November PREVIEW
Evita
AXMINSTER Evita was a legend in her own lifetime and since her death in 1952, the legends have increased. By the end of the twentieth century she had been immortalised on stage and screen and is now regarded as one of the strongest, most idolised female icons of the last century. Evita tells the real story of this enigmatic popular heroine, a village girl who rose to stardom first as an actress, then as the mistress of General Peron and finally as the world’s most powerful presidential wife. Axminster Musical Theatre presents Evita, the worldfamous stage & film musical sensation from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Without doubt, one of their best known collaborations, it is pure entertainment from beginning to end, brimming with some of the musical world’s most memorable and well-loved songs, particularly the standout Don’t Cry for Me Argentina. Evita is this year’s must-see Axminster Musical Theatre’s show, an irresistible and exciting production that should pack theatregoers into The Guildhall for its five night run, from Tuesday-Saturday, 16th to 20th November at 7 30 pm. Tickets can be purchased on line from axmt.co.uk or from The Community Waffle House, Trinity Square, Axminster. Opening hours 9am to 9pm Tuesday to Saturday (cash or cheque). For further information, ring Rose on 079672 05302.
An amdram prodigal returns
BROADOAK AND PIDDLETRENTHIDE HANNAH Maxwell’s family has a long heritage of amateur dramatics until Hannah broke the chain. And then she returned as she recounts in her one-woman show, I, AmDram, coming to Piddletrenthide and Broadoak village halls with Artsreach on 10th and 11th November. The show, described as “a story of return, reconciliation and rehearsals with mum”, takes an embarrassing moment as its starting point: “My voice cracked on the high note. I saw my Nan wince. The blood rushed to my cheeks—and a century’s lineage lay shattered on the floor.” This is a play about the hidden history of many a performance artist. From four generations of leading ladies comes one queer Londoner, sharing a story of return and reconciliation—with her hometown, cultural inheritance and secret love of musical theatre.
A former slave’s story
HALSTOCK MARY Prince was born a slave but she survived the brutality of a Bermuda plantation to become a powerful voice for the abolitionist movement. Her story is told in Sold, by awardwinning Kuumba Nia Arts, coming to Halstock village hall on Friday 26th November. Sold won the Best Ensemble award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 and was named Show of the Week at VAULT 46 The Marshwood Vale Magazine November 2021 Tel. 01308 423031
Award winning show ‘Sold’ at Halstock in November
Festival in 2020. Born into slavery in 1788, Mary Prince told her story in an autobiography which had an electrifying effect on the abolition movement. With the abolitionist Thomas Pringle, who took her into his household, Mary told her story in The History of Mary Prince, the first account of the life of a black woman to be published in the United Kingdom. It was reprinted twice in its first year. Through theatre, song, music, drumming and dance, Sold, an outstanding example of Black British theatre, is inspired by the storytelling traditions of the West African grit.
BBC 3 comedy star
LYME REGIS BBC 3 comedian Tez Ilyas, star of the multi-award-winning Man Like Mobeen, is coming to the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis on 13th November. In 2015 Tez Ilyas achieved fame with his debut stand up hour TEZ Talks. A sell-out run at the Soho Theatre and his own Radio 4 series based on the show followed. His other successes include The Tez O’Clock Show (Channel 4) and his debut novel The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 3/4, a teenage memoir, was a bestseller.
Storytelling with sitar
VILLAGES STORYTELLER Emily Hennessey and sitar player Sheema Mukherjee get together for three dates with Artsreach, with their show, Ganga—Tales of the River, at Wootton Fitzpaine village hall on Friday 19th November at 7:45pm. Powerstock Hut on Saturday 20th at 7.30 and Shillingstone’s Portman Hall on Sunday 21st at 7.30. When the River Goddess leaps from the skies, only Shiva’s hair can catch her wild torrents. But still she roars, surging
