Wharf Theatre Devizes

Friday 27th January to Saturday 4th February at 7.30 pm.

Written by Jane Thornton and John Godber, directed by Chris Worthy

Shakers Cocktail Bar is THE place to be. After work, before a club, to meet the blokes, to pick up girls, to drink to celebrate or drown your sorrows, for birthdays and parties and romance and sin, this is the place to be seen. And in Shakers the four young waitresses reveal the lives of its staff and customers and offer an insight into their hopes, dreams and disappointments.

Shakers was written in 1987 at the height og the Thatcherite yuppie revolution, when every town in the UK had its cocktail bar. The play creates a wickedly funny glimpse of this world. Rushed off their feet, underpaid and overworked, the four long-suffering waitresses try to smile and help the difficult customers whilst coping with their own personal problems. A fascinating and often hilarious view of the reality which lurks behind the plastic palms and pina coladas.

Tickets £8 and £9 from the Box Office, Devizes Books, Sidmouth Street, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 1LD, telephone: 01380 725944

Friday 16th to Saturday 24th March at 7.30 pm

Written Frederico Garcia Lorca, directed by Mike Polack

One of the great tragedies of the twentieth century, "Blood Wedding" moves deftly between naturalistic and poetic drama. Based on a real event in Andalusia, this original play powerfully portrays the dilemmas for young people in a traditional rural society, where women in particular are caught between fatal consequences of following natural desires and passions.

Written in the years preseding the Spanish Civil War, the poetic quality of Lorca's original Spanish has been beautifully captured in a recent translation, to convey the clash between reason and passion, between the deeply conservative views of the Mother and the Servant about gender roles, and the Bride's deep frustration about life with no choices and no control.

A passionate story of family feud and vendetta in the setting of a poor country village

Tickets £8 and £9. Available from 6th February 2012 at the Box Office, Devizes Books, Sidmouth Street, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 1LD, tel: 01380 725944

Friday 30th March at 7.30pm For one night only

The quick-fire comedy improvisation show

Instant Wit - Bristol's own improvised comedy company - are back at the Wharf Theatre.

There'll be sketches, songs and general silliness, all of it based around audience suggestions.  And if you're too shy to shout anything out you'll have the chance to write things down (anonymously!) in the interval.  We'll look daft, not you!

Ever wanted to hear a Country and Western song about a fondue set? Or see a Shakespearean scene set in the Co-op? Well, tonight could be your night! Good suggestions get flying packets of custard, the best a bottle of wine.

Most people have seen improvised comedy on TV, but this is not recorded and edited, but live. If you like your comedy fast-paced and with a slightly unusual edge, this is definitely for you.

'"These are conspicuously skilful performers - everyone is exhilarated on stage and off!" The Guardian

Tickets £12, booking from 6th February at The Box Office, Devizes Books, Sidmouth Street, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 1LD Tel: 01380 725944

Friday 13th April 2012 at 7.30 pm For one night only

A four-piece band that creates an exotic and vibrant mix of world folk music

A gripping performance of blistering dexterity and infectious rhythm played on accordion, clarinet, violin and upright bass. Includes songs and tunes from Romania, Macedonia, Brittany, Malta, Mexico, Scotland, Italy, Turkey, Finland, Bulgaria and one or two other places, as well as some originals.

Braga Tanga is based in in Cornwall but draws on experience and inspiration from all over the world. The band consists of four well-travelled and well-seasoned musicians with considerable musical and theatrical experience. Expect a few original songs from singer and accordionist Jim Carey, who has created inspirational music for the likes of Cornwall's Kneehigh and Miracle Theatre Companies, and the Eden Project.

The band has had considerable success with the Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire and Wiltshire rural touring schemes.

"This music is full of vitality and thought - highly recommended". Rick Worthy, Port Eliot Festival

Tickets £12, available form the Box Office, Devizes Books, Sudmouth Street, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 1LD, Tel: 01380 725944 

Our Spring and Summer for 2012 will include the following productions:

February - "Shakers" by Jane Thornton and John Godber.  Directed by Chris Worthy

         Performances from Friday 27th January to Saturday 4th February

March -    "Blood Wedding" by Frederico Garcia Lorca.  Directed by Mike Polack

        Performances from Friday 16th March to Saturday 24th March

               "Instant Wit" external production for one night only

                Performance on Friday 30th March

April -      "Braga Tanga" external production for one night only

                Performance on Friday 13th April

May -       "Two Gentlemen of Verona" by William Shakespeare.  Directed by Graham Billing

               Performances from Friday 4th May to Saturday 12th May

               "Cold Comfort Farm" external production by Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

               Performances from Wednesday 16th May to Thursday 17th May

 June -     "The Bald Prima Donna" by Eugene Ionesco.  Directed by Lou Cox

        Performances from Wednesday 20th June to Saturday 23th June

                "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber.  Directed by Claire Abraham.  A Wharf Youth Theatre production

         Performances from Wednesday 18th July to Saturday 21st July (Matinee at 2.30 pm on 21st July)

 Full details for each production will be published on this website shortly.