Georgina Liley, James McLean, Catherine Warnock and Rob Took. Photo credit Robling Photography. Wensleydale Whey by Lucie Raine (at Calcutt Boats, Southam), 16 August 2026. Performed by The Mikron Theatre. Director: Elvi Piper. Review by Charles Essex . Writer Lucie Raine’s clever script takes us back 900 years to Jervaulx Abbey with Cistercian monks, who supported themselves with cheese making. The show starts with an appropriate Gregorian chant to set the scene. Fast-forw

Hannah Harding-Phelan, John-Robert Partridge, Melanie Revill. Photo credit Rob Fuz@FuzFilmz. Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. Directed by Jonas Cemm. Performed by Tread the Boards at The Rother Street Arts House, Stratford, Wednesday 12 August until 16 August 2026. Review by Charles Esssex George Bernard Shaw’s famous play was written over 100 years ago, yet it is still a play for our times. Misogyny, the powerlessness of women, the vulnerability of the poor, the burden su

Kathryn (centre), Graeme (next right) and Willoughby guests. Photo Rob Tysall Pro Photography. Stan's Cafe River Tours: The Avon at Willoughby Village Hall on Wednesday 5 August. Review by Ann Evans Stan’s Cafe River Tours are well underway this summer, following the river's route from its source in Northamptonshire to Tewksbury and its union with the River Severn. And to illustrate the journey is a specially commissioned three-metre-long textile tapestry illustrating the r

Cast members in rehearsals. Lucy Carter, Rox Jefferson, Sophie Bull, Ella Ridgway-Powell and Zane Connellan. Photo courtesy of What's My Line?. What's My Line? present Order Up! at Allesley Village Hall, Coventry for one night only. Written and directed by Olly Brassington and Billy Arnold. Review by Ann Evans Newly created theatre group What's My Line? staged their new musical show Order Up! at the weekend completely blowing the audience away at Allesley Village Hall with th

Abigail Drennan. Photo courtesy of The Attic. Wind in the Willows. Performed by Tread the Boards at The Attic Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. On until 23 August 2026. Adapted and directed by Jasmine Arden-Brown. Review by Charles Essex We are less than three weeks into the long summer school holiday. The children are already complaining of being bored. What to do? Easy! Take them to this terrific production of Wind in the Willows at The Attic. This is ideal theatre for

Photo credit Arts Insight. Arts Insight Theatre Group present Pipe Dream, a jukebox musical, written and directed by Laura Berridge at Rother Street Arts House, Stratford-upon-Avon. Review by Ann Cee Heart, humour and stonking pop tunes from the shoulder-padded '80s pack out this musical extravaganza performed by Arts Insight at Rother Street Arts House, Stratford Upon Avon. Were you busy being a Material Girl, or crooning with Wet Wet Wet, or bopping to the Eurythmics as

Sister Act. Photo by Martin Pulley. Sister Act: The Musical, at Rugby Theatre from 29 July - 2 August 2026. Director Janet Devenish, Murical Director Jonathan Rees. Review by Ann Evans Rugby Theatre’s Youth Project have done it again! These talented young singers. dancers and actors aged between 10 and 21 have produced another brilliant show after just 10 days of rehearsals. Sister Act: The Musical is packed with humour, high energy, fabulous characterisation and sensationa

Guy Henry as Pishchik, Esther Smith as Varya, Kenneth Branagh as Lopakhin, Amber Gadd as Dunyasha. Photo by Johan Perrson. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov in a new version by Laura Wade, directed by Co-Artistic Director Tamara Harvey, at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon until 29 August 2026. Review by Wynne Lang. Chekhov wrote The Cherry Orchard in1903, two years before the first Russian Revolution. He considered it a comedy, though Stanislavski later directed it a

Barry Potter (left) with his family team at a recent toy fair at the NEC. Photo Rob Tysall Pro Photography. Being interested in toys isn’t just for kids! Adults of all ages are enjoying the hobby of collecting toys of all types. For some its model trains, others go for diecasts such as Dinky, Corgi and the many other models and manufacturers. For some it’s the distant past when tin plate was all you could buy; or it might be dolls and teddies, and the ever-popular TV, film an

Family with Jim. Photo courtesy of the BMM. Summer has officially arrived at the British Motor Museum with a wealth of family activities, running from 17 July – 2 September, focused on two incredible feature exhibitions, both packed with fascinating cars and stories. First there’s Forza Horizon 6: The Experience, where visitors can discover a fantastic line-up of cars from the game, and get behind the wheel of a state-of-the-art racing simulator to test their mettle in the di

Sock forest. Photo credit Mall Galleries. A magical, one-of-a-kind, immersive exhibition by Huaicun Zhang, from Thursday 23 July – Saturday 15 August 2026: 10am – 5pm, Mall Galleries, London. Admission £10 (Free for under 5s) – all profits going to children’s charity Pencil Tree CIO. Preview China’s award-winning children’s author and artist transforms Mall Galleries into a ‘living picture book,’ telling the story of childhood, migration and home. Visualisation of ‘Little

Panto Bollywood style. Photo courtesy of Rich Lakos. Rifco Theatre present Surinderella by Pravesh Kumar at The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, from 16 – 19 July. Review by Annette Kinsella. Unusual events have long been regarded as indicators that the universe is clearing its throat in preparation for a dramatic announcement. In 1066, terrified Saxons looked to the skies as Halley’s Comet blazed across the heavens - a celestial warning, apparently, that something enormous and de

Francis Henshall (Charlie Longman) and Alan Dangle (Joshua Newby). Photo Richard Smith Photography. One Man, Two Guvnors by Richard Bean. Based on the Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni. At The Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa from 15 – 25 July. Directed by Craig Shelton. Review by Ann Evans The saying goes that one man can’t serve two masters. Well, Francis Henshall, played fabulously – and hugely energetically by Charlie Longman, attempts to do just that in One Man, Two G

Photo courtesy of National Neurodiversity Shows. The National Neurodiversity Show, CBS Arena, July 14 2026. Review by Annette Kinsella. Ok, perhaps the mystery of French plait incompetence is not worthy of Poirot or Vera. But to me, my inability to do my own hair has been an enduring conundrum. Since my teenage years, mastering any style more complicated than a scraped up ponytail was impossible. Not in a glamorous, Parisian “I’m too busy being mysterious for a blow-dry” k

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

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

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

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