Arts & Entertainments

by Lorraine Gibson

Following sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, extensive touring in the UK and beyond and even an appearance on Channel 4’s Bake Off: An Extra Slice, award-winning comedian George Egg returns to Dorset this month with his unique and utterly absurd comedy show, Set Menu – The Best of George Egg. Part comedy show, part cooking show, it’s all about George, the comedian who cooks, albeit using the most unlikely of ‘utensils’. George has toured with three shows and rustled-up more than a thousand dishes to date, all in front of live audiences and without a kitchen in sight. Instead, the food is cooked in highly unorthodox and entertaining ways, presented with the maverick cook’s natural ability for storytelling and chef-y flair. It’s different, it’s inspiring, and it completely spans genres. Expect the best bits, most delicious jokes, and the funniest food as three meals are cooked live. You can even try them at the end! Friday, January 27, Yetminster Jubilee Hall, Sherborne; Saturday, January 28, Burton Bradstock Village hall; Sunday, January 29, Lytchett matravers Village hall - all 7.30pm. More information at georgeegg.com.

Prepare for a smashing time with George Egg’s griller thriller!

Although it is not currently a legal requirement, please consider wearing a face covering to protect yourself and others when visiting the Tivoli. PLEASE KEEP CHECKING OUR WEBSITE

ELO EXPERIENCE

Single seats only – contact Box Office for returns

Friday 13th Jan 7.30pm Tickets £27

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) GERRY McAVOY’S BAND OF FRIENDS

Celebrating the music of Rory Gallagher

Saturday 14th Jan 7.30pm, Tickets £22

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

I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (12A)

16th, 17th & 18th Jan 7.30pm Matinees 14th Jan 1pm & 19th Jan 11.30am Tickets Adult £8 eves, £7 matinees, U16s £6

(Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) ADULT PANTO: Cinderella & Her Naughty Buttons!

Suitable for age 16+ Thursday 19th January 7.30pm Tickets £18.50

(Box Office bookings incur £1 booking fee per transaction) THE BRITISH CARPENTERS

Friday 20th January 7.30pm Tickets £23.50

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

SHOWADDYWADDY

LAST SEATS REMAINING Saturday 21st January 7.30pm Tickets £27.50/£25 PINOCCHIO (PG)

23rd Jan 7.30pm, Matinee 24th Jan 2pm, Tickets Adult £8 Eve, £7.00 Matinee, U16s £6

JIM DAVIDSON: NOT YET CANCELLED 2023

A BRAND NEW SHOW OVER 18s ONLY

Wednesday 25th January 7.30pm Tickets £27 RAVE ON – THE ULTIMATE 50s & 60s EXPERIENCE

Thursday 26th Jan 7.30pm, Tickets £21 THE STORY OF GUITAR HEROES

Friday 27th Jan 7.30pm, Tickets £24.50

Arts & Entertainments

Last chance to see panto, oh yes it is!

All Saints’ Dramatic Society is back again this month with another fun family pantomime - this year it’s Dick Whittington. But you’ll need to get your ice skates on. We join our young hero as he heads for London with his companion Tom Cat, seeking fame, fortune and maybe love, whilst aiming to become ‘thrice Lord Mayor of London’. Can he convince the wealthy Alderman Fitzwarren of his honesty and his suitability for the hand of Fitzwarren’s spirited daughter Alice? The society has recently moved to its new home at Corpus Christi Parish Centre in Parkwood Road, within level walking distance of Pokesdown train station and offering ample free parking very close to the hall. The final performances are today (Friday), tomorrow and Sunday, with full details on the website at: allsaintsdramaticsociety.co.uk. They recognise the pinch many families are feeling in this ‘cost of living crisis’ and as such are offering a great discount on a family ticket: just £35 for two adults and two children (evenings only). For tickets, go to ticketsource.co.uk/asds

HIGH ST, CHRISTCHURCH (01202) 499199 www.theregent.co.uk

ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL (PG)

Fri 13 Jan: 11:00, 14:00

THE MENU (15)

Fri 13 Jan: 17:45

BOURNEMOUTH CONCERT BRASS: NEW YEAR VIENNESE CONCERT (LIVE)

Wed 18 Jan: 19:30 A feast of music from classical composers associated with the great city of Vienna.

WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (12A)

Fri 20 Jan: 17:00, 20:15 | Mon 23 Jan: 13:30, 17:00, 20:15 | Tue 24 Jan: 13:30, 17:00, 20:15 A joyous, emotional, heart-breaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston.

THE AMAZING MAURICE (PG)

Sat 21 & Sun 22 Jan: 10:00 (KID’S CLUB) All tickets £3.50

THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY (LIVE)

Sat 21 Jan: 19:30 SOLD OUT. Returns only.

ROYAL BALLET: LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE (12A)

Sun 22 Jan: 14:00

MET OPERA: FEDORA

Sun 22 Jan: 19:00

TICKET TO PARADISE (12A)

Mon 23 Jan: 10:30 (SILVER SCREEN) All tickets £5, includes free hot drink and a biscuit.

HIGHCLIFFE CHARITY PLAYERS PRESENT CINDERELLA (LIVE)

Fri 27 Jan: 19:30 | Sat 28 Jan: 11:00, 14:30, 18:00 | Sun 29 Jan: 14:30, 18:00 You are cordially invited to the ball by the award winning Highcliffe Charity Players as we welcome you to everyone’s favourite pantomime… Cinderella!

MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS (PG)

Mon 30 Jan: 10:30 (SILVER SCREEN) All tickets £5, includes free hot drink and a biscuit

Arts & Entertainments

Learn how to achieve perfect harmony

by Lorraine Gibson

American close harmony singing group Windborne will be bringing their gorgeously melodic sound to Dorset via local charity Artsreach this month. Not only will the vocal quartet be performing but they will also be hosting a workshop for any budding vocalists ahead of the show. Hailing from New England, Windborne specialises in meticulously-tight harmony singing, shifting effortlessly from a raft of dramatically different styles of traditional music. Their melodic knowledge spans continents and cultures, yet remains deeply rooted in American folk singing traditions. In the special vocal harmony workshop, they will teach songs from their albums Song On The Times and Of Hard Times & Harmony, alongside folk songs from other cultures collected on their travels. All the songs and harmonies will be taught by ear by the singers - Jeremy, Lynn, Will and Lauren. The workshop is from 5pm-6pm. Cost £5. Suitable for all ages, no previous experience required. Takeaway food will be available to purchase at the venue, Wootton Fitzpaine Village Hall, from 6pm, ahead of the concert at 7:30pm. Thursday, January 19. Visit: windbornesingers.com.

Have fun at community choir evenings

Every year the local Vocal Fun community choirs select a charity to support with their concerts, writes Ron Bolton. In 2022 the charity selected was Parkinson’s UK. The concerts held at St Mary’s Church in Ferndown and Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne raised a total of £3,400. The cheque for Parkinson’s was presented to Bob and Lindsey Oliver from Parkinson’s at a recent ladies choir rehearsal at St Nicholas Church, Corfe Mullen. This year Vocal Fun will be supporting the charity FND (Functional Neurological Disorder) a not-so-well-known condition. The ladies and mixed choirs will be performing their combined charity concerts in July at the Barrington Theatre in Ferndown. The choirs are looking for additional members and are throwing open their rehearsals for new people interested in joining our very friendly and fun community choirs. Just come along to either the ladies choir rehearsals at Corfe Mullen or the mixed choir’s rehearsals at the Barrington Centre, and make new friends and have a great sing-song together. There are no auditions and you do not need to be able to read music. The ladies choir rehearses at 7.30pm on a Monday at St Nicholas Church, Corfe Mullen, and the mixed choir rehearsals are at 7.30pm on a Wednesday at the Beacon Centre, St Marys Church, Ferndown. Visit vocalfun.co.uk for more information.

n The ladies Vocal Fun Choir and,

below, Ron Bolton and Lynne Turner of Vocal Fun present the cheque for £3,400 to Bob and Lindsey Oliver of the Poole and District Branch of Parkinson’s UK

Marriage comedy that hides darker message

One of the 20th century’s classic comedies of manners comes to the Tivoli Theatre in February when Wimborne Drama Productions will perform Bedroom Farce by Alan Ayckbourn. Funny, gripping and acutely observed, Alan Ayckbourn’s play lifts the lid on the secrets of marriage. Over the course of one hilarious night, an outrageously selfish couple parade their problems around the bedrooms of three other couples, exposing the cracks in other people’s marriages as well as their own. Directed by Michelle Barter and Suzanne Viney, the play stars Richard Scotson and Rosie Nye as Trevor and Susannah, Tim Fearon and Judy Garrett as Ernest and Delia, James Renwick and Bethan Morris as Malcolm and Kate, and Colin Pile and Julie Sissons as Nick and Jan. Wimborne Drama Productions have chosen to revive the play which marked their first-ever production at the then recently re-opened Tivoli Theatre in 1994. Publicity manager Richard Neal explained the attraction of revisiting the play: “Bedroom Farce never dates. It shows Alan Ayckbourn at his very best. He presents what you think is a safe and cosy suburban comedy. “But scratch the surface and something darker emerges. “What is also so brilliant about the play is that almost every married man or woman in the audience will identify with at least one of the characters.” Bedroom Farce will be performed at the Tivoli Theatre from February 23 to 25, with evening performances at 7.30pm (tickets £16) and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm (tickets £14). Book via the Tivoli Box Office on 01202 885566 or online at tivoliwimborne.co.uk (booking fees may apply).

See movies with bite on the big screen

by Lorraine Gibson

An eclectic feast of classic films on 35mm film is coming to the Regent as Dirt in the Gate Movies - Dorset’s specialist 35mm film exhibitors - presents a new programme of muchloved celluloid favourites in all their original glory. Forget watching era-defining cinematic treasures such as Jaws or Cinema Paradiso on DVD in your lounge and see them as they were intended to be seen, at the cinema, on the big screen with all the colours, sounds and details that made them so acclaimed in the first place. After a screening of the celebrated 1980 comedy, Airplane!, starring Leslie Nielson, earlier this month, next up is James Cameron’s The Abyss (15) on Friday, February 10, offering film fans a rare chance to see his 1989 Special Edition version of the tense alien thriller. Sent to recover nuclear weapons from a sunken US submarine, a team of deep-sea oil riggers and Navy Seals discovers alien life in this watery adventure which, despite originally underperforming at the box-office on its theatrical release, has gone on to earn critical success and is now recognised as a major technical achievement. Director Cameron’s extended cut plays up its cold war context and restores his intended ending, so don’t miss this opportunity to experience it on 35mm for one day only. Tickets £10. Other films in the schedule include RoboCop and Logan’s Run. Watch this space for dates.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!

www.ticketsource.co.uk/queenelizabethsschool

SHREK THE MUSICAL

Based on the Dreamworks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Music by Jeanine Tesori

TOY & TRAIN Collectors Fair WIMBORNE

QE LEISURE CENTRE (BH21 4DT) Sunday Jan 22nd 10am - 2pm

Arts & Entertainments You’ll be all shook up... with laughter

HILARIOUS: Joe Reeve as Elvis Presley

by Lorraine Gibson

Dorset touring arts charity Artsreach will continue to bring professional performances to village halls, pubs and community spaces across the county throughout 2023 with the launch of its new spring programme. Featuring 29 artists and companies who’ll perform 59 live dates in 42 rural locations with the support of the Arts Council England and Dorset Council, rural venues across Dorset will host a variety of live music, theatre, dance, storytelling, poetry, family shows and more, right in the heart of their communities. This weekend, it’s time to shake the dust off your favourite tropical shirt and escape to paradise as new musical comedy, Elvis In Blue Hawaii, from Spitz & Co, comes to town. Expect mayhem, masses of audience interaction and all the best-loved Elvis songs as award-winning Elvis impersonator Joe Reeve (Best Sideburns, GlosVegas 2014) stars in his version of the classic Elvis film, while his long-time tour manager, Josephine Cunningham keeps the show on the road - where the next stop’s Vegas.

“The funniest and silliest thing I’ve ever seen – pure joy” Stagetalk Magazine Today, Friday, January 13, Sandford Village Hall 7.30pm. Saturday, January 14, Buckland newton Village hall, 8pm. Sunday, January 15, The Allednale Centre, Wimborne, 7.30pm. Visit artsreach.co.uk and spitzandco.com.

Sound of silents from a bygone era

Sonic Shorts Of Frank Borzage is a unique and fascinating show featuring champion fiddler Kate Lissauer that pays homage to the titular Borzage, one of early Hollywood’s most distinctive early directors whose films, 7th Heaven (1927) and Bad Girl (1931) earned him two coveted Best Director Academy Awards. In this absorbing glimpse of a bygone age, two of his original and mesmerising silent movie shorts are brought vividly to life, accompanied by an original score performed by Lissauer and two fellow-musicians who make up the trio, Sonic Silents. The Pitch o Chance and The Pilgrim are both adventure films that evoke a world of hobos, travelling men, cowboys and adventurous women, and the moral and practical dilemmas to which their precarious lives will lead them. Sonic Silents play gorgeous old-time country and bluegrass with Lissauer, also leader of The Buffalo Gals, fiddling - naturally - alongside Leon Hunt, regarded as the country’s best five-string banjo player and Jason Titley, one of the UK’s finest Bluegrass guitarists. With music ranging from lively to melancholy, it’s a poignant revelation of what were often hard-lives of days gone by. katelissauer.com/sonic-silents. Saturday, January, 21, Winterborne Stickland, Pamela Hambro Hall. Sunday, January 22, Studland Village hall, both at 7.30pm. Visit artsreach.co.uk for more details.

by Lorraine Gibson

This concert tomorrow, Saturday, January 14, of the music of Rory Gallagher features former band members Gerry McAvoy and Brendan O’Neill, whose credits also include Nine Below Zero. They’re joined by Jim Kirkpatrick (guitar/vocals) who grew up listening to Rory’s music and Paul Rose, a guitar-player’s guitar player who was selected by Rory out of 1,000 young hopefuls to win a Fender-sponsored best guitarist competition. Rory’s music reached a massive audience worldwide and he produced some of the greatest rock/blues albums of the 60s, 70s and 80s. When he died in 1995, to his legions of fans and followers it was the ultimate tragedy. The Band of Friends, put together by bass player Gerry is not a tribute act, more a celebration of his life and music. Noel Buckley of Get Ready to Rock UK said: “Think a rendition of a composer’s former work performed by those who have a full right to both perform it and choose their musicians. RG would approve; no doubt.” Gerry played, recorded and toured with Rory from 1970 to 1991 and features on every album Rory ever made - the results are testament to one of the most loved guitarists of all time. In the face of public demand, Gerry put togetherA Band of Friends to re-perform the classic songs he’d performed alongside Rory. Brendan O’Neill (drums) and Gerry grew up together in Belfast, attending the same schools and formed their first band, Pride in 1967. Pride became Deep Joy and they played together for a few years, until Gerry got the call from Rory. In 1981 when Rory was looking for a new drummer, Brendan stepped up to the rostrum and played with Rory and Gerry for 10 years, then played with Nine Below Zero for more than 20.

Filmed on location around

Wimborne and surrounding areas See friends of 5th & 6th Dec 4th December Rory celebrate 7.30pm, his life and music... but be 12.30pm Tickets for this screening: £10 ALL PROCEEDS Matinee 6th Dec 2.30pm Tickets £8 adults eves, GO TO THE quick £7 matinee, TIVOLI £6 U16s

Paul Rose has worked with some of the (Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) top names in the business and was picked by Rory out of 1000 young guitarists to (Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee) win the Fender-sponsored best guitarist competition.

NINE BELOW ZERO Jim Kirkpatrick (guitar/vocals) grew up listening to Rory’s music and also plays with FM. Online ticket £24.20 (includes booking fee). Box office ticket £22. Tivoli, tomorrow, Saturday January 14, 7.30pm. The Pantomime Adventure You’ve Been Wishing For!Made to Measure Productions present Aladdin show is ‘genieus’

Aladdin, Tivoli Theatre Review by Jane Toomer

Aladdin, the dazzling production at Tivoli, Wimborne, offering a relentlessly cheery tale of adventure and heroism. High energy musical numbers, colorful costumes, brilliant dances, silly puns and plenty of slapstick and risqué jokes and wordplay for the adults. This superb show delivered everything you could want from a pantomime. It also has amazing special effects of an eight-foot genie as well as the impressive magic flying carpet ride. The story begins with a bang as the villain Chaz Murray Abanazar enters to a cacophony of boos, boasting about his plans to get his hands on the magic lamp reveling in his wicked nature and taunting the audience with his devilish antics. Tegen Jones gives a stunning performance as Scheherazade with her powerful voice, also bringing glamour and a sense of Saturday 10th December 7.30pm humour to her role. Aladdin, played by Alex Oliver, portrays charm to his Princess Jasmine played by Jasmine Boussateha, both singing ickets £21.50 outstanding songs together. The comedy due who probably stole the show for all the adults, (Box Office bookings over £20 incur £1 booking fee)Courtney Jackson (who appeared in Britain Got Talent) now playing the role of Widow Twankey, tottering around in high heels and flamboyant costumes who was fabulous, and Lee Redwood as Wishee Washee who wrote and directed the panto. He launches full force into what could easily be his own standup show... after 10 minutes everyone was hooked! Both artists gave an energetic performance with plenty of (Box Office bookings incur £1 booking fee per transaction)classical and topical gags, creating the perfect injection of tongue and cheek jokes and banter to keep all ages laughing out loud. And the backing dancers who performed in many of the scenes choreographed by Gemma Davis were also very impressive. It was truly a wonderful Panto experience.