Hot off the press and available now, Artsreach’s new spring programme is packed with over 60 professional performances set to take place in village halls right across Dorset between now and Easter…
For music lovers, a real medley of styles and genres is on offer this spring. Internationally acclaimed Cornish band Dalla return to Dorset following the release of their new album, while the five gifted musicians of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Resonate Strings give a second concert following last autumn’s sell-out in Nether Compton. Tom ‘Spats’ Langham and Hot Fingers are back with their eclectic mix of vintage acoustic string music for the first time since 2010, while Petites Annonces continue their worldwide tour of Dorset, presenting their blend of gypsy jazz and French Chansons. The BSO’s contemporary ensemble Kokoro will perform works inspired by Purcell, and Messiaen’s extraordinary ‘Quartet for the End of Time’. Dutch violinist Tim Kliphuis and his world-famous trio are back in the UK with a new concert, while the five dynamic musicians of Jamie Smith’s Mabon makes their Artsreach debut. Expect energetic jigs and reels that dance between Celtic heritage and contemporary sound. Finally the Leon Hunt n-Tet, Purbeck Folk Festival favourites, pays tribute to the architect of bluegrass banjo, Earl Scruggs.
Having toured Dorset with Artsreach every year since 1997, Cornish based Miracle Theatre has grown a huge following across the county. This spring, the company return with a new offering for Dorset audiences, a series of exclusive work in-progress screenings of ‘Tin’. This exciting collaboration with English Touring Opera was originally produced as a play but is now being recreated as a ground-breaking new British film. Join Director Bill Scott and a cast member for these special screenings.
We are sure there will be several onstage highlights this season too, with many much-loved Artsreach performers returning to the circuit. Forest Forge tour ‘Anne of Green Gables’, a seasonal family production full of the company’s usual magic. Pip Utton presents a captivating exposure of the life of Charlie ‘Chaplin’, a true genius of cinema while Kneehigh co-founder Dave Mynne returns with his skillful one-man adaptation of Dickens’ ‘Great Expectations’. Dorset’s Colin Thompson presents his newly dramatised musical show ‘Turlough O’Carolan – This is Your Life’, exploring the life and music of Ireland’s iconic blind harper. Alison Neil is back for the first time since 2011 to tell the fascinating story of the pioneering Mary Anning in ‘The Fossil Lady of Lyme’. Following the success of The Lion Tamer tour, and inspired by Victorian Music Hall variety shows, Bash Street are back in ‘The Last Illusion’. Expect music, silent comedy and of course, illusions in this family show! Living Spit proved a huge hit in the autumn and so return for one final performance of ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII’ – a history lesson you’ll never forget! Leading comic improviser Kevin Tomlinson and Kepow Theatre are back in a touching comedy, ‘On The Edge’ and, finally, Theatre Alibi dig deep into the human compulsion to argue the toss in ‘Hammer & Tongs’. This physical, funny and moving production is part of a larger national tour and will be in Dorset for just one performance.
Finally, as well as the fantastic family friendly shows by Forest Forge and Bash Street, Artsreach have two delightful shows for children aged 4+ touring during the February half-term. Valise Noire will transport children from the rural countryside of France to a vibrant and glamorous Paris and a world of magical shoes in their enchanting fairytale ‘The Girl and the Shoes’. Then, with a nourishing feast of stories, Hand to Mouth are with ‘Jack at the Beanstalk Café. With imaginatively designed shadows and puppets and lots of live music and song, this visually witty play will delight children of all ages.
This is just a taster of everything happening around Dorset with Artsreach this spring. Full details including individual box office numbers are on www.artsreach.co.uk and outlets where you can pick up a copy of the programme include libraries, arts centres and tourist information centres. You can also find Artsreach on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news.
