Last year's Floral butterfly, this years will be planted differently. Photo courtesy of the Stratford Butterfly Farm. This summer, visitors can enjoy a tropical adventure at Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm and take advantage of great savings for the whole family. As part of the Government’s Summer Saver initiative, the Butterfly Farm is reducing VAT from 20% to 5% on admission tickets, helping visitors make the most of their summer days out. This is available for visits un

Petrol & Pride. Photo by Olgun Kordal. There’s still plenty of summer fun to be had at the British Motor Museum, with a full schedule of motoring shows running throughout late July and August. The Museum has already hosted a packed shows calendar throughout June and early July. The remaining shows include the Rootes Heritage Day and Old Ford Rally on 19 July, Petrol & Pride on 26 July, Fiat & Friends on 1 August, Young Driver Experiences on 2 August, the Ultimate German Car M

Jacquie Campbell as Mrs Dulska. Photo by Adam Demkow Photography. The Morality of Mrs Dulska, written by Gabriela Zapolska, translated by Teresa Murjao, producer Magda Dylag Copernicana CIC, directed by Danny Masewicz. At the Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon from 8 – 11 July 2026. Review by Ann Evans It’s been 120 years since this play was premiered in Poland. The year was 1906 and had been written by Gabriela Zapolska (1857-1921) who is regarded as one of Poland’s mos

Coming to The Albany Theatre. SINS – Immersive Theatre Experience, at the Albany Theatre, Coventry on Thursday 10 September at 7pm. Preview Lust. Gluttony. Sloth. Envy. Wrath. Pride. Greed. No, it’s not a new authentic political party manifesto. Nor is it my list of new year’s resolutions. This is SINS, a dark, immersive live experience where theatre, psychological tension, and audience participation collide in real time. The intriguing new experience comes to the Albany Thea

Rachel Crabbe (Daisy Swaby), Francis Henshall (Charlie Longman), Stanley Stubbers (Ted McGowan). Photo by Richard Smith Photography. ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’, by Richard Bean, directed by Craig Shelton at Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa from Wednesday 15 July until Saturday 25 July. Preview Set in Brighton in 1963, One Man, Two Guvnors sees Francis Henshall sacked from his skiffle band and out of work. He can’t be kept down for too long, and soon he has secured not one, but two du

Adam Schumacher. Photo credit Second Thoughts. Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards! Adapted by Stephen Briggs. Performed by Second Thoughts Drama Group at The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Saturday 7 July 2026. Director Lynda Jepson. Review by Charles Essex A simple almost bare stage became the city of Ankh-Morpork, Terry Pratchett’s fictional city in his Discworld series of books. Guards! Guards! is just one of 41 novels in the series and the first to introduce the

CovLitFest Children's Poetry Competition Award Ceremony with Coventry poet laureate Andrea Mbarushimana and young poet laureate Diamond Kayode-Osunlana Photo courtesy of CovLitFest. The first CovLitFest can be declared a resounding success after attracting nearly 300 people to twelve events in four different city centre venues across three days from 25 to 27 June 2026. The idea sprung from Coventry writer Alison Manning as she wondered why Coventry doesn't have a literary fe

Rugby School. Professional theatre comes to some of Rugby's most beautiful historic spaces this autumn. While the Macready Theatre undergoes an exciting programme of refurbishment, the curtain is far from coming down. Instead, audiences are being invited to experience an unforgettable Pop-Up Season that will bring world-class entertainment to a collection of stunning venues across the historic Rugby School campus from August to December 2026. From acclaimed theatre and live m

Othello artwork. Photo courtesy of the RSC. Co-Artistic Directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey have announced further details of the RSC’s 2026-27 season line-up, which sees three-time Olivier Award-winning actress Sharon D Clarke take up the titular role in a radical reimagining of Shakespeare’s Othello directed by Monique Touko, and Rufus Norris direct for the company for the first time with the world premiere of Brock’s Mill by RSC Writer-in-Residence Stewart Pringle. Th

Photo courtesy of Warwick Arts Centre. At a time when virtually every commercial movie screening in the UK is digital, Warwick Arts Centre is bucking the trend to become the only cinema in the West Midlands to present regular 35mm films screenings alongside their regular 4K programme - beginning with Christopher Nolan's eagerly awaited The Odyssey (from Friday 17 July 2026). Since re-opening in 2021, following a major refurbishment, the plush Coventry-based three-screen cin

Martha Allen-Smith, Abigail Drennan and Cassandra Wilson. Photo by Rob Fuz. Shakers: Under New Management. Performed by Tread the Boards at The Attic Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, from 2-12 July. Directed by Andrew Woolley. Review by Charles Essex It’s Friday night. Glad rags on and the weekend starts. Where better to forget your troubles than Shakers, the nightclub with plastic palm trees in a run-down northern town with unemployment and closing shops and industry. It is

Dance teacher Mavis (centre) takes her class through its paces. Photo courtesy of The Priory. Stepping Out written by Richard Harris, Directed by Steve Bingham, choreography by Sue Biddle, on at The Priory Theatre, Kenilworth from 1 – 11 July 2026. Review by Ann Evans Just like the play itself, the back stories of the cast are as interesting as the back stories of the characters. Stepping Out takes place in a typical village hall where Mavis Turner (Sarah Dietrich) teaches

Careers Tour. Photo courtesy of the BMM. “It was wonderful seeing the excitement as the children realised that they could do it too.” More than 200 children aged 11 to 16 were inspired by games developers, vehicle engineers, and technology innovators at this year’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Week designed and led by the British Motor Museum. Through talks and activities delivered by a range of local companies, including Playground Games, Lotus Ca

Packington Hall. Photo by Martyn Blair of Corley & Fillongley Photographic Club. BBC Gardeners’ World Live and the Good Food Show Summer, which will be renamed as the Good Food Festival, are moving to the breathtaking 4,500-acre Packington Estate in Meriden, Warwickshire with the first Show taking place 17 – 20 June 2027. After an incredible 35-year legacy at the NEC Birmingham, these much-loved flagship events will relocate to Packington Estate, just five miles from the NE