Event Type 2: Homepage

Shaftesbury Arts Centre’s Music and Drama Group proudly present their autumn show Rehearsal.

Rehearsal is a dark comedic and otherworldly play by Steve McAuliffe, a local multi-talented playwright, educator and published author.

Dive into the chaotic rehearsals of a bunch of back biting, largely washed up actors who gather to rehearse a play in a soon to be demolished theatre. The rehearsals, however, are almost immediately beset by problems – the play is only half written, the theatre is crumbling and the cast are soon to be terrorised by the ghosts of former actors.

Friday night’s show includes attendance to a short Q&A session with the local writer and creator of the show, Steve McAuliffe, interviewed by director Joni De Winter. Come and learn about the creative process behind the writing of Rehearsal.

Age 12+. Contains strong language and swearing.

Tickets: Adults £12.50, Members, Friends and under 18s £10. 

Shaftesbury Arts Centre’s Music and Drama Group proudly present their autumn show Rehearsal.

Rehearsal is a dark comedic and otherworldly play by Steve McAuliffe, a local multi-talented playwright, educator and published author.

Dive into the chaotic rehearsals of a bunch of back biting, largely washed up actors who gather to rehearse a play in a soon to be demolished theatre. The rehearsals, however, are almost immediately beset by problems – the play is only half written, the theatre is crumbling and the cast are soon to be terrorised by the ghosts of former actors.

Friday night’s show includes attendance to a short Q&A session with the local writer and creator of the show, Steve McAuliffe, interviewed by director Joni De Winter. Come and learn about the creative process behind the writing of Rehearsal.

Age 12+. Contains strong language and swearing.

Tickets: Adults £12.50, Members, Friends and under 18s £10. 

Shaftesbury Arts Centre’s Music and Drama Group proudly present their autumn show Rehearsal.

Rehearsal is a dark comedic and otherworldly play by Steve McAuliffe, a local multi-talented playwright, educator and published author.

Dive into the chaotic rehearsals of a bunch of back biting, largely washed up actors who gather to rehearse a play in a soon to be demolished theatre. The rehearsals, however, are almost immediately beset by problems – the play is only half written, the theatre is crumbling and the cast are soon to be terrorised by the ghosts of former actors.

Friday night’s show includes attendance to a short Q&A session with the local writer and creator of the show, Steve McAuliffe, interviewed by director Joni De Winter. Come and learn about the creative process behind the writing of Rehearsal.

Age 12+. Contains strong language and swearing.

Tickets: Adults £12.50, Members, Friends and under 18s £10. 

An Oscar-winning film classic starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.

Set in 1974 Los Angeles, a private investigator is hired to expose an adulterer, but finds himself caught up in a shadowy corrupt world of manipulation.

Director: Roman Polanski | USA | 1974 | 130 min
Featuring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hudson

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

See here for Film Society membership.

Think you could solve a spooky mystery? Read on!

Something’s going bump in the night! Agents Dali and Kahlo of top-secret global creative agency Company of International Artists, receive a code red call. This means only one thing: ART IN PERIL!

They’re going to need the sharpest agents to crack this case. Will you join the team? Travel with the agents to Villa Diodati on the banks of Lake Geneva, where you’ll work against the clock – and sometimes even against logic itself – to chase leads, decipher clues and interview suspects.

What’s your theory, agents? Can all the strange goings-on be explained logically or is it, just maybe, a little bit supernatural?

Featuring a broad streak of quirky comedy, family-friendly spoof horror and inspired by the literary history of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, THE MIDNIGHT MISSION! is a highly interactive playable show for families. This show is best suited to those aged 7+.

www.bravebolddrama.co.uk

Tickets: Adults £12. Under 18s/SAC Members & Friends £10.

A fun and immersive workshop of song, spoken word and dance for 7-16 year olds.

Be part of a musical theatre experience based around ‘The Greatest Showman’. Please contact Susan at dancingthroughlifenia@gmail.com for any further information.

Cost: £25 for two days. £20 for Music and Drama Youth Theatre members.

A fun and immersive workshop of song, spoken word and dance for 7-16 year olds.

Be part of a musical theatre experience based around ‘The Greatest Showman’. Please contact Susan at dancingthroughlifenia@gmail.com for any further information.

Cost: £25 for two days. £20 for Music and Drama Youth Theatre members.

A dark and funny exploration of the growing friendship between an artist and her psychiatric nurse as they go on a road trip in an electric car, looking for reconciliation.

Inspired by the extensive archive of diaries, letters and art of Audrey Amiss, the film weaves real events into an imagined journey.

Director: Carol Morley | UK | 2022 | 108 min
Featuring: Monica Dolan, Kelly Macdonald, Gina McKee

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

See here for Film Society membership.

Kerry Le Bern sympathetically re-creates the nuances and detailed characteristics of the beautiful soulful contralto tones of Karen Carpenter, whilst telling the tragic story of a life ended far too abruptly.

“It’s just the way that I feel. I’ve never copied anybody or styled myself after anybody. The way my voice showed up was a kind of accident in the first place. – Karen Carpenter, BBC Radio 2 interview with Ray Moore, 1981.

And what an ‘accident’ that was! One that produced perhaps one of the best female vocalists of all time. This exciting new show, ‘Rainy Days, Mondays & Good Old Dreams’ is much more than a Carpenters tribute; it sensitively explores the music and lives of the Carpenters from their early attempts to get a ‘break’, to some of their greatest influences, such as the Beatles, Burt Bacharach & the Beach Boys, as well as the challenges faced by the incomparable sibling duo along their journey to stardom and, ultimately, to tragedy.

Kerry says, “I adored The Carpenters from an early age and in the 1970s I often used to pretend I was Karen Carpenter as I sang along to the songs from the ‘Close To You’ album on my trusty cassette player.” Kerry continues, “I want to bring something very special to my audiences with this show, I want them to hear Karen’s vocals through my own interpretation, but I also want to tell their story, I want people to go away saying ‘how different’, ‘how fascinating’ and ‘I didn’t know that’.”

Kerry is delighted to be joined on stage by her talented musicians and together they will transport you right back to the Carpenters’ magic of the 1970s and early 1980s with their unique and insightful performance. At one moment they will have you tapping your toes and singing along, and in the next, they will reach out and touch your very soul with their poignant rendition of these classic songs.

This is a show to be experienced and not missed.

Tickets: £18. Members & Friends, Under 18s £15.

See the 25th anniversary of the first public performance of The Phantom Of The Opera in a fully-staged, lavish production, set in the sumptuous Victorian splendour of the Royal Albert Hall.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom Of The Opera is a worldwide entertainment phenomenon. It has been staged in 145 cities across 27 countries and its box office sales eclipse Avatar, Titanic and Star Wars.

Starring Ramin Karimloo as The Phantom and Sierra Boggess as Christine, together with a cast and orchestra of over 200 and some special guest appearances.

Runtime: 2 hours 40 minutes (including interval).

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

Following a triumphant first show at Shaftesbury Arts Centre last year, Justin Daish returns with his stunning Hank Marvin extravaganza, Shadowing Hank.

Presented with a sparkling production, Shadowing Hank sets a standard all of its own. Justin’s visual similarity to Hank Marvin is not the only likeness in this show; his famously accurate guitar sound and playing style have gained him worldwide acclaim amongst The Shadows’ fan community. He has played onstage with members of The Shadows themselves, including Bruce Welch, Jet Harris, and Brian ‘Licorice’ Locking.

Featuring The Shadows’ greatest hits, including ‘Apache’, ‘Wonderful Land’, ‘Foot Tapper’, ‘Cavatina’, and ‘Riders in the Sky’, plus music from Hank Marvin’s record-breaking career – not to mention the relaxed humour and polished vocals – this remarkable night of entertainment truly captures the magic of the great man’s live shows.

Shadowing Hank certainly has a claim to the title ‘Biggest Small Show in the World’. Come and see why, and join us in this celebration of the music of one of the UK’s greatest-ever guitarists.

‘A born entertainer!’ – The Royal Variety Charity

‘A remarkably proficient guitarist… he not only sounds like Hank Marvin, but could almost be him onstage’ – Guitar & Bass Magazine

‘The best Hank Marvin look-alike lead guitarist’ – Record Collector magazine

Tickets: £18.

The world-famous Treorchy Male Choir are performing in Shaftesbury for the first time and we are delighted and privileged to welcome them.

An evening of glorious, uplifting song will fill our auditorium and leave you stunned by the perfection of their harmony and power.

Tickets: £25

Simeon is a distinguished pianist currently on tour in Europe and the UK, and frequently heard on Radio 3, Classic fm and online podcasts.

He brings his ‘sophisticated and elegant’ Modern Classical compositions to enable the audience to share a genuine connection through music.

Tickets: £12. Members and Friends £10. Under 18s free. Hot drinks available on arrival.

The interest evening for next spring’s production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead will be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 13th November. 

Join us to find out more about Tom Stoppard’s thoughtful, witty and inventive script, centred on two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Trapped in a strange, ethereal space as the machinations of Shakespeare’s major players unfold around them, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern muse on themes of identity, fate, free will and, perhaps inevitably, the certainty of death.

This production will take place in April 2025. Age 12+.

If you are interested but can’t be there on the 13th November, please email stage@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk for more information.

In contemporary Helsinki, two lonely working-class middle-aged souls meet by chance in a karaoke bar.

Will they surmount the obstacles and accidents that beset them and their stray dog in their quest for happiness and love?

Director: Aki Kaurismäki | Finland/Germany | subtitles | 2024 | 81 mins
Featuring: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Janne Hyytiäinen

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

See here for Film Society membership.

Don’t miss a special intimate performance this autumn from a new collaboration in acoustic folk song with Jo (Orkney-based) and Anne-Louise (Shaftesbury) born out of Shaftesbury Fringe 2023.

Jo Philby is a popular Orkney-based singer/songwriter. She has made Orkney her home these past 21 years and is renowned for her soulful and expressive vocal with her natural ability to convey emotion into each word utilising textures of folk and roots.

She is continually inspired by Orcadian life and all it offers and enjoys sharing an insight of this in her performance. Jo regularly performs at the Orkney Folk Festival and throughout Orkney and has toured further South over the years.

Jo has recorded three albums to date.

Anne-Louise Richards is an endearing musician and singer/songwriter from Shaftesbury who has always been inspired by the folk tradition. She writes and performs songs she really connects with and her serene repertoire has an ethereal edge. Anne-Louise is also well known locally as ‘Mermaid Nerissa’ and regularly performs at the Shaftesbury Fringe and beyond.

“Both artists are of a rare breed whose voices have the ability to charm in isolation. An evening in their company will never disappoint” – Clare, St Leonards Church, Sherfield English.

Together Jo and Anne-Louise’s voices blend beautifully together in song, evoking and expanding on the folk tradition. They both share a love of song particularly of the sea and traditional love ballads, each melody casts a spell to enchant their audience and transport you to a cosy fireside or a windy clifftop.

Delighting audiences with their friendly stage presence, be sure for an absorbing musical time with heartfelt songs.

We look forward to sharing a relaxed and sparkling evening in song with you soon!

Connect with us at:

www.facebook.com/jophilby

www.instagram.com/jophilby_singer

www.spotify/jophilby

www.instagram.com/mermaidnerissa

See a recent performance here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/SjhECZZDHoK7xigc/

Tickets: £20. Members and Friends £18.

Tracey Griffin will demonstrate a wonderful selection of Christmas floral arrangements using seasonal flowers and foliage.

The arrangements will be raffled at the end of the performance.

Tickets: £15 to include a glass of wine. Available from Liz Flower on 01747 840074 or at lizmflower@gmail.com.

Join us for an evening of laughter, music and unexpected twists at Belle Street’s BAD Cabaret.

The dynamic singing duo, Belle Street, renowned for their harmonious melodies and self depreciating wit, will take centre stage on what promises to be a night to remember. However, there’s a twist – Belle Street aren’t sure which one of them was supposed to book the special guests!

Watch as our dynamic duo, with the help of their frazzled stage manager, scramble to pull together a show with unexpected but delightful results. Expect impromptu performances, audience participation, and surprise cameos that will keep you entertained all night.

Dress to impress, bring your friends, and get ready for an evening filled with music, comedy, and heartwarming moments. Don’t miss out on Belle Street’s most entertaining and unpredictable show yet! Secure your tickets now and be part of the fun.

All proceeds from this unforgettable night will go to The Brave and Determined Company, supporting those who need early intervention, life saving counselling.

UPGRADE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH A VIP TICKET! This includes a welcome and interval drink in a separate VIP area and an exclusive, limited edition Belle Street/BAD Co collaboration goodie bag and complimentary signed programme.

Tickets: £17.50. VIP tickets £45.

Shaftesbury Arts Centre is launching a new, weekend-long competitive festival for young people to demonstrate their musical skills.

This weekend will celebrate music making and provide encouragement. Adjudicators will offer helpful comments and prizes will be awarded for effort and achievement.

The categories for entries are:

• Solo voice
• Solo instrument
• Duet voice
• Duet instrument
• Group voice
• Group instrument
• Composition

Suitable for ages 4-18 years.

Entries £5 per class, both solo and group.

Entry forms will be sent on receipt of payment – please provide an email address during booking. Closing date for entries is 13th October 2024.

For further information, please email SYPF@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

Book Your Place(s) Here:

Join us for an evening of laughter, music and unexpected twists at Belle Street’s BAD Cabaret.

The dynamic singing duo, Belle Street, renowned for their harmonious melodies and self depreciating wit, will take centre stage on what promises to be a night to remember. However, there’s a twist – Belle Street aren’t sure which one of them was supposed to book the special guests!

Watch as our dynamic duo, with the help of their frazzled stage manager, scramble to pull together a show with unexpected but delightful results. Expect impromptu performances, audience participation, and surprise cameos that will keep you entertained all night.

Dress to impress, bring your friends, and get ready for an evening filled with music, comedy, and heartwarming moments. Don’t miss out on Belle Street’s most entertaining and unpredictable show yet! Secure your tickets now and be part of the fun.

All proceeds from this unforgettable night will go to The Brave and Determined Company, supporting those who need early intervention, life saving counselling.

UPGRADE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH A VIP TICKET! This includes a welcome and interval drink in a separate VIP area and an exclusive, limited edition Belle Street/BAD Co collaboration goodie bag and complimentary signed programme.

Tickets: £17.50. VIP tickets £45.

Shaftesbury Arts Centre is launching a new, weekend-long competitive festival for young people to demonstrate their musical skills.

This weekend will celebrate music making and provide encouragement. Adjudicators will offer helpful comments and prizes will be awarded for effort and achievement.

The categories for entries are:

• Solo voice
• Solo instrument
• Duet voice
• Duet instrument
• Group voice
• Group instrument
• Composition

Suitable for ages 4-18 years.

Entries £5 per class, both solo and group.

Entry forms will be sent on receipt of payment – please provide an email address during booking. Closing date for entries is 13th October 2024.

For further information, please email SYPF@shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk.

Book Your Place(s) Here:

Conor McPherson’s Tony Award-winning Girl From The North Country, featuring the songs of Bob Dylan and recorded at the Belasco Theatre in New York.

It’s 1934 in Duluth, Minnesota. We meet a group of wayward travellers whose lives intersect in a guesthouse filled with music, life and hope. Girl From The North Country reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before, including ‘Forever Young’, ‘All Along The Watchtower’, ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’.

Girl From The North Country stars Emmy Award-winner Mare Winningham and Jeannette Bayardelle, both Tony-nominated for their performances.

Experience this “profoundly beautiful” Broadway production (The New York Times) brought to vivid life by an extraordinary company of actors and musicians.

Runtime: 2 hrs 25 mins (including interval).

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

Jodie Comer’s Olivier and Tony Award-winning performance in Suzie Miller’s gripping one-woman play returns. 

A second chance to see this solo tour de force, captured live in 2022 during a sold out run at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End.

Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending; cross examining and winning. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.

Prima Facie takes us to the heart of where emotion and experience collide with the rules of the game.

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

An imaginative 12-year-old, who ingeniously manages to hoodwink social services, lives alone following the death of her mother. She then faces the unexpected reappearance of her estranged father.

This British comedy drama deals with bereavement using warm offbeat humour and features remarkable performances from the leads.

Director: Charlotte Regan | UK | 2023 | 84 mins
Featuring: Lola Campbell, Alin Uzun, Cary Crankson

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

See here for Film Society membership.

The award-winning Dyad Productions, (A Room of One’s Own, I, Elizabeth, Austen’s Women, Female Gothic) who have toured their sell-out festive show Christmas Gothic since 2015, now bring their magic to Dickens’ classic and perennially relevant ghost story.

It’s Christmas Eve, and the miserly misanthrope, Ebenezer Scrooge, is about to have a ghostly night he’ll never forget. Dickens’ festive, immortal tale of redemption and compassion is brought to life in Dyad’s inimitable solo style.

Draw near for an evening of mistletoe and merriment in the company of Marley, Fezziwig, and Cratchit et al to discover the true meaning of Christmas: tenderness for the past, courage for the present, and hope for the future.

Ebenezer lives in us all, and this glorious tale reminds us how not to give in to the Scrooge within.

Taking inspiration from Dickens’ original performances of his own work and utilising the brilliant narrator of the novel to bring the story to life, this solo piece is performed by Andrew Margerison (Frantic Assembly’s Fatherland, Macbeth), and directed by Rebecca Vaughan.

10+.

‘If you haven’t seen Dyad Productions’ work before, you simply must’ British Theatre Guide

THREE WEEKS Cumulative Body of Work Award-Winners, 2018

★★★★★ ‘Intelligently adapted, beautifully performed… entrancing’ (British Theatre Guide)

★★★★★ ’Richly re-imagined, exquisitely evocative’ (Edinburgh Guide)

★★★★★ ‘A towering performance…assured…rich’ (The Scotsman)

★★★★★ ‘Outstanding… gripping… never less than magnetic’ (Three Weeks)

 

Tickets: £18. Members & Friends, U18s £16.

The show where every child gets a present from Santa! Following last year’s sell-out performances of Santa’s Christmas Wish, Honalee Media are delighted to present their next hit Santa show this Christmas.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year, so it’s no surprise that everyone at the North Pole is super-excited as Christmas draws near! Father Christmas is busy making toys, Dotty the Elf is decorating the Christmas tree and Dasher the Reindeer is getting presents onto his sleigh – but then they meet a lost penguin who has never even heard of Christmas…

Impossible! But how to teach him all about Christmas? Dare they open the door marked ‘For Christmas Emergencies Only’? And can you help unleash the magic of Christmas by pulling one of Santa’s Christmas Crackers?

Join Father Christmas and friends for a fun, festive, musical adventure to discover the wonder of Christmas – you may even get to pull a cracker with Dotty the Elf! Santa’s Christmas Cracker is a 45 minute, interactive family show, particularly suitable for 2-8 year olds. Afterwards the adventure continues as each child gets to meet Father Christmas and receive a specially wrapped present from him – it’s the most Christmassy Christmas show ever, Ho-Ho-Ho!

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

“It was perfect, full of fun, singing and laughter, what better way to start the festive season!” – Mummy Monster blog

“The Santa Shows have become our Christmas tradition and we love them! Perfect engagement with the children, lots of audience participation and the children were beside themselves when Father Christmas gave them a present after the show. Wonderful value for money and top rate entertainment!” – Natalie D, mum of Rae

“Eyes lit up full of wonder and joy – as my children walked away from receiving their gift they whispered, “That was the real Santa!” – Families North Hampshire

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

Tickets: £11.50 adults, £10.50 under 18s, £41 families of 4 (2 adults and 2 under 18s).

This foodie romance is set almost entirely in the country chateau of Dodin, a famed gourmet in 1880s France.

The tender and enduring love between Eugénie the chef and Dodin is expressed through the meticulous preparation and presentation of food. A feast for the eyes and the taste buds!

Director: Anh Hung Tran | France/Belgium | subtitles | 2024 | 135 min
Featuring: Juliette Binoche, Benoît Magimel

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

See here for Film Society membership.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the world’s most popular musical, a unique opportunity to experience the spectacular staged concert version on the big screen.

Featuring an all-star cast including Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Matt Lucas and John Owen Jones. With a cast and orchestra of over 65 and including the songs I Dreamed A Dream, Bring Him Home, One Day More and On My Own, this sensational staged concert is not to be missed.

Runtime: 2 hours 45 minutes (including interval).

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

‘Makin’ Runs’, the latest project by internationally acclaimed clarinetist Adrian Cox, delves into alternative ragtime repertoire from the early jazz era, aiming to capture and express the timeless essence of the music.

According to legend, ‘Makin’ Runs’ is a tune attributed to Buddy Bolden, heard by Bunk Johnson in New Orleans. The phrase symbolises Bolden’s vision for inventive improvisations whilst never repeating himself. The trio endeavours to emulate that spirit, crafting tight yet dynamic arrangements that honour the music’s original intent, allowing ample room for improvisational fire. The program includes compositions by Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton, Barney Bigard and many more.

Internationally acclaimed jazz clarinetist Adrian Cox, at age 41, is certainly performing at the top of his game. He is one of the leading exponents of the New Orleans clarinet and has a huge wealth of knowledge of the music and the players of the era. His unrivalled feel and virtuosity for the music he plays have led to concerts with the biggest names in jazz including two concerts with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra both in London and New York.

Adrian spends the majority of his life on tour around the world and at the time of writing this, has performed in over 30 countries in the past 18 months. Adrian is a Vandoren Artist and endorses Buffet Crampon. The trio is completed by the incredible talents of Will Sach (double bass) and Alex ‘Honey’ Boulton (guitar).

Tickets: £18.50. Members & Friends £16. Under 18s £11.50.

Three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy. 

While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.

Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.

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