What’s on and where for families in Somerset...
in March
4th March: The Hot Dots. So and So Circus Theatre. St George’s Hall, Hinton St George. 7.30pm. Spectacular acrobatics set against 1930s Music Hall. This is the story of Frank Johnstone and Evie Steele, two hugely successful vaudeville performers who met in 1928, and their spectacular fall from grace. A fantastic night featuring So & So’s trademark acrobatic balancing and contemporary circus, set against the backdrop of 1930s Music Hall, this show is a real one-off treat. 01460 72355
6th March: ‘The Animated Tales of Shakespeare’. the egg, Theatre Royal Bath. Take some of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, turn them into stories, mix up with an actor, a musician and an illustrator, present to an audience and what do you get? Under 8s falling in love with Britain’s greatest treasure. Ages: 5 – adult. 01225 823409/448844
6th March: The Hot Dots. So and So Circus Theatre. David Hall Arts Centre, South Petherton. 8pm. 01460 240340
7th March: Lambing Sunday and Agricultural Open Day. Rodway Farm, Cannington. Children’s activities, animal trail. Find out courses at Cannington, see newborn lambs, enjoy tractor trailer rides. Free parking. 01278 655065
7th – 10th March: Tiny Ninja Theater presents ‘Hamlet & Romeo & Juliet’. the egg, Theatre Royal Bath. Dedicated to grand spectacle on a tiny scale, New York’s Tiny Ninja Theater company is committed to the principle that ‘there are no small parts, only small actors’. There are currently over 100 Tiny Ninjas in the company, as well as several aliens, robots and special guest stars Mr and Mrs Smile. Here they present two of their classic productions. Ages: 8 – adult. 01225 823409/448844
11th - 13th March: Platform 4 presents ‘The Tempest’. the egg, Theatre Royal Bath. Shakespeare-lovers will be swept away by this beguiling new adaptation, a beautiful stripped-down version of The Tempest for three performers. True to the verse, this highly-choreographed production evokes a dream-like world that feels both real and magical. Platform 4 has developed a reputation for creating stunning visual theatre; blending text, movement and objects with evocative sound and light, to create unique theatrical gems. Ages: 11- adult. 01225 823409/448844
12th March: Oshima and the Big Sea. Angel Heart Theatre. Westbury-sub-Mendip Village Hall. 6pm. If you love the sea, you’ll be hooked on this gorgeous family show for 3 yrs+. With a growing reputation for lovingly-made puppets and engaging performances as well as over 9 years experience working with Puppetcraft, Angel Heart Theatre offer this simple, uplifting show for hearts, young and old. Full of amazing sea creatures, imaginative visual design and live sound-songs of the ocean, Oshima & the Big Sea is where warm-hearted humour swims with big-eyed wonder…dive in! A tale about kindness, trusting the unknown and dancing with turtles. 01749 870457
12th March: Top of the World. Spike Theatre. Wadham School, Crewkerne. 6pm. ‘He went up a beekeeper and came down a hero’; a dramatic fiction based on the true life events of Edmund Hillary’s conquest of Everest. Using projected animation, puppetry, and a whole load of snow, Spike will re-examine one of the most famous events in the 20th Century. Spike Theatre has been touring the UK since 1998. Their brand of physical storytelling has delighted audiences of all ages at all types of venues. 01460 270123
13th March: Top of the World. Kilve Theatre, Kilve Village Hall. 7.30pm. See 12th March entry for further details. 01278 741157
13th -14th March: West Country Game Fair. Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet. Great event for all the family. Demonstrations on falconry, ferrets, gundog training, natural horsemanship and further entertainment in the indoor and outdoor arenas including game cookery demonstrations, archery, fly casting, clay shooting, countryside shopping village. 01749 822240
14th March: Top of the World. Churchinford Village Hall. 5pm. See 12th March entry for further details. 01823 601422
14th March: Mothering Sunday at the Walled Gardens of Cannington, Church Street, Cannington. Enjoy exploring the garden at the start of the season. Homemade soup and cakes in the tea rooms. 01278 655042
18th March: Seige & Surrender Tours. Dunster Castle, Dunster. Running until September on various dates (visit www.nationatrust.org.uk), this is the start of the Seige & Surrender Tours and provides an insightful experience of how sieges were carried out during the Civil War, plus demonstrations of life of a soldier of the day. 01643 821314
20th March: Lyngo Theatre presents ‘Watch the Birdy’. This is a story about an egg that doesn’t want to hatch. Percy has been left to look after it with the help of Sheila the fish, Nancy the invisible spider, Polly the butterfly and Jeremy the bear. If that wasn’t enough there’s also a wolf and a reindeer and through washing socks, sewing, singing and dreaming they all make it through the winter. But will Birdy come out? With flying eggs, feathery snow, luminous eggs, a bear who gets fatter as you watch, disappearing eggs and eggs full of feathers, ‘Watch the Birdy’ is packed full of tricks, surprises, transformations and eggs! Ages: 3 – 6 years. 01225 823409/448844
27th March: The Nothing Show. the egg, Theatre Royal Bath. Dedicated to the contemplation and celebration of everyday life, this show is for anyone who would prefer to stay in bed. A vivid and rich world of possibilities is created by nothing more than the performer’s skill and the audience’s imagination. Ages : 8 – adult. 01225 823409/448844
1st – 2nd April: To Have and to Honk. the egg, Theatre Royal Bath. Fourteen musical instruments, four clowns and one wedding! Four musicians are on their way to a wedding but the journey doesn’t quite go according to plan…Ages: small, medium & high! 01225 823409/448844
24th April: St George’s Day event on Long Sutton Village Green, from 2pm. Fun filled family activity afternoon with country dancing, medieval pageant, local crafts and feasting. Come along for a traditional English afternoon celebration. 01458 241700
