Spot On country culture

The season features 19 shows and provides the usual mix of professional music, theatre, film, cabaret and children’s shows at 23 small rural venues.

The first live performances will be the stage adaptation of Monty Python star Terry Jones’ well-loved children’s book, Nicobobinus, on February 14 and 15.

There will be further children’s theatre later in the programme with The Boy Who Bit Picasso at Calder Vale Village Hall in April before it heads to Accrington Library at the end of May, the final show of the season.

Both children’s shows are subsidised by Big Imaginations.

A special Canadian Season will also form part of the programme including two plays, With Cruel Times In Between from Theatre Newfoundland and Melody A Johnson’s Miss Caledonia.

There will also be Canadian acoustic folk music from Ian Sherwood who will play four dates across Lancashire in March.

There will be music from closer to home too with Midlands band Mumbo Jumbo at Tockholes Village Hall at the end of February and the Tom McConville Trio bringing their Pennine folk music to Croston, Grindleton and Cliviger in April.

Theatre features prominently in the programme and as well as the two Canadian plays, Alison Neil’s The Fossil Lady of Lyme will travel to Barnoldswick and Mellor Brook at the end of February, followed by The Shape of Things to Come in Fleetwood and Dorothy’s War in Arkholme, Bleasdale and Bolton-by-Bowland, during March.

March will also see an evening dedicated to Charlie Chaplin at Halton Mill and Accrington Library. ‘Monument To Charlie Chaplin’ involves a short film, accompanied by a performance from theatre company, Kings of England with live music.

Circus Geeks will take their unique new show, Beta Testing, about “jugglers and their strange obsession” to Scorton Village Hall on Friday March 13 and Accrington Library on Saturday March 28.

In May, Chanje Kunda will bring an adaptation of her own book of poems to the stage with Amsterdam, an exciting story of one woman’s search for love, at Barnoldswick on Friday 15 May.

For those who enjoy a laugh, the ever popular Mervyn Stutter will perform his show Utterly Stutterly at Calder Vale, Burscough Wharf and Tosside on May 15, 16 and 17.

The season also includes four live screenings of National Theatre productions, Treasure Island, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, The Hard Problem and Man and Superman, which stars Ralph Fiennes.

There will also be a screening of Hamlet, featuring Maxine Peake, in the title role, live from The Royal Exchange in Manchester.

Spot On Lancashire is a county wide service which enables people living in remote and rural communities to enjoy live arts events on their doorstep. This is achieved by working in partnership with over 200 volunteers and popping up in over 50 different small places each year.

For more about the shows or to see the full programme visit www.spotonlancashire.co.uk call Sue Robinson on 01254 660360 or email [email protected]