Swanage’s theatre, The Mowlem, has a packed program of events throughout the year, with live performances from local drama groups and visiting theatre companies, as well as National Theatre Live screenings. You’ll even find some outdoor theatre shows in Swanage’s amphitheatre, as well as at Durlston and in nearby Corfe. Dorset-based Artsreach also has a vibrant events calendar bringing plays to smaller venues in Purbeck, such as Studland, Langton and Corfe Castle village halls.
🗓️ Friday 13th June 2025 The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company is back at The Square & Compass for another outdoor performance this June. Gentle Harry’s Farm is a musical comedy with live music and original songs performed in The Rudes’ much-loved signature style. Tickets Booking: Find tickets & full information online: www.tickettailor.com/events/therudes/1517765
🗓️ Thursday 8th May 2025 Hannay Stands Fast is a comedic sequel to The 39 Steps, which sees Richard Hannay return in a new MI5 mission in Cornwall, where a secretive organisation threatens the nation. All 53 characters in the show are played by just four actors, using a range of props and set changes […]
🗓️ Wednesday 16th April 2025 It’s a festival vibe at The Mowlem tonight with local community group All Sort’d. The group, which supports and champions young adults with learning and associated difficulties in the area, will be joined by support acts (more info coming soon) in an uplifting night of music, dance and drama. Proceeds […]
🗓️ Thursday 27th – Saturday 29th March 2025 Join Swanage Musical Theatre Company for a spring performance of the musical Kinky Boots. Tickets Find out more about Swanage Musical Theatre Company on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SwanageMTC/
🗓️ Saturday 15th March 2025 Celebrate the highs and lows of menopausal ‘mid life’ in this uplifting and funny show at The Mowlem. Inspired by real experiences of women, the performance invites the audience to embrace the lighter side of this transitional phase in women’s lives, with the show ending in a disco for everyone […]
🗓️ Wednesday 12th March 2025 No Regrets explores the choices we make – or don’t make – in life, and our relationship with those choices. At times silly and at others profound, it’s a thought-provoking meditation on the thoughts, conversations and experiences collected across the course of five years, from people from all ages and […]
🗓️ Thursday 27th February – Saturday 1st March 2025 Get your tickets now for The Swanage School’s performance of the hit dance/music drama Footloose. City boy Ren (originally played by Kevin Bacon in the 1984 film) moves to a small, conservative town where dancing and rock music have been banned – join the cast of […]
🗓️ Thursday 20th February 2025 Filmed live at London’s National Theatre, The Importance of Being Earnest – one of Oscar Wilde’s most-loved comedies – is showing at The Mowlem this evening. This flamboyant reimagining of the 1895 play stars Sharon D Clarke (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Doctor Who), Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who, Sex Education) and […]
🗓️ Tuesday 18th February 2025 Join Squashbox Theatre this morning for a funny and fascinating trip around the world. Meet crazy characters and learn some incredible facts about our ‘wonderful world’ as explorer Craig follows clues across the globe to try and find his missing Great Aunt Gladys. Wonderful World is full of live music […]
🗓️ Friday 6th December 2024 This family-friendly musical comedy is billed as a ‘fabulously funny festive treat’, brought to Corfe via Artsreach. Despite being incarcerated for the festive season, duo Charlie and Toby create their own festival of Christmas from their cell. Tickets & Booking Pick up tickets from Corfe Castle Village Stores, or book […]
🗓️ Wednesday 6th November 2024 Comedian Maisie Adam (Live at the Apollo, A League Of Their Own) is playing at The Mowlem as part of a UK tour tonight. Adam has been awarded Best New Act and nominated Best Newcomer – find out more about her on her website: https://www.maisieadam.com
🗓️ Tuesday 29th October 2024 Perfect for getting spooky ahead of Halloween, this adaptation of the Robert Westall novel is suitable for families with slightly older kids (recommended age 10+). Described as a ‘funny and thrilling’ ghost story, The Watch House follows Anne as she embarks on an adventure where she must uncover the truth […]
🗓️ Thursday 19th September 2024 Andrew Scott (Fleabag; Vanya) plays actor Garry Essendine in this production of Noel Coward’s comedy play Present Laughter. Essendine’s life begins to unravel as he faces an identity crisis on the eve of an overseas tour. The award-winning play also stars Indira Varma and Sophie Thompson. This is National Theatre […]
🗓️ Thursday 12th September 2024 Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) stars in this one-woman play by Suzie Miller. Prima Facie sees a young barrister, Tessa, who works to defend men accused of sexual assault – till she must take the stand herself as a witness after she is assaulted. This showing is a National Theatre Live […]
🗓️ Saturday 24th August 2024 Join a magical, musical fantasy at Sandy Hill Arts where you’ll journey with Mollie and her unicorn as they travel the world learning about nature and befriending wildlife as they go. The fun, fantasy theatre performance has elements of song, dance, art and puppetry. Mollie and the Unicorn is produced […]
🗓️ Thursday 22nd August 2024 Experience the story of Henry VIII like never before in the historic grounds of Corfe Castle with touring theatre company The Three Inch Fools. They’ll take you on a mad-capped journey through the life and times of the famous king and his many wives, with their guide on ‘how to […]
🗓️ Thursday 15th August 2024 Illyria Outdoor Theatre is bringing its adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet to Corfe Castle this summer. Their comedic take on the classic tragedy has received widespread acclaim, including Critic’s Choice in Edinburgh and a nomination for Best of Fringe in Vancouver. Bring a camping chair or blanket and come […]
🗓️ Monday 12th August 2024 This year’s Swanage Lifeboat Week outdoor theatre performance is The Importance of Being Earnest, by touring theatre company Rain or Shine. Swanage amphitheatre’s stage will be set for a new rendition of the classic Oscar Wilde comedy. Bring your own picnic and drinks and enjoy the atmosphere of an open-air […]
🗓️ Thursday 8th August 2024 Enjoy an evening outdoor performance in the grounds of Corfe Castle with Sherlock Holmes in this ‘cheeky but chilling’ adaptation of the Conan Doyle classic. Performed by outdoor theatre company Illyria, the show will take you across Dartmoor in search of the mysterious spectral hound as Holmes and Watson decrypt […]
🗓️ Tuesday 6th – Wednesday 7th August 2024 SISATA Open Air Theatre is back in Swanage once more for two performances this summer. Full details are yet to be announced, but we can expect the theatre company’s trademark retelling of a well-loved tale. SISATA’s Peter Pan will feature original live music and song, along with […]
🗓️ Friday 2nd August 2024 Enjoy an outdoor performance in the beautiful setting of Kimmeridge Bay this summer. Love Riot, from Miracle Theatre, promises to delight young and old with its contemporary reworking of an 18th Century rom-com by playwright Hannah Cowley. You’re welcome to bring a chair or picnic rug and a torch. Tickets […]
🗓️ Thursday 1st August 2024 Enjoy an outdoor theatre performance of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck in the magical setting of Corfe Castle. The new adaptation by Michael Whitmore is performed by Quantum Theatre and will be full of family fun and song. Bring a picnic blanket or camping chair to sit on […]
🗓️ Saturday 27th July 2024 Take a magical journey through time to discover Ancient Greece’s mythical beasts with Squashbox Theatre. Puppeteer and storyteller Craig Johnson will introduce you to the mixed-up monsters of Greek legends, like the minotaur, cyclops and Medusa, as well as stories of gods and heroes, including Zeus, Perseus, Hercules and more. […]
🗓️ Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th July 2024 Save the date for a summer performance at The Mowlem by Swanage-based Ranger School of Dance. It will be the first full-school show in 20 years, with a cast of 80 performers, ranging from aged three to adult. Showtime will feature a specially-devised work from James Lovell, […]
🗓️ Sunday 14th July – Sunday 8th September 2024 Settle down on the sand for one of the UK’s oldest full-time seaside summer Punch & Judy shows – going strong since 1904! Join Professor Joe Burns as he manages the mischief behind the traditional Punch & Judy booth on Swanage Central Beach. With three shows […]
🗓️ Thursday 11th – Friday 12th July 2024 Inspired by Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, this community theatre project is touring Dorset this month, starting at Corfe Castle. The Shaftesbury Tales tells the story of King Edward the Martyr – so you can expect ‘murder and miracles, music and mayhem’ in the family-friendly outdoor performance. The […]
🗓️ Friday 28th June 2024 Enjoy an encore National Theatre Live screening at The Mowlem with Nye – a ‘surreal and spectacular journey’ of one man’s vision to overhaul Britain’s health service. Michael Sheen (Good Omens) plays Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan who, after his role in the creation of the NHS, looks back on his life […]
🗓️ Thursday 13th – Saturday 15th June 2024 Get the date in your diary for Swanage Drama Company’s summer production, Cash on Delivery. The farce, written by Michael Cooney, will run for three nights at The Mowlem in June. Tickets Buy your tickets from The Mowlem’s box office by calling: 0333 666 3366
🗓️ Friday 19th April 2024 Experience Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hounds of the Baskervilles live on stage at The Mowlem in this radio play. Starring Colin Baker (Doctor Who) as Sherlock Holmes, Terry Molloy (The Archers) as Dr. Watson and Dee Sadler (All Creatures Great & Small) as Dr. Mortimer, the show will bring the […]