Henry's wives as you've never seen them before

The autumn season of comedy / theatre in the South West kicks off with a hilarious play devised by Living Spit Theatre company - The Six Wives of Henry VIII - with performances at the Marine Theatre Lyme Regis Thursday 6 September, at Dorchester Arts Centre Friday 7 September and at Bridport Arts Centre Saturday 8 September.

Following success at the Bristol Old Vic, Living Spit Theatre Company brings The Six Wives of Henry VIII to Dorchester Arts Centre at 7.30pm on Friday 7th Septemberc. Their self professed ‘poorly researched historical comedy-drama’ stars Howard Coggins, who looks like Henry VIII, and Stu McLoughin, who doesn’t really look like any of the wives, but he’s willing to give it a go…

With live original music, embroidery, barbie dolls, silly songs and historical hysteria that promises to be a lesson in cross-dressing Tudor history that you’ll never forget!

It’s ‘an original interpretation of a familiar story, in which historic facts are cunningly interwoven into a pastiche of modern TV clichés and dance routines’, Stage Won. With Bristol Evening Post calling it “cleverly written, beautifully acted, and, dare I say it, educational”, it is the perfect way to start autumn arts season.

The play is on at the Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis on Thursday 6 September, at Dorchester Arts Centre on Friday 7 September and Bridport Arts Centre on Saturday 8 September.

Tickets are £10/£9 from the Marine Theatre Lyme Regis 01297 442138 or
Dorchester Arts Centre 01305 266926 or from Bridport Arts Centre 01308 424204.

www.livingspit.co.uk

West Dorset venues launch reciprocal benefits scheme

Dorchester Arts has got together with partners Bridport Arts Centre and the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis to share membership benefits more widely.

From September, members and friends of each venue will be able to take advantage of members’ discounts at the other two. All the venues offer special discounted rates to members on tickets for their performances and events, and the Marine Theatre offers members a 10% discount on drinks prices in their newly-refurbished bar.

Artistic Director, Mark Tattersall said: “We value our members enormously and know that our partner venues in West Dorset feel the same. We hope this scheme will encourage existing members to visit partner venues more often and attract other arts lovers to join their local venue now that the benefits are so generous and far-reaching”

Individual annual memberships are modestly priced, with joint and family options also available.

Director of Bridport Arts Centre Polly Gifford said "Working more closely with our partner venues has been very positive for the organisations and now we can offer direct benefits to members too, which is fantastic."

The scheme is part of a wider collaborative effort between the three venues, which also includes bringing touring performers to two or three venues on consecutive dates, as well as sharing ideas, innovations and information.

Bridport Arts Centre theatre, gallery, performances and workshops.
Marine Theatre - theatre by the sea at Lyme Regis

New Orleans blues legend comes to Dorchester

FRI 10th AUG - LAZY LESTER  
Dorchester Arts Centre
8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm)

For one unique evening Dorchester Arts Centre turns into a Mississippi dive when the 78 year old New Orleans blues legend - Lazy Lester - plays on Friday 10th August!

Back when blues was king and South Louisiana was the breeding ground for some of the most memorable American music ever recorded, at its heart was Lazy Lester. This 78 year old blues legend from Baton Rouge, Louisiana has been described variously as a ‘National Treasure’ the ‘High Sheriff of Louisiana’ and ‘A nut’! 

One of the key creators of the South Louisiana swamp blues sound in the 1950’s Lester (aka Leslie Johnson) has often been imitated but never duplicated - his carefree personality prompting Excello Producer Miller to dub him ‘Lazy Lester’.

Lester’s tunes have been covered time and time again. His ‘I’m a lover not a fighter’ became a standard requisite of 60’s British blues band shows and was featured on the Kinks’ first album.

As a true living legend, his talents are as much in demand as ever. After all there aren’t many living bluesmen who have had major hits throughout the 1950s and ‘60s and are still performing with the gusto and precision of their youth.
 
He credits Jimmy Reed and Little Walter as his main blues influences but his first love was and still is traditional country music. He got hooked early on Jimmie Rogers and later Hank Williams always including some of their songs in his set.
 
In 2004, he played at Radio City Music Hall in New York as part of Martin
Scorsese’s Year of the Blues super concert that included the most impressive line-up of blues stars ever assembled.

This is probably your last chance to see a genuine blues legend in such intimate surroundings. Get tickets now and enjoy.

Lazy Lester playing in Texas last year


Tickets: Advance £12.00 on the door £14.00
Box office 01305 266926 Dorchester Arts Centre, School Lane, The Grove, Dorchester DT1 1XR