WHITCHURCH will see the return of a professional poet next month for a rescheduled performance.

Luke Wright will visit the Dodington Lodge on Thursday, September 2, for his performance of The Ballad Seller.

He was scheduled to visit last month, however a last-minute Covid 'ping' meant the event was postponed.

Jason Wainwright, from the Dodington Lodge, said the show would bring a Georgian concept into the modern era.

He said: "Luke is one of the UK’s leading performance poets; in Georgian times we got our news from Ballad Sellers who would hawk their doggerel on street corners, now Luke has updated this for the modern era.

"Come and join us as we take a trip through the Drury Lane, gin shops. Expect scandal, excess and beautiful flawed humanity.

"Tickets are £7.50 which includes post performance chip butties and the show, which will be held in the bar is suitable for ages 14 plus."

This show is provided by Arts Alive via their Inn Crowd scheme which brings performances like this to local communities which can take place in a bar.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, September 5 there will be a matinee performance of Oliver Goldsmith’s 18th century farce 'She Stoops to Conquer'.

The show is being held by Rain or Shine Theatre Company as part of their UK national summer 2021 tour.

Jason says the story follows a young lady mixed up in the upper classes.

He said: "The story follows Kate Hardcastle, a young lady fixed up to meet the eligible Marlow with a view to marriage.

"Marlow is a young gent who is tongue-tied with the upper classes and downright lecherous with commoners.

"So when Marlow is tricked into believing Kate's ancestral home is a country inn, and mistakes Kate for a lowly barmaid what could possibly go wrong?

"Set against the increasingly chaotic proceedings of one very long night, She Stoops to Conquer is a delightful romantic romp filled with ludicrous misunderstanding, mischief and mayhem."

While the production will go ahead Rain or Shine, in the event of wet weather, the production will be moved into a marquee on rear lawn.

Tickets are £15, concessions are £14 and children ages 5-15 £7.

Tickets for both events can be found at www.dodingtonlodge.co.uk or www.ticketsource.co.uk/whitchurch or by calling 01948 662539, emailing info@dodingtonlodge.co.uk or at the lodge reception.