The five day Summer Festival combines everything beautiful for your home … inside and out! At our Fire & Food Outdoor Kitchen we will be running a series of BBQ demonstrations every day, including Marcus Bawdon from the UK BBQ School, pizza masterclasses with Martin Sviba, Luke Vandore-Mackay from High Grange demonstrating Kamado Joe’s, Moroccan cooking with Simon Gudgeon, Vegan BBQ with Vegan Magda along with many others.
There will also be a selection of stalls cooking delicious food for you to eat while you watch! There will of course be BBQ’s and accessories for sale, too, and the Brace of Butchers will be talking about different cuts of meat and how to cook them. The very best artists and makers in Dorset will be showcasing their craft in the spectacular surroundings at Sculpture by the Lakes. Many exhibitors will, in addition to selling their works, be demonstrating their skills to allow you to appreciate the process of their craft. Watch pots being thrown, live raku firing, blacksmith forging, printmaking and much more.
Join us for the Summer Festival – it’s going to be a wonderful day out! 28th June to 2nd July. Entry £14.50, and includes entry to the sculpture park. Book tickets sculpturebythelakes.co.uk
The UK’s first post-Brexit trade deals begin amid agricultural industry concerns and severe labour shortages. Andrew Livingston reports
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The seventh anniversary of the British people’s vote to break away from the European Union is on 23rd June. This year, however, it was 1st June that marked a watershed moment for the UK, as the first post-Brexit trade deals with Australia and New Zealand began. For some, these two Oceanic trade deals will bring exciting opportunities to grow their businesses, selling more easily into the two countries. For UK agriculture, however, there begins an anxious wait. Farmers are concerned that their high-welfare (and therefore costly-to-produce) food is going to be undercut by Australian and New Zealand-produced meat.
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Sell the herd Unfortunately, this isn’t actually the biggest issue for UK farming in the post-Brexit era – that issue is still labour. Tighter restrictions on immigration have left the UK’s agriculture sector short of its necessary and willing foreign workers, as the British workforce is still unwilling to fill the gap. Richard and Dee Foot, who farm in Bishops Caundle near Sherborne, have experienced this first-hand in the last few years. Dee told the BV how they have now had to stop milking cows as they couldn’t find a herdsman. She said: ‘We put several advertisements out and the people who applied weren’t particularly suitable. Richard did offer the job to someone, a local man – he shook Richard’s hand and then never turned up! ‘We had people not bothering to turn up for the interview, too. The British view is if they can get more money, they’ll go for it. It’s not all, obviously, but there’s an awful lot of British people who think the world owes them a favour. If they can get a better deal, there’s no commitment.’ Previously, foreign workers could have filled the position, but Richard and Dee have now sold their dairy herd and are instead rearing dairy heifers to be sold. The vast majority of British people don’t fancy the hard work that comes with working in agriculture – and Dee says that the workers of tomorrow aren’t going to be any different. ‘I mean, we took on a load of young lads, and I’m afraid they were an absolute waste of space. Richard found them asleep in the tractor! Youngsters today just don’t have the commitment. ‘I’ve worked since I could work, basically. Even when I was at college I used to work weekends and school holidays. We had a young lad here last July, and even though he’s on half term this week he hasn’t come to us to ask us for any extra hours at all.’
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There is no bucolic idyll Over in Blandford, Jim Farquharson, Managing Director of B & W Feeds says this has been their worst year so far looking for labour. ‘What we seem to have done is cut ourselves off from a supply of seasonal labour from countries that have more of a rural-based economy; therefore they have a working population that is more used to working in agriculture-related sectors. We don’t have that here in the UK anymore.Our workforce has become very divorced from that – despite what the government tells us about a “willing UK labour force that is ready to come back into the field”. They are not! ‘There is this bucolic idea in Westminster of these happy Eastenders coming out of London to go and pick hops in Kent. And it’s just not reality.’ As a sideline, Jim also has a silo pressure-washing business which he is now struggling to staff. ‘I think that they have this view [on] immigration, that I agree with – you know, no one wants to see people illegally trying to get into this country … But we are then losing sight of the need for legal immigration and necessary seasonal workforces.’ Jim didn’t vote for Brexit and is, like many farmers, concerned about the upcoming trade deals that will replace the European Single Market. ‘On the back of trade deals I think agriculture is probably being regarded as, excuse the pun, the sacrificial lamb. They’re going out to seek trade deals because they’ve lost the European market. But a lot of deals are being done with countries using agriculture as leverage. ‘Farming in the UK has a double pressure – everybody wants cheap food, which is fine, except we’re also being asked to farm to the very highest welfare and environmental standards. Those come with a cost. ‘The worry is that we will export our moral conscience too, by saying, “Okay, well, that’s fine, we’ll just bring in cheap food from abroad”.’
If you enjoy the outdoor life, NMR have a great opportunity to work within a Farming environment
Area Coordinator (Dorchester/Bridport)
The Area Coordinator will be responsible for delivery of a full milk recording service to approximately 40 farms within the Dorchester/Bridport area. You will need to live within close proximity to the areas mentioned, as this role involves visiting the farms and collecting event data about individual cows and sometimes taking milk samples.
Averaging a 37 hour week Monday-Friday, the daily and weekly hours will have some flexibility to suit the business needs, daytime farm visits and working from home, with early mornings and late evenings. You will be provided with the relevant equipment to undertake the role, including a company van.
For more details & how to apply, please visit our careers page: www.nmr.co.uk
As summer arrives, the job list is a constant round of tending and tweaking and weeding, says gardener Pete Harcom
Don’t forget to water your pots – light rain showers do not necessarily reach potted plants properly
At last – we actually have some warmer weather. Thanks to the longer days and some real sunshine, the garden is finally actively growing now … but of course, so are the weeds!
Weeding Hoe and hand-pick annual weeds when you see them, before they get out of hand. Keep deadheading (particularly roses) – removing faded blooms will help continue their display.
Planting and cutting back Plant out summer bedding, including potting up hanging baskets. Trim back trailing /spreading plants (eg Aubretia), as this will encourage fresh growth. Pinch out the tips of fuchsias to encourage bushy growth and more flowers. If planting out newly purchased clematis plants, put a few handfuls of grit in the bottom of the hole. This will help with drainage and reduce waterlogging. Tie up the stems of sweet peas – the plants are growing fast and a strong gust of wind or heavy downpour can quickly damage these plants. Secure to a support every 10cm with garden twine. Once they start, pick the flowers often to encourage more blooms.
Cuttings Now is the perfect time to take softwood cuttings of many shrubs, including lavender, fuchsia, forsythia and philadelphus. Collect healthy shoots from the tips of plants and make 5-10cm long cuttings – slice through the stem below a pair of leaves and remove the lower set of leaves. Simply push the cuttings into a small pot filled with gritty cutting compost and place in a shady part of the greenhouse or a windowsill propagator until rooted.
Sowing In the greenhouse, use blinds, shade cloth or apply shade paint on the external side of greenhouse glass to prevent overheating through the summer months. Remember to always open vents and doors on warm days (automatic window openers are a real bonus this time of year). Start sowing perennials and biennials such as wallflowers, pansies, daisies, bellis perennis and Sweet Williams between May and July, for flowering next spring and summer. Sow in trays, cover with vermiculite and place in an unheated propagator. Plant into their flowering positions in autumn.
Watering and feeding Keep an eye on your pots – light rain showers do not necessarily reach potted plants properly. Start to feed fuchsias and petunias in hanging baskets – and any other flowering pot plants – once you notice flower buds forming. Feed with fertiliser once a week to boost the flowering and continue feeding until the plants run out of steam in early autumn. Don’t worry about purchasing special products – simply use a high potash liquid tomato feed.
Paul King has swapped modern landscaping for an extraordinary, extravagant Victorian pleasure garden dating back to 1880. Tracie Beardsley reports.
Larmer Tree gardens, with the view to the Roman temple All images: Courtenay Hitchcock
It’s seven in the morning. Paul King opens the door to his new “office”. No fusty filing cabinets here. Instead, a breathtaking site with manicured lawns, a green canopy of ancient trees and winding pathways that lure you in. The 41-year-old is the new head gardener at the Larmer Tree Gardens, near Tollard Royal, a Victorian garden originating in 1880, nestling in the undulating fields of Rushmore Estate at the heart of Cranborne Chase. Created by the visionary General Augustus Pitt Rivers, it was the first privately-owned gardens to be opened for “public enlightenment and entertainment.”
Paul King, head gardener at Larmer Tree, standing in front of the famous open air stage
Today it still does the same – a stunning space for picnics, relaxation and festivals alongside becoming an award-winning wedding venue. (I’m proud to say that, 23 years ago, my wedding was one of first in these exquisite gardens). Paul is little more than five months into his role. ‘I’m still in awe every time I come through the gates,’ he says. ‘My welcome committee every day is free-flying macaws and strutting peacocks. I love being here first and having the garden to myself. I somehow expect to turn a corner and catch a glimpse of a Victorian child in a white dress and summer hat playing on the lawn.’ The gardens do exude a time-traveller charm with quirky buildings, the shady Dell and even a Roman Temple. How does Paul feel about being responsible for a garden designated by English Heritage as a Garden of National Importance? ‘It’s an absolute privilege. The garden was here long before me and will be long after I’m gone. I feel like I’ve been here five years, not five months, and I put that down to settling in well. I’m not daunted. The challenge is exciting.’
BV magazine June 2023 – Image Courtenay Hitchcock
A determined path In Victorian times these gardens would have employed an army of gardeners. Paul manages the huge workload with just one other full-time member of staff and Google (his go-to gardening guru). There’s also the juggling act of working around wedding ceremonies. ‘You can’t have a hedgecutter drowning out wedding vows – scheduling tasks is important!’ He’s also inviting horticultural students from Sparsholt College to gain work experience. ‘It’s great to have another pair of hands but I’m also keen to get people learning on the job. I’d have loved such an experience when I was at college.’ From an early age Paul knew he wanted to work outdoors. ‘As a kid, I was always out in the countryside, exploring on my bike. As an adult, I still struggle if I must go into an office for training. I fidget if I’m indoors too long.’ Adamant that he didn’t want to take A-levels and certain he wanted to work outside, Paul studied at Wiltshire College gaining a National Diploma in Horticulture and a City and Guilds in Landscape Design and Construction. ‘I wanted to design gardens, build gardens and be in gardens.’ He did just that, working for landscape and gardening companies before becoming self-employed.
Peacocks freely roam the gardens
‘Gardening can be lonely at times, so I also worked for Avon and Somerset Police as part of the Neighbourhood Teams, investigating local crime and building up community relations. This gave me invaluable teamwork experience which comes into play here, working alongside the events team and the wider Rushmore Estate crew.’ There’s certainly no danger of getting lonely at Larmer Tree.
The Dell, which Paul is keen to restore to its gently undulating grass-banked original design
New plans Paul, a keen historian, is already swotting up on the garden’s history so he can confidently answer the many questions visitors ask. ‘I’d love to reinstate garden tours as there’s so much history here. I really don’t mind having to do some homework.’ Not a list man (‘I’d just lose it somewhere in the garden’), Paul’s head is brim-full of ideas, including planting swathes of ornamental grasses and restoring the Dell back to its original Victorian splendour. ‘I’m keen to implement changes but not sweeping ones. I’m a fresh pair of eyes on a garden that has its roots in history and its future is evolving – I’m very well aware that this is a marathon not a sprint.’ And his advice to those of us with our own gardens? ‘Just sit and be in it! A pleasure in itself.’
Instead of the huge team a Victorian head gardener would have enjoyed, Paul has just one assistant and is constantly busy
Quick fire questions:
A-list barbecue guests? Actor Stephen Fry. I love his humour and he’s so articulate. I’m also a huge fan of 007 so Roger Moore – he’s my favourite Bond. The Queen, she was a keen gardener and of course, Pitt Rivers himself so I could better understand his vision. Book by your bedside? Ben Fogle’s Life Lessons from the Wilderness – another man who must be outdoors!
Tackling many of Dorset’s challenges, most people are unaware of the importance, scope and complexity of Jane’s multi-faceted role
Cllr Jane Somper, Beacon Ward councillor and new cabinet member for Adult Social Care, Health and Housing.
Since 2019, Jane Somper has been the councillor for Beacon ward, one of the most rural in Dorset. As such, she is responsible for the numerous Blackmore Vale villages from the edge of Shaftesbury out to East Stour, across to Manston and Shroton and back to the giddy heights of Ashmore and Charlton Down. For a seemingly sleepy, sparsely-populated ward, Jane is kept busier than you might expect for a local councillor … not to mention regularly being found on Twitter sharing the stunning views from Fontmell and Compton Downs as she sneaks a break to walk her dog. For the last 18 months Jane has been a lead member in Dorset Council’s Adult Social Care and Health team. In May, council leader Spencer Flower asked her to take on the cabinet role with additional responsibility for housing. Jane says: ’That’s an area I hadn’t dealt with before, so a big learning curve for me. ‘But of course I now have my own lead members; Graham Carr-Jones has worked on housing for maybe 18 years. He’s incredibly passionate about it – totally understands it – and I’m relying on him as I learn.’
Common misconception ‘Dorset Council doesn’t have its own properties. So my job is around how we fill the gaps that we clearly have. We need to be able to facilitate much more social housing. As a council, we do that by working with certain providers. We simply don’t provide ‘council houses’ ourselves, though I know many people still believe that we do. ‘But it’s such a huge undertaking, and so difficult – tussling with both local issues and those on a national scale around housing supply, land banking, certain unscrupulous developers … I’ve been doing this for less than a month, and already I’m seeing the possibilities of what Dorset Council can achieve in working with housing associations, because, contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of very good ones. ‘And of course they get labelled, because they’re a “developer”, when they’re actually doing really good work. We have to help them, in order to facilitate the right kind of houses we so desperately need.
Broad life experience Jane now has a massive remit – she has ultimate control and responsibility for around 45 per cent of the entire council budget. So what rests on Jane’s shoulders particularly heavily? ‘It’s alarming when you put it like that. What am I responsible for? What does fall on my shoulders? That makes you stop and think. ‘It’s clear when I talk to people that they often don’t really understand what Adult Social Care is. It’s a whole raft of things – yes, it’s care homes, but it’s also who comes to help you a bit when you’ve come out of hospital. Or who sorts it if you need a little care with your daily living … it comes into so many areas, and yet very few people really know who’s providing which service. ‘Dorset Council has the highest age demographic in the entire country. That’s something that really focuses my mind – what the future requirements of those people are going to be. There’s a very negative narrative around “the elderly” in Dorset, but you know, the retired have such broad life experience. And they’re contributing huge amounts to their communities; the voluntary and community sector really can’t survive without them. I think we all know they are a huge asset. ‘I’ve got a lot of parish councils in my ward, and these are the exact people who sit on those councils. They’re the people who have experience in business, and law and accountancy, in medicine … they know their stuff, and they make things happen. They want to help and they have the time. And they’re really good at organising things!
A stitch in time ‘So in that sense, I think we’re actually really lucky in Dorset to have that wealth of knowledge to tap into. Of course, as people get older, things start to happen, and then they’re going to need a bit of care and support in return. That’s where adult services steps in. ‘A piece of work that’s being carried out at the moment is the re-ablement service, which is basically short-term rehabilitation. When people no longer need hospital care, but are not quite ready to go home, we need to get them out of the hospital environment to a place where they are able to get up every day, to get dressed, to start to re-engage with cooking and organising their own medication … building them up to a point where they can go home. This should prevent that yo-yo of going home, and then bouncing back into hospital again. That’s obviously an investment, but it pays strong dividends. ‘If people are living their strongest, best life, the most fulfilled way that they can, that’s better for everyone. And of course, along the line somewhere – either for Adult Social Care or for Health – there are savings when you act pre-emptively, and fewer people are coming into crisis. ‘A couple living in my ward came to see me recently. They are both in their 80s, and the gentleman is in the early stages of dementia. The wife is probably not in the best of health herself, but she’s keeping it together. However, she’s been getting stressed about dealing with it all – there’s lots of paperwork, lots of things she’s trying to understand and she’s been getting really anxious, which is impacting her own health. So we are able to step in and offer a little support, guidance on how to get appropriate financial and medical assistance, or tech – we have a lot of fantastic tech! This gentleman still likes to go for a walk, and of course she worries about him. But now she can track him with the tech, so she doesn’t worry nearly so much. There’s lots of other options for low-level monitoring, and any issues can be picked up quickly, and then acted on, perhaps by a social worker. Just being able to offer that tiny bit of support has helped her enormously. She’s feeling far less anxious and more confident.
A real culture-shift ‘The key is that early intervention, preventing the escalation. My overall aim is just better outcomes – looking at where we can intervene, providing that early help so things don’t get to crisis point. ‘Because everything – everything – we do has to be person-centred. That’s another area we’re working to change, ensuring that all the decisions made around someone’s care are what that person wants. That’s really important. Take a domestic abuse issue, for example. It’s never straightforward, and it’s about understanding what is the outcome that person wants – and not what we think it should be. The view of the care worker or social worker should be removed from the situation. ‘There’s a real culture shift to understanding and properly listening to the person. Because if you’re providing what people want, rather than what you think they need, the whole process is much more positive. You’re working together, rather than dragging someone with you. You know, I’m not an expert. My team are the experts – and they’re so good at what they do. But when you simplify my job, it is helping people to live their best lives in the way that they want to. We’re just there to provide help and support when they want it.
In Barry Cuff’s report from May, early sowings of some veg failed, while broad beans, cabbages and potatoes flourished – rain is eagerly awaited.
May is one of the busiest months on our allotment. The weather was generally kind with no frosts. About two inches of rain fell in the first week and then dry weather set in. There were some quite cold nights, with the wind during the day coming from a northerly direction, but there was plenty of sun. As it was the vegetables high on the agenda this month, I’ve listed all that we did by vegetable!
Beetroot Our two early sowings failed to produce any seedlings. More were sown on 23rd. Broad beans All are in full flower with no sign of blackfly. To hasten pod set, the tops were pinched out. Brussel sprouts We planted these out from plug trays on 15th. Cabbages Both red and white were planted out in April and are doing well – we fed with liquid seaweed. Carrot As with the beetroot, the two early sowings failed and more were sown on 23rd (maybe the soil was too cold?). Cauliflower On 8th and 15th we sowed Fargo, Cheesy, Snow Prince and Cendis in plug trays. These should give a supply of curds from September to January. Celery and celeriac The seeds sown in April have now produced some healthy seedlings ready to plant out in June. Courgettes and squashes These were all sown individually into small pots on the 1st and are now ready to plant out. Early purple sprouting broccoli Sown in plug trays on the 8th. French beans These were doing well, planted out from pots on 26th. Leeks The two large pots sown in April are now looking well despite a surprise attack from either a bird or a Squirrel! Lettuce We are already picking our first sown, and continue making new sowings each month. Mangetout peas Sown on the 15th and now emerging well. Onions and spring onions Sown in small plugs in March, these were all planted out on 2nd, with one to three seedlings per station. Our first spring onions were pulled on 21st! Parsnips With very little sign of any seedlings, more were sown (parsnips can take up to 28 days to germinate so it’s possible I should be more patient …). Peas Two lines were sown in April, and another two in May. There’s been some weevil attack but generally looking good. They’re well protected from pigeons this year! Potatoes So far they’re looking exceptionally well (see image above). Have already needed to water the earlies (Maris Bard). Radish Successional sowings are already providing us with tasty roots for our salads. Runner beans Canes erected and we planted out from pots on 20th. Sweetcorn We planted out 30 plants on 26th of the month, with more to be planted out later. Now all we desperately need is some good warm rain!
Shaftesbury Rotary Club’s Gold Hill Festival will be held at Barton Hill on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July. As well as the usual terrific range of stalls, music and fun, this year’s festival will, for the first time, feature a Fun Dog Show, sponsored by Branscombe Kennels and Cattery. The Dog Show will take place on Sunday 2nd July from 11am to 4pm. Classes will be as follows: 11am Best Dressed Dog 12 noon Best Dog/Owner Match 1pm Cutest Dog 2pm Sweetest Eyes 3pm Waggiest Tail. As well as prizes for the category winners – kindly donated by Friars Moor Veterinary Clinic – there will be rosettes for the first to fourth placed dogs in each category. Spot prizes will also be awarded by the judges, and every entrant will also receive a doggie gift! There will be an entry fee of £5.00 – please register your interest by emailing [email protected]
Balmy summer nights are coming; it’s time to take the risk and book for one of the many open air plays coming to a garden or a field near you
Three Inch Fools performing in 2022
Like food and music, theatre in the open air is always special. Dorset’s lucky to have some of the best venues and a strong reputation of touring outdoor productions in the summer months. Some of them are really worth making a longer trip to see. As always, Shakespeare is high on the list of productions, but several companies have chosen newer shows, and even a couple of original plays written specially for summer 2023. Most are in the evening, but there are some daytime performances for younger members of the family. Audiences are usually encouraged to take low backed chairs (so as not to spoil the view for the people behind) or rugs, and picnics are to be eaten before the action starts or in the interval – not during the performance! Fifteen of the touring companies are coming to, or quite near to, The BV’s area. All you have to do is to book early to avoid disappointment and send up a prayer to the weather gods for a warm, dry night!
Chapterhouse One of the best-established companies, Chapterhouse, brings The Importance of Being Earnest to Holme for Gardens near Wareham on 30th July. The company is also touring Sense and Sensibility, coming to the same venue on 7th August and then to Stourhead on 27th and 28th August. In between, the Chapterhouse production of The Secret Garden comes to Stourhead on 22nd and 23rd August.
Festival Players Festival Players’ 2023 summer tour is Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, coming to Shaftesbury Abbey on 24th June and Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens on 26th June. It will be performed at Speeds Farm, Lamyatt (near Bruton) on 8th July and the beautiful Meerhay Manor at Beaminster on 27th August.
Illyria’s 2023 production of Robin Hood
Folksy Theatre Folksy Theatre has two touring plays, Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. The Merry Wives is at the ECOS Amphitheatre in Frome on 2nd August, overlooking Lyme Bay at the Marine in Lyme Regis on 3rd, and at Holme for Gardens near Wareham on 11th August. The little duck who turned out to be a swan is at Holme for Gardens on Saturday 5th August, at 3pm.
The Handlebards The all male troupe that specialises in travelling between venues on bicycles, is touring A Midsummer Night’s Dream this year, stopping at the Roman Villa at Rockbourne on 21st June, Maumbury Rings in Dorchester on 23rd and the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis on 24th.
Heartbreak This summer Heartbreak has three shows on tour. The Shakespeare medley, MacHamLear, comes to Holme for Gardens near Wareham on 19th July, Bad Dad, the David Walliams adaptation, comes to Maumbury Rings in Dorchester on 2nd August, Corfe Castle on 3rd and Somerset Cider Brandy at Kingsbury Episcopi on 4th August. Sense and Sensibility is at Maumbury Rings on 18th August.
The Last Baguette The Last Baguette is touring the original show Pandora’s Box, coming to the Millennium Green in Bridport on 3rd August, to Winterborne Stickland on 16th and the Marine Theatre at Lyme Regis on 17th August.
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men at Kingston Lacy in 2021
Illyria Another of the longest-established touring companies, Illyria has three productions this year, Twelfth Night, Robin Hood and Pride and Prejudice. The Shakespeare play of mistaken identity and love is at Castle Gardens in Sherborne on 5th July, and at the ECOS Amphitheatre in Frome on 3rd September. Robin Hood is at Kingston Lacy near Wimborne on 3rd August, and Jane Austen’s ever popular romance is at Castle Gardens, Sherborne on 14th July and Frome ECOS on 14th, as well as in the extraordinary setting of Corfe Castle on 10th August.
Lord Chamberlains Men The all-male Lord Chamberlains Men are performing the world’s greatest love story, Romeo and Juliet, on tour this summer. See them in June at Glastonbury Abbey (7th), Lyme Regis Marine (8th) or Rack Close in Salisbury Cathedral Close on 9th and 10th. They will also be performing at Kingston Lacy on 27th July and at Breamore House on 26th August.
The Pantaloons The Pantaloons is another company with three tours on the road for 2023. They will be performing Jane Austen’s Emma at Wells’ Bishop’s Palace on 3rd August, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at Midelney Manor near Langport on 4th August and at Wells Bishop’s Palace on 9th August. Shakespeare’s Antipholus and Dromio will be playing out their Comedy of Errors at Rockbourne Roman Villa on 20th July and at Montacute House near Yeovil the following night.
Quantum Theatre The summer touring trio from Quantum Theatre is A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wind in the Willows and The Tales of Peter Rabbit. The Dream is at the ECOS, Frome on 11th June and Glastonbury Rural Life Museum on 15th August. The Wind in the Willows will be performed alongside the Avon at the Wardrobe Rifles Museum in Salisbury Cathedral Close on 25th July, and Peter will be soporifically searching for lettuce at the Salisbury museum on 10th August and at Corfe Castle on 24th August.
Rain or Shine There’s another outing for Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors with Rain or Shine, the company whose weather policy is in the name. They will be at All Saints School in Montacute on 30th June, Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury on 7th July, Upper Leigh Farm in East Knoyle on 21st July, the Roman Villa at Rockbourne on 10th August and Prince Albert Gardens in Swanage on 14th August.
The Rude Mechanicals The company whose style is Commedia del’Arte and which always brings an original show, Rude Mechanicals has devised the tale of Miss Popplewell’s Garden for 2023. See it in June at the Square and Compass, Worth Matravers (9th), Abbey House in Abbotsbury (10th) and on the Village Hall Field at Stourpaine on 29th. In July it will be performed at East Farm, Tarrant Monkton (20th), Mill Farm at Bradford Abbas (21st) and Child Okeford Recreation Ground on 22nd.
Troubadour Stageworks performing in Yeovil in 2022
Slapstick Picnic The spin-off of The Handlebards, Slapstick Picnic exchanges bicycles for an English afternoon tea, and has chosen Peter Pan for this year’s show. See it at the Larmer Tree at Tollard Royal on 20th July, Maumbury Rings in Dorchester on 22nd and the Marine at Lyme Regis on 23rd July.
Three Inch Fools The troupe of actor-musicians Three Inch Fools has two shows this year, Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Robin Hood. Follow the adventures of Rosalind and Orlando in the Forest of Arden at Beaminster Manor on 11th June, Upton Country Park near Poole on 16th August and Stourhead on 25th August. Robin Hood will be in Nottingham Forest at Higher Orchard, Sandford Orcas on 15th August, Corfe Castle (great setting!) on 17th August and Stourhead gardens on 26th August.
Troubadour Stageworks One of the newer companies, Troubadour Stageworks also has two productions on tour – The Odyssey and Romeo and Juliet. See the world’s most famous lovers at Hatch House in West Hatch on 10th June and Bush Farm at West Knoyle on 9th September. Homer’s hero does his thing at Kingsettle Stud, Cholderton on 30th August.
For more details of all these productions, go online to either the company or the venue, where all booking details should be available.
