Arts & Entertainments

ON DISPLAY: Paintings by Diane Ablitt, left, and, Sarah Jack, right, will feature in the Child Okeford Art Trail in August

Artists’ work goes on show

Creative talent in Child Okeford will be showcased in the village between Friday, August 27 and Monday, August 30. For the very first time, some 15 artists and potters are taking part in the Child Okeford Art Trail, some for the first time together. E Artist Sarah Jack said: “Why not walk our Art Trail, visiting venues throughout Child Okeford with an opportunity for refreshments at our pubs, organic farm café and shop.” Art Trail leaflets will be available in the local shops.

TH T H EXCHANGE Live a more eventful life Friday 6th August Spectacular Tina Turner Tribute Tickets £19.50/£18.50 ––––––––Mon/Tues 6th/7th Sept Beauty & the Beast 7:30pm Tickets £14 ––––––––Villagers celebrate arts and crafts Villagers in Durweston and Bryanston will be celebrating their rich, cultural heritage in a four-day arts festival between September 13 and 16 in St Nicholas Church. Originally built to serve Lord Portman, both villages share a history of craft and were famed for glove making and basket weaving. And today, the villagers possess and even wider range of creative skills. After the difficulties faced by many villages following the coronavirus pandemic, the festival is a creative way of rekindling the village community. The exhibition will showcase the talent of a guitar maker, walking stick maker, a potter and painter along with a jeweller and seamstresses. Music will resound from the church, although mostly rebuilt in 1846, dates back to the 15th century, as musicians from the villages will be practicing informally to entertain visitors. And on Monday, September 13 at 8pm, male Capella group, The Gravellers together with other artists will be singing a varied collection of songs including the acoustic harmonies of Debbie and Martin from Bryanston and folk songs from Sammy and Charles. Almost everyone is getting involved in The Durweston and Bryanston Arts Festival. Children from both village primary schools together with keen gardeners and church flower arrangers, will be decorating the church with flowers, foliage and

Thursday 9th September Our fascination with murder throughout history

By Karen Bate 7:30pm Tickets £22 vegetables gathered from newsdesk@blackmorevale.net Tuesday 14th September –––––––– gardens, allotments and from foraging in the surrounding 2pm Tickets £13/£11/£9 countryside. A pop-up café will be open Saturday 18th September –––––––– every day, selling a delicious array of cakes baked by the Entertaining, enthralling & electric, the King is back!! villagers, and music CULTURAL 7.30pm sessions will coincide HERITAGE: Tickets £22 with coffee time at Durweston and Bryanston are hosting a four-days 01258 475137 info@stur-exchange.co.uk Find us on Facebook www.stur-exchange.co.uk 10am, lunch at 1pm and tea-time at 3pm. The message from the organisers is: “Pleasearts festival in September join us and wander round the exhibitions, listen to the music and eat cake.” The exhibition of village art, craft and music will be staged from Monday, September 13 to Thursday, September 16 between 10am and 4pm. There will be no need to book, but for the event will be subject to covid-19 regulations at the time. nFor more information email juleshosford@ icloud.com

Petherton Arts Trust will hosting a rich mixture of music and dance at The David Hall – the small hall with the big reputation –during August. Tickets for all the events can be booked at thedavidhall.org.uk or ring 01460 240 340.

n Saturday, August 7 at 8pm Moscow Drug Club Transcendent Troubadours of Gypsy Cabaret and Swing A curious musical act where elements of Berlin Cabaret, Hot Club de France, French Musette and storytelling meet. Imagine having a few drinks and staggering into the darkness of an eastern European cobbled street and stumbling into a bar where Django Reinhardt and Tom Waits are having an afterhours jam with the local Tziganes. Combining their original material with songs by the likes of Jacques Brel, Tom Waits, Leonard and Eartha Kitt, Moscow Drug Club deliver an intoxicating and intimate musical experience. Tickets: £19

n Saturday, August 14 at 7.30pm Live and Local with Reg Meuross Live and Local is the perfect opportunity for The David Hall to give the

TRANSCENDANT: Moscow Drug Club are at The David Hall on August 7 August packed with shows

musical talent from the area a platform to perform. Petherton Arts Trust is especially pleased that Reg Meuross will be the headline act. A selection of local entertainers will perform across the evening and would welcome your support on the night. Who knows, you may even be seeing the next big act! Tickets: £10

n Saturday, August 21 at 8pm Talisman – Bristol Roots Reggae. A‘Chance to Dance’ event In the late 70s and early 80s, Talisman were one of the UK’s top roots reggae bands. Their prowess earned Talisman support slots with acts as diverse as Burning Spear, The Clash and The Rolling Stones. After 30 years apart they reformed in 2011, with two of the original line up, to support the re-release of their classic roots single, Dole Age, on the brand-new compilation album, Dole Age – The 1981 Reggae Collection. One of Bristol’s and the UK’s finest live acts were back and ready to party once again. Tickets: £16, Concessions £15

n Sunday, August 22 at 7.30pm Acoustic Night Local performers are being urged to take to the stage at The David Hall. All types of performance welcome – music, comedy, poetry and dance –everyone has the opportunity to showcase their act in 10 or 15 minutes with full PA and lighting. If you would like to attend Acoustic Night as a performer or audience member, email Chris Watts at folk@chriswatts.org or call 07715 501157. Payment is on the door.

n Wednesday, August 25 at 10am Coffee Morning Pop into The David Hall for a cup of real coffee and a chat.

Church hosting special market to beat those covid blues

Shillingstone Church Centre is holding a special market to try to combat the covid blues. Organiser Pam Glanville said: “We have all been feeling rather ‘fed up’ and isolated due to the covid restrictions during the last year or so. “As a result, we are holding a village market on the first Saturday in each month, combining this with the usual monthly coffee morning from 10.30am12pm. Many of you have spent the lockdown days growing fruit and vegetables in your gardens and allotments and maybe have surplus produce that you wish to sell. “Our market will be the ideal venue to bring along any produce, preserves, cakes, etc (in fact anything home produced) to earn yourselves a little extra cash. “Alternatively, if you just wish to buy, have a coffee and chat with friends, please join us!” There’s no charge for a table for you to lay out your wares, but organisers would appreciate a donation to help with the cost of management of the Church Centre. There is no need to prebook a table but you can do so, if you wish, by calling Pam Glanville on 01258 860370. The next market is on Saturday, August 7.

New Blackmore Vale, July 23, 2021 Arts & Entertainment Come, see and be Conquered outdoors

“After a horrible year for the entertainments industry, we will soon be able to make audiences smile again” says Jayne Meekings, producer of the professional Rain or Shine Theatre Company. “The theatre industry has arguably been one of the most impacted sectors during the pandemic, with venues closed since March 2020. “Rain or Shine are at last set to delight family audiences once again this summer with our production of Oliver Goldsmith’s classic comedy She Stoops to Conquer, an 18th century farce for all the family. “Outdoor events are clearly safer than indoors, and we are working with our venues to ensure that all current covid-19 safety guidelines are being adhered to for our performances.” Kate Hardcastle is a young lady fixed up to meet the eligible Marlow with a view to marriage. Marlow is a young gent who is tongue-tied with the upper classes and downright lecherous with commoners. So when Marlow is tricked into believing Kate’s ancestral home is a country inn, and mistakes Kate for a lowly barmaid what could possibly go wrong? Plenty! Set against the increasingly chaotic proceedings of one very long night, She Stoops to Conquer is a delightful romantic romp filled with ludicrous misunderstanding, mischief and mayhem. So pack your picnic, rugs and chairs, pop open some bubbly and sit back and relax in the summer sunshine, while they whisk you away to the time of big wigs, and even bigger dresses; where fops and foolery abound! Suitable for audiences from age six to 106, Rain or Shine aim to bring classical theatre into the heart of local communities as they travel across the country from late June until early September. The tour includes a performance at Upper Leigh Farm, East Knoyle on Friday, July 30 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from 03306 600541 or Ticketsource. Full details of the tour and venues can be found on the Rain or Shine website and tickets can be purchased from TicketSource via rainorshine.uk.

WIGGING OUT: She Stoops to Conquer by Rain or Shine

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Dorset Blues HANNAH ROBINSON

Fri 23rd July 7.30pm Tickets £12

(Box Office bookings incur £1 fee per transaction) London Repertory Players present DEATHTRAP by Ira Levin

Wed 28th July 7.30pm to Fri 30th July 7.30pm Matinee Thur 29th July 2.30pm Tickets £16.50, Matinee £14 1 in 10 tickets FREE! Via Box Office only

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) DAD’S ARMY

Thur 5th to Sat 7th August 7.30pm Tickets £16 Matinees Fri 6th & Sat 7th August, 2.30pm Tickets £16

1 in 10 tickets FREE! Via Box Office only

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

Fri 13th August, 7.30pm Tickets £20.50

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) BARRY STEELE & FRIENDS

The Roy Orbison Story

Sat 14th Aug 7.30pm Tickets £24.50

(Box Office bookings incur £1 fee per transaction)

MATT BLACK

Piano Man

Fri 20th August, 7.30pm Tickets £16.50 CIRCUS OF HORRORS

OVER 16’S ONLY! Sat 21st August, 7.30pm

Tickets £26 & £22 PETER PAN

Wed 25th to Sat 28th August, 2pm. Fri 27th & Sat 28th August, 6pm Tickets Adults £17.50 U16s £14 BE BOP A LULA PURPLE ZEPPELIN

Sat 4th September, 7.30pm Tickets £19.50

A magical family performance about the senses of plants is being staged by Springhead’s open-air theatre, suitable for children of four and above. On Sunday, August 15 at 11am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm, at the Springhead Trust, Mill Lane, Fontmell Magna, SP7 0NU, there’s a chance to see The Greenhouse. The plant world is full of wonders. Did you know that plants have senses just as we do? They can see, hear and feel you! Sophie and Marie Nüzel present a magical family dance performance about the senses of plants at Springhead’s open-air theatre. The Greenhouse is a magical dance performance for young audiences and their families, and you’ll even plant your own plant to take home with you. The show is touring Dorset with Artsreach. Please bring a chair/rug and dress for all weather. Full guidance including covid information from Artsreach is available online and when booking. There are three separate performances of the show, and the running time is 45 minutes. You’ll be seated on the grass, so please bring lowbacked camping chairs, rugs and cushions to sit on. Bring a picnic. Tickets are limited and cost £6 for an adult, £5 for under 18s and £20 for a family and are available only from artsreach.co.uk.

BEYOND BE-LEAF: Exploring the senses of plants with The Greenhouse What’s growing on in The Greenhouse? It’s the secret life of plants

So excited for return of Purbeck Folk

We’re nearly there! It’s been a long two years since the last Purbeck Valley Folk Festival, and we’re all chomping the bit to get back to Purbeck Valley Farm for some brilliant music and good times. Festival director Catherine Burke said: “We’re so happy that we can go ahead with the festival. Last year was so quiet and lacking in music. It will be so nice to hear music, dance, and see people with huge Purbeck smiles on their faces. “This will by no means be a normal festival, but it will be as normal as we can make it. We’ll be following guidelines laid out by the government and Public Health England to make sure that everything is as safe as it possibly can be.” She added: “I’m so excited about this year’s line-up. A few bands from outside of the country have had to be put off until next year, but we’ve managed to replace them with some really exciting new bands – and we still get to look forward to the others next year.” The children’s area is set to be absolutely amazing this year with more fun than ever – and we’re not just talking about bouncy castles. PVFF have a brilliant arts and crafts tent for kids, truly fascinating and engaging storytellers, puppet shows with hurdy-gurdies, a whole area of circus skills, rhyme time for babies and toddlers, a treasure hunt, Mad4Animals and loads more. For older kids, the Circus of Science brings some handson science stuff to Purbeck. Expect hair-raising results as they make things smoke, spark and blow things up! Full weekend tickets are available now Adults £135, Youth £70, Children £30 n For tickets and more info: purbeckvalleyfolk festival.co.uk

SO MUCH TO SEE: Purbeck Folk Festival