Arts & Entertainments

River’s story told in pictures

Award-winning Shaftesbury artist Gary Cook is exhibiting in a solo show, ‘Wend: the Stour from Source to Sea’, at The Art Stable, Child Okeford.

After training at the Arts University Bournemouth, Gary became senior artist and associate editor at The Sunday Times for the next 25 years, working on major news stories with leading journalists such as Marie Colvin and Jon Swain.

Now he is a full-time painter belonging to the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, as well as The Arborealists, a group of artists which give nature, trees, forests and woods a special place in their work.

Gary has created 30 watercolours to celebrate the River Stour’s 61-mile journey from its source to the English Channel.

“The river strikes a chord with a great many people,” said Gary. “Only through researching the project did I realise why the wonderful Stourhead estate is so called – it marks the spot where the river starts.

“As it wends through Dorset, many villages are named in its honour: West Stour, Stourpaine, Stourton, Stour Provost, Sturminster Newton, illustrating how our ancestors instinctively appreciated its vital role in our lives.

“I’ve painted its twisting course as it falls 750ft from where it bubbles up as a stream that you can walk over in Wiltshire to the 200ft-wide flowing force that joins the sea at Christchurch Harbour, showcasing its beauty and its environmental importance.

“There are 48 tributaries that make up the 781 miles of rivers and streams feeding the river which have given me many beautiful views to set my easel up at.

“Through lots of research, it’s sad to register how the river has changed. For example, salmon were once so plentiful that, until the 1960s, fishermen hand-hauled nets in Christchurch Harbour and that even 30 miles up the river a 40lb salmon was caught. Fisherman’s tale? Maybe, but it’s unimaginable that a fish of that size could be caught there today.”

Gary’s paintings in the show include silhouettes and names of the many species of trees he sees that are dependent on the river and sadly threatened by pollution.

Gary Cook’s Wend: the Stour from source to sea is at The Art Stable, Child Okeford DT11 8HB until July 9, Thursday to Saturday.

Gary Cook has created 30 watercolours celebrating the River Stour.

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Made To Measure Productions present AVENUE Q

(Parental Guidance advised) 22nd-25th June 7.30pm. Matinee Sat 25th June 2.30pm Tickets £22, £20 concs

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) GEORGE MICHAEL:

FREEDOM UNCUT (SCREENING)

Monday 27th June 7pm Tickets £16.50 £15 concs

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) KING RICHARD (12A)

Tuesday 28th June 2.30pm & 7.30pm Tickets £8 eve, £7 Matinee, £6 U16s

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA (PG)

29th & 30th June 7.30pm Mats 30th June & 1st July 2.30pm Tickets £8 evening £7 mats U16s £6

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) RABBIT, RABBIT:

A Tribute to Chas & Dave

Sunday 2nd July 7.30pm Tickets £25

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee)

Project Play presents: KEEPING UP APPEARANCES

Monday 4th July – Friday 8th July 7.30pm Tickets £17.50

(1 in 10 free via Box Office) BARRY STEELE:

ROY ORBISON & FRIENDS

85th Anniversary Tour

Saturday 9th July 7.30pm Tickets £25 MATT BLACK & Special Guest Jax Hall (“Inspired by Adele”)

Thursday 14th July 7.30pm Tickets £15 YOU WIN AGAIN:

Celebrating the Music Friday 15th July 7.30pm of the Bee Gees TICKETS SELLING FAST! Tickets £25

THE ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW

Saturday 16th July 7.30pm Tickets £25

Arts & Entertainment

Theatre al fresco treats for families

The joy of open-air theatre means families can experience performances in a far less regimented environment, which for those with young children can mean a more relaxed evening of entertainment

The award-winning Illyria Outdoor Theatre company, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary and has performed to more than one million people, is staging three of its most successful productions at Castle Gardens in Sherborne this summer.

Earlier this month it performed a colourful rendition of ‘Peter Pan’by JM Barrie in the walled garden beneath the summer sky with audiences encouraged to take a picnic, blankets, seating and warm clothes.

This performance is followed by William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ on Wednesday, 20 July; and Gilbert & Sullivan’s ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ on Wednesday 27 July. Performances start at 6.30pm – find tickets online at illyria.co.uk

Rakish tale

Meanwhile, nationally acclaimed theatre company Rain or Shine, hailed by ‘The Stage’ as ‘one of the best companies touring open air theatre’, is returning to East Knoyle, Shaftesbury, to delight family audiences once again.

Following the success of last year’s ‘She Stoops to Conquer’, the company is continuing its celebration of Restoration Comedies by presenting ‘The Recruiting Officer’, a rakish tale by Irish playwright George Farquhar.

One of the most popular plays of its time – more often performed than Shakespeare or Farquhar’s contemporaries – this is a delightful romp through 18th Century Shrewsbury.

The story follows the mischief of crooked army recruiting officers Captain Plume and Sergeant Kite, as they head to the county town to persuade men to take the Queen’s Shilling by any means, legal or otherwise!

Plume sets his cap at the vivacious Sylvia, and their bumpy path to true love makes for an hilarious romp awash with deceit, passion, swordfights and surprises galore.

The production is travelling across the country from June until September, and includes one night at Upper Leigh Farm, East Knoyle on Friday, 8 July, at 7.30pm in aid of Save The Children.

Tickets are available on the door, in advance from 01747 830278 or online at rainorshine. co.uk

Audience members are asked to take low-backed seating or rugs and a picnic to maximise their outdoor enjoyment.

Illyria Outdoor Theatre is performing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Castle Gardens in Sherborne.

Drama Express: Vive la difference!

Putting on a play is always eventful – and with Drama Express being no ordinary theatre company, and the performers being no ordinary young people, the twists and turns are full of drama, on stage and off.

Cornwall-based Drama Express is rooted in the belief that youngsters with additional needs have a right to access the performing arts just like their mainstream peers and provides an opportunity for ten-25-year-olds to unleash their personalities through drama.

The film ‘It’s Okay to be Different’ shows that impact not only on the participants but their families and will be shown on at Stour Connect Buildings in Sturminster Newton (DT10 1JF) on Friday, July 8.

Amelia, Ruby, Charlotte, Jimmy, William, Lydia, their family and friends were filmed over 12 months and ‘It’s OK to be Different’ charts the evolution of an exuberant performance, rooted in their experiences of Covid-19 lockdowns, building to the first performance at Cornwall’s famous cliff-side theatre The Minack.

The film is both an argument for acceptance and exploration of identity, giving the audience an insight into the challenges and joys of living with additional needs, as experienced by the young people and their families.

Robin Toyne, a director, writer and producer with over 30 years experience, believes everyone has a story to tell. He will be there on the day to talk about the making of the film.

There are showings at 11am

Filming at The Minack theatre in Cornwall. and 1.30pm and entrance is free but booking is essential. Contact Friends of Stour Connect on 01258 471359 or admin@friendsofstourconnect. org

Pandemic inspires artist’s work

by Faith Eckersall

A woman wearing cloth and plastic facemasks picks a golden tomato. A goldfinch hangs by a thread. And south-western landscapes change under different lights and skies.

These are just some of the works by Somerset artist Wayne Spilsbury, in his first exhibition since lockdown ended.

‘You Are Here’ is at The Octagon Theatre Gallery in Hendford, Yeovil, and shows a variety of Wayne’s work – although predominantly a fine artist, he also works in sculpture, photography and video.

“My work is thematic and autobiographical, driven by people and places,” he said. “Recent works reflect my experiences of Bruton and Mendip quarries.”

However, visitors may respond more immediately to his lockdown work, seeing reflections of the lives many had to live during this time.

“I always keep sketchbooks – they are my visual diary and chronicle many events and encounters,” he said. “Covid offered unique new experiences, and the lockdowns caused me to re-evaluate the new realities, to try to find insight and consider different priorities.”

His normal work was impacted and an intended exhibition, ‘A Sense of Place’, was cancelled. However, he said: “This body of work has grown and now catalogues a journey beginning in the pre-covid world and charting life since. ‘You Are Here’ highlights waypoints through time and space, a navigation following an uncharted route with occasional statements of where I have taken stock.”

Lockdown did have its upside, including, he said, the walks he undertook which ‘introduced me to places I might otherwise never have experienced’.

Covid pieces started with a masked double portrait, ‘Bruton Gothik’, based on the iconic Grant Wood’s piece, American Gothic, and a small installation exploring the daily issues of respiration, ventilation and PPE, ‘Ersatz Leben’.

A large sculpture slowly developed using found materials and a bat/bird/plague mask figure emerged, wearing hospital scrubs fashioned from dye sublimation prints he had created for the masks his wife was making for carers.

The piece which may resonate most with exhibition visitors is ‘Madonna dei Pomadori’ (Madonna of the Tomatoes), a painting of the artist’s wife harvesting a golden tomato from the plants he set up in his studio.

The image has a domestic quality and as the exhibition promises, is firmly anchored in time and place. n ‘You Are Here’ runs from July 23-30 at The Octagon https:// www.octagon-theatre.co.uk/

Wayne Spilsbury is on show at The Octagon Theatre Gallery.

Arts & Entertainment

Schoolgirl Daisy singing for Ukraine

by Faith Eckersall

‘Dear Ukraine – we are here for you.’ These are the heartfelt words of a Durweston teenager who has penned a song for the people of the war-torn country.

Daisy Andrews, 13, who attends Bryanston Knighton House School in Durweston, wrote her acoustic piece after watching the recently televised Concert for Ukraine at her home in Edmondsham.

“As I listened to the concert, it gave me the idea to write the song for them,” said Daisy. “When I was helping my mother at work, I’d think of different chords that might work.”

She also used her free time to consider chords and lyrics, including some in Ukrainian, which she worked out with the help of a translation programme, experimenting until she hit on a winning formula.

“After coming home from school and practising a few nights a week and weekends, I got the rhythm and lyrics then thought of the title ‘Dear Ukraine’,” she said. “It took me about a week to write and compose it, then I continued to practise until I knew it off by heart.”

So far she has only performed the song in public twice, first at Edmondsham’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and on Forest FM.

“I did ‘Dear Ukraine’ and a couple of others solo with no backing, and people seemed to really like it,” she said. Her school has also put her recording on its YouTube channel.

Musically, she says she’s been influenced by two things – Ed Sheeran and her father, Andrew, who used to play guitar to her each evening when she was younger. Daisy hopes to train as a vet in the future but after penning ‘Dear Ukraine’ and other songs, including one for her mother, wants to progress her singer-songwriting career.

Bluegrass boys

UK Bluegrass band Old Baby Mackerel (left) play traditional American songs as they should be played, with a twist of British wit on the side!

Expect tales of whisky, railroads and heartbreak as the band head to Dorset for two gigs with Artsreach, the county’s touring arts charity.

Catch Old Baby Mackerel at Winterborne Stickland village hall (01258 880920) on Friday, 1 July, and Marnhull village hall (01258 820458) on Friday, 8 July.

Further information and tickets are also available online at artsreach.co.uk

Wincanton Memorial Hall

7.30pm 15th, 16th July 2022 Tickets £16 01963 34196

“A masterpiece of touring opera” - NODA of last year’s ‘Barber of Seville’ More information at www.bathopera.com

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