torn Rome, Floria Tosca and Mario Cavaradossi live for each other and for their art. But when Cavaradossi helps an escaped prisoner, the lovers make a deadly enemy in the form of Baron Scarpia, Chief of Police.

At the mercy of Scarpia’s twisted desires, Tosca is forced to make a horrific bargain: sleeping with the man she hates in order to save the man she loves. Can she find a way out?

A star-studded cast includes soprano Anna Netrebko performing the role of Tosca, tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Cavaradossi, and bass-baritone Gerald Finley as Scarpia, with Music Director of The Royal Opera Jakub Hrůša conducting his first new production in the role. An alternative, modern-day Rome provides the backdrop for Oliver Mears’ unmissable, gripping new production of Puccini’s thriller.

Duration: 3h 30m (to be confirmed) | Sung in Italian with subtitles

Cast:
Floria Tosca ANNA NETREBKO
Mario Cavaradossi FREDDIE DE TOMMASO
Baron Scarpia GERALD FINLEY
Spoletta CARLO BOSI
Cesare Angelotti OSSIAN HUSKINSON
Sacristan ALESSANDRO CORBELLI
Sciarrone SIPHE KWANI

Creatives:
Music GIACOMO PUCCINI
Conductor JAKUB HRŮŠA
Director OLIVER MEARS
Set Designer SIMON LIMA HOLDSWORTH
Costume Designer ILONA KARAS
Lighting Designer FABIANA PICCIOLI
Movement Director ANNA MORRISSEY

Tickets: £15. Members, Friends and under 18s £12.50.

An exhibition of paintings by Jenny Luck.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

The arrival of army deserter Pietro in a remote village in the Italian Alps in 1944 upturns the life of the village schoolteacher and his family, especially his daughters, bringing to the surface many family secrets.

This prize-winning film evokes past rural life with compassion and acute observation.

Director: Maura Delpero

Featuring: Giuseppe De Domenico, Tommaso Ragno, Martina Scrinzi

Details: Italy/France/Belgium | Subtitles | 2024 | 1h 59m

Tickets: £7.50. Members & Friends £6.50. U18s £5.50. Film Society members free.

See here for details of Film Society membership.

Gary Young is an acrylic painter whose work explores the climate crisis and the increasingly fragile state of the world we live in.

His solo exhibition, 54, is a personal response to an age of disruption – where beauty, loss, and urgency coexist on the canvas. Gary draws inspiration from the emotional depth of Mark Rothko and the shifting textures of Gerhard Richter. His paintings often balance abstraction with atmosphere, inviting viewers to pause and reflect on what’s happening around us.

Gary’s work is rooted in a sense of quiet defiance, using colour, form, and layers to challenge indifference and evoke empathy.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

To join the reading group, the only qualifications required are to enjoy reading and sharing ideas about books, and to be a member of the Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

We meet on the third Thursday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.00pm in the Rutter Room.

Contact Viv Rudd 01747 851619; reading@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

After Lang is released from prison, he returns to his hometown in northwest China where he becomes part of a team tasked with clearing away stray dogs.

He bonds with a noble-looking black dog and they begin a heart-warming journey together.

“The Citizen Canine of Dog Movies” – Time Out

Director: Guan Yu

Featuring: Eddie Peng, Liya Tong, Jia Zhang-ke

Details: China | Subtitles | 2024 | 1h 50m

Tickets: £7.50. Members & Friends £6.50. U18s £5.50. Film Society members free.

See here for details of Film Society membership.

An exhibition exploring landscapes that have been reconstructed by thought and a range of artistic processes to demonstrate movement, automation and heat.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

A solo exhibition of work by Phoebe Ridgway.

Phoebe Ridgway (b.1994, Dorset) lives and works in London. Using walking as a methodology, Ridgway seeks to explore the relationship between inside and outside. Ridgway contemplates how through the act of walking, one is made aware of these physical sensations of movement, memory and interconnectedness and how these can be translated into marks, shapes, colour fields, motifs that map that journey.

These moments are entwined with our presence on the land, forever following and altering, interrupting and intruding into the ever-changing rhythmic arrangement of the natural environment. The function of varying the tempo of paint presents to the viewer a physical experience, holding an assorted assemblage of instances of note, and drawing on occurrences that generate an overwhelming sensation.

Open 10am to 4.30pm daily. Free admission.

Get ready for the ultimate rock experience as Bat Out of Hell roars onto the big screen this Halloween! 

The cast of the West End production will bring Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf’s iconic anthems to life, including I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That), Paradise By The Dashboard Light, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, Dead Ringer For Love, and, of course, Bat Out of Hell.

Bat out of Hell – The Musical promises a spectacle that will leave you breathless! This heart-pounding experience, with a powerhouse eight-piece live band on stage, delivers a new production with sprawling multi-level platforms to transport you from Raven’s bedroom to the underground world of
the Lost in a visual feast that pushes the boundaries of live theatre.

Tickets: £15. Members, Friends and under 18s £12.50.

Dorset Visual Arts has worked with four artists who were awarded bursaries to make new work about Cranborne Chase.

This group exhibition presents a fresh body of work which represents different facets of
the Chase’s ecology as well as telling its story as a place of inspiration, including aspects of its human history and importance now as a National Landscape. The artists were encouraged to explore the Chase, in dialogue with field experts, to develop new work and evolve their practice.

The project is a collaboration between Dorset Visual Arts and Cranborne Chase National Landscape and is supported by Community and Culture funding from Dorset Council.

Open 10am to 4pm daily. Free admission.

Legendary magician the Great Baldini and his unruly magical menagerie explodes chaotically across the stage with this all-ages magic show.

It’s a family theatre experience, full of magic, puppetry, slapstick and clowning. It’s fast-paced, interactive, uplifting, and hilarious, leaving audiences happy, exhausted,
bewildered and amazed. Daftly brilliant… with sweets!

The Great Baldini is an award-winning member of the Magic Circle, and President of the Bristol Society of Magic. Age 3+.

“Incredible” – Front Row, BBC Radio 4

“Charming, engaging and charismatic. A pleasure.” – FringeReview

Tickets: £10 grown-ups. £7 under 16s. £28 Family (1GU+3U16s or 2GUs+2U16s).

• Latecomers welcome.
• Babies in arms (i.e under 9 months):
  • May be admitted
  • Sitting on parents/carers lap-able admitted for free
  • The venue may (at its discretion) ask that children or babies causing a disturbance to the performance be removed from the auditorium.

Legendary magician The Great Baldini (The Emperor of Illusion, The Prince of Prestidigitation, The Maharajah of Mystery) presents a cabaret of magical illusions.

From his first illusion on his twelfth birthday, to seizing control of the ILLUSIONATI (a shadowy cabal of Magicians) and culminating in his attempt at Houdini’s greatest escape, this is a joyously silly romp through magic.

Baldini is a Member of the Magic Circle and an award-winning Stage Magician. Age 7+.

“Incredible” – Front Row, BBC Radio 4

“Charming, engaging and charismatic. A pleasure.” – FringeReview

“Wonderful, a joy” – Pick of the Week, BBC Radio 4

Tickets: Adults £15. Under 18s £10.

Lise, the only daughter of Widow Simone, is in love with the young farmer Colas, but her mother has far more ambitious plans for her.

Simone hopes to marry her off to Alain, the son of the wealthy proprietor Thomas. Desperate to marry Colas rather than Alain, Lise contrives to outwit her mother’s plans.

65 years after its premiere, The Royal Ballet presents Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée. This affectionate portrayal of village life combines exuberant good humour and brilliantly inventive choreography in what is undoubtedly Ashton’s love letter to the English countryside. La Fille mal gardée whisks us away into pastoral bliss with Ferdinand Hérold’s cheerful score and Osbert Lancaster’s colourful designs.

Duration: 3h 30m (to be confirmed)

Cast:
To be confirmed.

Creatives:
Choreography FREDERICK ASHTON
Music FERDINAND HÉROLD
Conductor JONATHAN LO
Arrangement and Orchestration JOHN LANCHBERY
Scenario JEAN DAUBERVAL
Designer OSBERT LANCASTER
Lighting Designer JOHN B. READ

Tickets: £15. Members, Friends and under 18s £12.50.

Winner of numerous awards, significantly the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2024, this beautiful film shows us the loves, the hopes, the desires of three women, from three different generations, working in Mumbai Hospital.

Struggling to deal with their own personal problems, they find mutual support.

Director: Payal Kapadia

Featuring: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam

Details: India/Netherlands/France/Luxembourg/Italy | Subtitles | 2024 | 1h 58m

Tickets: £7.50. Members & Friends £6.50. U18s £5.50. Film Society members free.

See here for details of Film Society membership.

One 85-year-old man, five countries, sixteen cities, twenty-three shows, six weeks. Will he make it home… or is this the end of the road?

One of the most recognisable figures in British comedy, John Cleese’s career spans six decades – from his early days with the Cambridge Footlights to co-founding Monty Python, co-creating Fawlty Towers, and writing and starring in the Oscar-nominated A Fish Called Wanda. His unique brand of black humour has made him a global icon and intergalactic treasure.

At the age of 85, John Cleese sets off on what might be his final European tour – five countries, sixteen cities, twenty-three shows, and retaining just two original body parts. John Cleese Packs It In is a wry, behind-the-scenes portrait of a comedy legend on the road, battling various ailments, chaotic travel, and his own stubborn refusal to stop.

Spanning six weeks on the road, the film captures Cleese unfiltered and on the move – riffing on life, fame, and the absurdity of getting old in front of thousands of fans. As he reflects on a stage career that began in 1963, the question lingers: is this
the end of the road? With unique and intimate access and showing unexpected tenderness, this is a documentary about legacy, laughter, and the dignity of bowing out… however reluctantly.

Showings:

Saturday 15th November – 7.30pm

Tickets: Adult £7.50. Members & Friends £6.50. Under 18s £5.50.

Come and join The Music & Drama Group for an immersive, interactive evening of ‘Who Dunnit’, written by Myra McDadd.

Murder At The KO Corral takes place in Dead Moose Gulch, where Polecat Pete has been found dead behind a heap of horse manure! Meet the suspects, question and quiz them, find out how they knew Polecat Pete and whether they might have been the one who killed him.

Meet Sheriff P Knutt and help him and Marshall Wyatt Twerp solve the crime throughout the evening. There will be a prize for the winning team as well as a prize for ‘The Best Dressed in the West’.

There will be a 2 course meal as part of the evening. Please advise of any dietary requirements to murdermystery@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

Age 18+

Tickets: £20.

Come and join The Music & Drama Group for an immersive, interactive evening of ‘Who Dunnit’, written by Myra McDadd.

Murder At The KO Corral takes place in Dead Moose Gulch, where Polecat Pete has been found dead behind a heap of horse manure! Meet the suspects, question and quiz them, find out how they knew Polecat Pete and whether they might have been the one who killed him.

Meet Sheriff P Knutt and help him and Marshall Wyatt Twerp solve the crime throughout the evening. There will be a prize for the winning team as well as a prize for ‘The Best Dressed in the West’.

There will be a 2 course meal as part of the evening. Please advise of any dietary requirements to murdermystery@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

Age 18+

Tickets: £20.

Based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s 2015 memoir of the true story of the abduction of his father, Rubens Paiva, by the Brazilian military dictatorship. 

Relates the family’s struggles to find out what had happened to him and their harassment and intimidation by the dictatorship. Best foreign film Academy Awards 2025.

Director: Walter Salles

Featuring: Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, Fernanda Montenegro

Details: Brazil | Subtitles | 2024 | 2h 18m

Tickets: £7.50. Members & Friends £6.50. U18s £5.50. Film Society members free.

See here for details of Film Society membership.

The show where every child gets a present from Santa! Following last year’s sell-out performances, Honalee Media are delighted to present a brand new show this festive season.

Christmas is the busiest time of year at the North Pole, when Father Christmas makes presents to deliver across the whole world and when everyone gets ready for Santa’s Christmas Party! But this year somebody has been up to mischief…

Dotty the Elf’s decorations have gone missing, Dasher the Reindeer’s party games are broken, and what has happened to Pompom the Penguin’s Christmas music? It looks as though somebody wants to stop Santa’s Christmas Party – and that someone is Jack Frost!

Help get Santa’s Christmas Party back on track in an adventure full of fun, festive songs and party games. Then meet Santa at his home in the North Pole, where every child will receive a special present from him, after the most Christmassy Christmas show ever – HO-HO-HO!

Songs include festive favourites like Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, The Twelve Days Of Christmas, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and more!

Santa’s Christmas Party is a 45 minute, interactive family show, particularly suitable for 2-8 year olds, after which the adventure continues as each child gets the chance to receive a special present from Father Christmas in our popular meet, greet and treat!

For more info, see www.santashows.co.uk.

Tickets: £11.50 adults, £10.50 under 18s, £42 families of 4 (2 adults and 2 under 18s).

The show where every child gets a present from Santa! Following last year’s sell-out performances, Honalee Media are delighted to present a brand new show this festive season.

Christmas is the busiest time of year at the North Pole, when Father Christmas makes presents to deliver across the whole world and when everyone gets ready for Santa’s Christmas Party! But this year somebody has been up to mischief…

Dotty the Elf’s decorations have gone missing, Dasher the Reindeer’s party games are broken, and what has happened to Pompom the Penguin’s Christmas music? It looks as though somebody wants to stop Santa’s Christmas Party – and that someone is Jack Frost!

Help get Santa’s Christmas Party back on track in an adventure full of fun, festive songs and party games. Then meet Santa at his home in the North Pole, where every child will receive a special present from him, after the most Christmassy Christmas show ever – HO-HO-HO!

Songs include festive favourites like Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, The Twelve Days Of Christmas, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and more!

Santa’s Christmas Party is a 45 minute, interactive family show, particularly suitable for 2-8 year olds, after which the adventure continues as each child gets the chance to receive a special present from Father Christmas in our popular meet, greet and treat!

For more info, see www.santashows.co.uk.

Tickets: £11.50 adults, £10.50 under 18s, £42 families of 4 (2 adults and 2 under 18s).

A black and comic thriller set in the frigid winter landscape of Minnesota, concerning a crime that gets out of control, with some gruesome results.

Regarded as a stand-out in the Coen brothers’ catalogue and for Frances McDormand’s outstanding performance as a persistent policewoman.

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Featuring: William H Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi

Details: UK/USA | Language: English | 1996 | 1h 38m

Tickets: £7.50. Members & Friends £6.50. U18s £5.50. Film Society members free.

See here for details of Film Society membership.

Olivier Award-winner Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, Dunkirk) is joined by Emmy and BAFTA-winner Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, The Responder) in the critically acclaimed and subversively funny new play by David Ireland.

After years in the 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, James becomes a sponsor to newcomer Luka. The pair bond over black coffee, trade stories and build a fragile friendship out of their shared experiences. But as Luka approaches step five – the moment of confession – dangerous truths emerge, threatening the trust on which both of their recoveries depend.

Finn den Hertog directs this provocative and entertaining production filmed live from @sohoplace on London’s West End.

Tickets: £15. Members, Friends and under 18s £12.50.

At one of her lavish parties, celebrated Parisian courtesan Violetta is introduced to Alfredo Germont. The two fall madly in love, and though hesitant to leave behind her life of luxury and freedom, Violetta follows her heart.

But the young couple’s happiness is short-lived, as the harsh realities of life soon come knocking.

As intimate as it is sumptuous, La traviata features some of opera’s most famous melodies, and is a star vehicle for its leading soprano role sung by Ermonela Jaho. In director Richard Eyre’s world of seductive grandeur, the tender and devastating beauty at the centre of Verdi’s opera shines bright.

Sung in Italian with subtitles | Duration: 4h (to be confirmed)

Cast:
Violetta Valéry ERMONELA JAHO
Alfredo Germont GIOVANNI SALA
Giorgio Germont ALEKSEI ISAEV
Annina VEENA AKAMA-MAKIA
Doctor Grenvil BARNABY REA
Flora Bervoix ELLEN PEARSON
Baron Douphol SAM HIRD
Gastone de Letorières GIORGI GULIASHVILI
Marquis d’Obigny OSSIAN HUSKINSON

Creatives:
Music GIUSEPPE VERDI
Conductor ANTONELLO MANACORDA
Director RICHARD EYRE
Designer BOB CROWLEY
Lighting Designer JEAN KALMAN
Director of Movement JANE GIBSON

Tickets: £15. Members, Friends and under 18s £12.50.

A panel of plucky defenders battles it out!

Four playwrights of the Baroque era – Aphra Behn, Ben Jonson, Thomas Otway and Susanne Centlivre – will be championed for the title of ‘Best’ by Diana Banham, Liz Foster, Sebastian Hayes and Catherine Simmonds. You will decide!

Tickets: £5. Under 18s free.

Picasso: A Rebel In Paris takes an unprecedented and alternative look at the
maestro of modernity.

The film focuses on the story of a young immigrant, poor but destined to become one of the most important icons of the 20th century.

The film moves continuously in and out of the Musée Picasso in Paris, which has the largest existing collection dedicated to the painter with 6,000 masterpieces and 200,000 pieces of archive material, and follows Picasso through the Parisian neighbourhoods where he lived, from the early days in ateliers with no heating to the large middle-class apartments where his success began: a physical and intellectual journey to gain a deeper understanding of his work and spirit.

Tickets: £15. Members, Friends and under 18s £12.50.