In The Friend, writer and teacher Iris (Naomi Watts) finds her comfortable, solitary New York life thrown into disarray after her closest friend and mentor (Bill Murray) dies suddenly and bequeaths her his beloved 150 lb. Great Dane.The regal yet intractable beast, named Apollo, immediately creates practical problems for Iris, from furniture destruction to eviction notices, as well as more existential ones, his looming presence constantly reminding her of her friend’s problematic choices in both life and death. Yet as Iris finds herself unexpectedly bonding with the animal, she begins to come to terms with her past, her lost friend, and her own creative inner life.

Director: Scott McGehee, David Siegel
Featuring: Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Noma Dumezweni, Sarah Baskin.
Details: USA | Language: English | 2025 | 2h 03m

Now demonized as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba lives in exile in the Ozian forest, while Glinda resides at the palace in Emerald City, reveling in the perks of fame and popularity. As an angry mob rises against the Wicked Witch, she’ll need to reunite with Glinda to transform herself, and all of Oz, for good.

Director: Jon M. Chu
Featuring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum.
Details: US | Language: English | 2025 | 2h 17m

An exhibition of original artwork inspired by mid Century, New York City Abstract Expressionism. Vibrant acrylic and oil pieces that explore the themes of Lost Souls, Brut Builds and Metro, offering a contemporary perspective. Each piece invites you to take a deeper look through colour and form. Enjoy the journey through this captivating artistic vision!

A Wimbledon line judge for 20 years, comedian Pauline Eyre is ready to spill the Pimms on tennis gossip from the fragrant royal box to the musty locker room, and why line judges are OUT!Expect smashing stories, ace anecdotes and a 40 – love letter to the game. And there’s nobody to say ‘quiet please’. She cannot be serious… can she?

“Laughs aplenty… juicy locker room secrets… naughty line judge-y anarchy…motivational joy… Nice.” 5***** Northwestend

“What makes the hour land is the marriage of insider authority and properly honed comic timing. It’s not just a love letter to a game; it’s a blueprint for turning an obsession into a well-structured, laugh-out-loud show.” 4**** One 4 Review

‘She’s warm, wonderfully funny and you’ll want to be her pal’ Angela Barnes.

‘10 out of 10’ Giles Brandreth (THE Giles Brandreth!!)

Fresh from sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe 2025

As featured in/on The Guardian, Sunday Post, The Times, The Guardian, Daily Mail, BBC 5 Live, Radio Wimbledon, Der Spiegel, TVNZ, ABC Australia…

Directed by Ben van Der Velde

Tickets:
Adults: £18
Members/Friends/U18s: £16

Over four weeks, you will be taken on a musical journey via history, geography, science and art. Shaun Bracey will be presenting four talks covering a wide range of music. He will make connections and build understanding through analysis and explanation. On the way there will be laughter, enlightenment, companionship and a sense of musical discovery.

£10 per session. £30 for all four sessions

Booking Coming Soon

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths) feature in a five-star, triumphantly acclaimed new production of Arthur Miller’s classic play, from visionary director Ivo Van Hove (A View from the Bridge).One family, the heart of the American dream. When wartime delivers profits for Joe, it comes at a price when his partner is charged with criminal manufacturing deals, and his eldest son goes missing in action. Will peacetime bring peace of mind, or will he be confronted by the consequence of his actions?

Filmed live from the West End, Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Tom Glynn-Carney (House of the Dragon), and Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake) also feature in this disturbingly prescient play.

All My Sons
By Arthur Miller
Directed by Ivo Van Hove
Design by Jan Versweyveld

As everybody moves to the beat of Pop music in early-1980s Dublin, sensitive teenager Conor struggles to cope with a tense family relationship, reconnect with his older brother Brendan, and, above all, deal with the hostile environment in his new public school. Then, one day, he sees her.

Tall, with long chestnut hair, a buttery complexion, and big, dark eyes; an enigmatically beautiful girl standing in front of the school’s gate, indolently observing people passing by. To get noticed by the distant girl, Raphina, Conor enlists the help of a group of teenage dreamers to form a band and, surprisingly, with every lyric he writes, the gap narrows; and with every song he plays, her heart brims over with affection. Now, before a sea of opportunities, what does the future hold for a brave love like this?

Director: John Carney
Featuring: Fredia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy.
Details: Ireland | Language: English | 2016| 1h 46m

Though Mark has travelled extensively, it is the nearby forests and coast that excite his imagination. Living in Ringwood at the very edge of the Newforest, he is constantly inspired and fascinated by the woodlands, heaths, meadows and the ever changing moods of the nearby sea.

The play of light and shadow on sea and land that create strange and sometimes quiet amorphic shapes are an endless rich source of ideas through which he can express his own love of the medium of acrylic itself. Mark has exhibited widely in the South of England.

In late 16th-century England, Agnes, a healer sensitive to the world around her, builds a home with William, a local tutor and aspiring playwright. As their lives fracture, they are tested by distance, silence, and grief.

Director: Chloé Zhao
Featuring: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn.
Details: UK | Language: English | 2025 | 2h 05m

Go Go Go Joseph!

As one of the most enduring musicals of all time, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a reimagining of the biblical story of Joseph and his Brothers.

It is a story of hope, reconciliation and forgiveness, all wrapped up in the joy of song and dance.

This beloved musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is full of catchy songs in a variety of styles, from a parody of French ballads (Those Canaan Days), to country and western (One More Angel in Heaven) and calypso (Benjamin Calypso), along with the unforgettable classics Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door.

Go Go Go get your tickets to avoid disappointment!

An Amateur production by arrangement with LW Entertainment Ltd

Please note that the show contains smoke, haze & strobe lighting effects.

Rows A1 – 5 will be directly behind the band.

The show will start promptly at 7.30pm and any late comers may be ask to wait until an appropriate time in the show to enter the auditorium.

Tickets:
Adults: £18
Members & Friends: £16
Under 12s: £11

Go Go Go Joseph!

As one of the most enduring musicals of all time, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a reimagining of the biblical story of Joseph and his Brothers.

It is a story of hope, reconciliation and forgiveness, all wrapped up in the joy of song and dance.

This beloved musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is full of catchy songs in a variety of styles, from a parody of French ballads (Those Canaan Days), to country and western (One More Angel in Heaven) and calypso (Benjamin Calypso), along with the unforgettable classics Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door.

Go Go Go get your tickets to avoid disappointment!

An Amateur production by arrangement with LW Entertainment Ltd

Please note that the show contains smoke, haze & strobe lighting effects.

Rows A1 – 5 will be directly behind the band.

The show will start promptly at 7.30pm and any late comers may be ask to wait until an appropriate time in the show to enter the auditorium.

Tickets:
Adults: £18
Members & Friends: £16
Under 12s: £11

A well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker and a wealthy venture capitalist.

Director: Aziz Ansari
Featuring: Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Sandra Oh, Keke Palmer.
Details: USA | Language: English | 2025 | 1h 37m

This is the third joint exhibit by 3 Dorset artists whose individual work and styles are as complementary as they are contrasting.

Bare Orange Art works with fabric, acrylics, Lino cut, wood & canvas to create stunning pieces focused on local wildlife.

Nick Dale Artist specialises in paintings inspired by the rugged beauty and rural charms of South West England, with an eye for vibrant colours and detail.

Fusiology Glass Art brings a collection of unique and colourful fused glass pieces. Plus, a distinctive fusion of silver and fused glass jewellery inspired by pattern and textures.

Step into the warm, nostalgic world of Acker Bilk in this delightful tribute celebrating Britain’s beloved clarinet legend. From the haunting beauty of Stranger on the Shore to joyful trad-jazz classics, this show recreates the unmistakable bowler-hat charm, smooth clarinet sound, and easy humour that made Bilk a global star. A heartfelt evening of melody, memories, and timeless jazz.

Tickets: £5

One woman, armed with American ignorance, French arrogance, and a chest that some say she grew on purpose, bursts onto the stage in sparkles and stilettos: meet Liza Minelli and Debbie Harry’s love child. This pro-singer-turned-musical-comedian is ready to sing at you: to land her cheeky, unbelievable, and sometimes tear-jerking true-life stories into your lap.


Barbara Fernandez, fed up of Americans at university playing down Europe as ‘only a tourist destination’, arrives in Paris age 22 with a degree in theatre and a dream: to live and work there – without a French passport, or any other working papers. 10 years of chaos ensues: cash-in-hand jobs (it’s not what you’re thinking, some are singing jobs), love tussles with partners who are sometimes trench-digging, other times cult-loving and even pillow-wielding, and shaggable therapists – all delivered in powerfully funny parodies with snippets of famous songs recrafted to poke fun at a rocky road to self-discovery.

From sultry pop to classical trills and belting cabaret-style showstoppers, Barbara lustily celebrates female power amidst chaos.

★★★★ “Outrageously funny musical comedy show. What an excellent comedian” – Theatre and Arts Review

★★★★ “Soaring vocals, belly laughs, and touching tales” – FringeReview

★★★★ “Cole Porter meets Victoria Wood – with a dash of Calendar Girls cheekiness…Raunchy, rebellious, and real…A must-see show” – Sussex News

Age Restriction: 18+

Tickets: £12

Booking Coming Soon

Shaftesbury Fringe regular Robyn Perkins is back with an hour of stand-up comedy.Per request (from last year’s show), at the beginning of the show, the audience will decide if the show will be ‘Million Dollar Maybe’ (a past show) OR a mish-mash of stand-up comedy, hectic stories and science comedy.

Regardless, it will be funny. Shaftesbury Fringe 2023 Award Winner, Best Comedy

Age Restriction 16+

Free Entry/Pass The Hat

Students from Stagecoach Blandford Forum & Shaftesbury take to the stage once more to entertain you with songs from a variety of musicals. Come and watch from 12:00 – 13:00 on Saturday & Sunday @ Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

Free entry for all.

Belle Street are behind bars – but what was their crime? You are invited to be both judge and jury as Susan Grant and Joni de Winter make their case and defend themselves against accusations of arresting bitch-face, possession on unrealistic expectations and using their cell time to finally have a ‘well deserved rest’.

Expect a musical whirlwind of country, musical theatre, rock and roll and razor sharp comedy (we hope). With their signature charm, chaos and audience interaction, Belle Street are back and (mildly) reoffending.

Age Restriction: 12+

Tickets: £12

Join marine biologist turned award-winning comedian Robyn Perkins and hilarious quick-witted comedian and singer friend Elaine Fellows, for a battle royale to determine which is the best Coral Reef in the world!

Packed with comedy, science, music and games, plus more fascinating animal facts than you can shake a tentacle at. Come armed with your own reef facts and opinions, as this show leaves no coral unturned.

‘A show that was equal parts smart, silly and downright hilarious’ ★★★★★ (KidsInAdelaide.com.au)

‘Entertaining from start to finish for kids and adults alike’ ★★★★★ (FringeFeed.com.au)

Tickets:
Coming soon.

A Fringe Hit from 2025 is back with his fun bubble show. Everybody loves bubbles but popular Children’s Entertainer & Bubble Showman, Richard Welsh really loves bubbles and he wants to show you why. Mixing bubbles, music and comedy, Richard engages and delights audiences of all ages. Be amazed as Richard performs some wonderful bubble tricks which will include breath taking giant bubbles. There will be plenty of interactive entertainment with some fun bubble games.

Tickets:
Individual: £10
Family (2x Adults, 2x Children): £32

Ever wonder why we are the way we are?Learn what we can blame on our parents when marine biologist turned award-winning comedian Robyn Perkins returns to Shaftesbury Fringe with a brand new topic for her critically acclaimed science comedy panel show.

This year, the topic is: Unzipping Your Genes: (i.e. the crap we get from our parents).

Shaftesbury Fringe 2023 Award Winner, Best Comedy. ‘A perfect sweet spot between insight and entertainment’ ★★★★One4Review.co.uk

Age Restriction: 16+

Tickets:
£8
Booking Coming Soon

“Opera humour – so different. Fabulous!”

Welcome to Ballgowns & Bib Shorts – a musical memoir of an opera-singing triathlete.! Following on from the success of Disgraceful, which debuted at Dorchester Arts in 2023, Grace Lovelass is back with a new show reliving the peaks and plateaus along her climb to becoming a professional opera singer and IRONMAN triathlete.

Billed as a musical memoir, Ballgowns & Bib Shorts is the soundtrack to a decade of operatic and athletic adventures. Alongside comedy and candid insights, Grace presents an effervescent mix of classical, show tunes and popular music, as well as irreverent, custom-written parody, to take audiences on a journey that proves dreams really do come true…

“Incredible, hilarious, uplifting and amazing’ – get ready for a moving and inspirational evening with our wonderful singing triathlete this year, and see what can happen with a little motivation!

Tickets: £12.
Members, Friends & under 18s £10.

Part stand-up comedy, part actual pub quiz. Quick-witted quizmaster Alex Love is back with his fringe cult smash after nearly causing a riot in Shaftesbury last year. Prepare to be split into teams to compete for prizes in this highly interactive show.

“Outstripping some of the festival’s top-rated comedians in terms of both quality and quantity of laughter.” ***** – BroadwayBaby.com.

Age Restriction: 16+

Tickets: £8

Members, Friends, & U18s: £6

A late-night, adults-only version of the hit kids show Quest for the Coolest Animal in the World. This unfiltered edition dives into the most inappropriate, unethical and downright disturbing behaviours in the animal kingdom. With award-winning comedian Robyn Perkins and musician / comedian Elaine Fellows: expect lies, scams and creatures behaving very, very badly.

Winner: Pegasus Awards, Best Kids Show 2024.

Winner: Children’s Event, Weekly Award, Fringe World Perth 2025.

‘A show that was equal parts smart, silly and downright hilarious’ ★★★★★ KidsInAdelaide.com.au

Age Restriction: 16+

Free entry/pass the hat.

Students from Stagecoach Blandford Forum & Shaftesbury take to the stage once more to entertain you with songs from a variety of musicals. Come and watch from 12:00 – 13:00 on Saturday & Sunday @ Shaftesbury Arts Centre.

Free entry for all.

Belle Street are behind bars – but what was their crime? You are invited to be both judge and jury as Susan Grant and Joni de Winter make their case and defend themselves against accusations of arresting bitch-face, possession on unrealistic expectations and using their cell time to finally have a ‘well deserved rest’.

Expect a musical whirlwind of country, musical theatre, rock and roll and razor sharp comedy (we hope). With their signature charm, chaos and audience interaction, Belle Street are back and (mildly) reoffending.

Age Restriction: 12+

Tickets: £12

Join marine biologist turned award-winning comedian Robyn Perkins and hilarious quick-witted comedian and singer friend Elaine Fellows, for a battle royale to determine which is the best Coral Reef in the world!

Packed with comedy, science, music and games, plus more fascinating animal facts than you can shake a tentacle at. Come armed with your own reef facts and opinions, as this show leaves no coral unturned.

‘A show that was equal parts smart, silly and downright hilarious’ ★★★★★ (KidsInAdelaide.com.au)

‘Entertaining from start to finish for kids and adults alike’ ★★★★★ (FringeFeed.com.au)

Tickets:
Coming soon.

A Fringe Hit from 2025 is back with his fun bubble show. Everybody loves bubbles but popular Children’s Entertainer & Bubble Showman, Richard Welsh really loves bubbles and he wants to show you why. Mixing bubbles, music and comedy, Richard engages and delights audiences of all ages. Be amazed as Richard performs some wonderful bubble tricks which will include breath taking giant bubbles. There will be plenty of interactive entertainment with some fun bubble games.

Tickets:
Individual: £10
Family (2x Adults, 2x Children): £32

A Play About Choices, Courage, and the Crossroads of Life.

Step into an evening of intrigue and emotion as Tisbury Arts Group’s talented actors bring you three powerful, modern stories — each exploring the lives of women and the families who shape them.

💭 What if…?
A single choice could change everything?
A moment of doubt could spark a journey of discovery? A moral dilemma could redefine a life?

Join us as the actors lead you through a tapestry of possibilities, heartfelt revelations, and thought‑provoking questions. This is a play that invites you not just to watch, but to feel, reflect, and wonder.

🎭 Come, enjoy the performance, and share the experience. Let the stories stay with you long after the curtain falls.

Age Restriction: 12+

Tickets: £10
Members, Friends & U18s: £7.50

An only-child with two siblings, Andrew White enjoyed a precocious childhood befriending retirees and penning self-indulgent poetry, until a literal circus clown warned him of imminent death on his 18th birthday…

All the Jester foretold came to pass, and now Andrew must reflect on life without three close loved ones and do his best to honour their memories.

Don’t miss this hilarious, honest and heartwarming new stand-up comedy show.

★★★★ “A plethora of memorable gags” (Chortle)
“Very exciting & very funny” (Joe Lycett)
“Outrageously funny” (Broadway World)
“F**king funny” (Kiri Pritchard-McLean)
“Go see him, he’s sublime!” (Maisie Adam)

Age Restriction: 16+

Free Entry/Pay What You Want On Exit.

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”

Dragons are alive and well, thriving in our world. They are pillaging every day and must be stopped. Join Sunjai Arif’s band of adventurers to stop the Dragon in an interactive and raucously chaotic comedy show that is not to be missed. Success is essential, failure is likely in the most hilarious fashion.

★★★★★ “A tour de force” (Bunbury Magazine)
“An excellent performer” (Voice Mag)
“Completely f**ing brilliant” (Andrew O’Neill)
“Truly entertaining” (Dorset Echo)
“Blew the crowd away!” (Mags4Dorset)

Age Restriction: 14+

Free Entry/Pay What You Want On Exit.

When Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks), an Eastern European tourist, arrives at JFK in New York, war breaks out in his country, and he finds himself caught up in international politics. Because of the war, the Department of Homeland Security won’t let him enter or exit the United States. He’s trapped at JFK — indefinitely. While living at the airport, Viktor falls for a flight attendant (Catherine Zeta-Jones). She may have feelings for him too. But what good is love if Viktor can’t leave the terminal?

Director: Steven Spielberg
Featuring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci.
Details: USA | Language: English | 2004 | 2h 08m

Seven artists present a vibrant showcase of creativity that offers something to delight every visitor.

Including; nature inspired oil paintings and reduction lino prints, alongside bright, colourful acrylic works rich in symbolism.

Moving ‘Beyond the Frame’, this exhibition also features wearable silk art, glistening fused glass sculpture, and beautifully crafted functional ciramics.

Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) joins Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) and Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls) in John Millington Synge’s riveting play of youth and self-discovery.

Pegeen Flaherty’s life is turned upside down when a young man walks into her pub claiming that he’s killed his father. Instead of being shunned, the killer becomes a local hero and begins to win hearts, that is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene…

Filmed live on stage at the National Theatre, Caitríona McLaughlin directs this darkly funny tale full to the brim with secrets.

The Playboy of the Western World
By John Millington Synge
Directed by Caitríona McLaughlin

Dr. Don Shirley is a world-class African-American pianist who’s about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of a driver and protection, Shirley recruits Tony Lip, a tough-talking bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx. Despite their differences, the two men soon develop an unexpected bond while confronting racism and danger in an era of segregation.

Director: Peter Farrelly
Featuring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini.
Details: USA | Language: English | 2018 | 2h 10m