Vital Theatre present ‘The Man Who Was Hamlet’ at Dorchester Corn Exchange on Friday 30th January.

The True Tragical Comical Romantic History of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, courtier, duellist, adventurer and poet a.k.a. ‘William Shakespeare’.

In his 7th solo show, George Dillon explores the extraordinary life of the man now thought most likely to have written Shakespeare, revealing why Hamlet is an auto-biography and why everyone has had it so wrong.

Corn Exchange: Fri 30 Jan • 8pm • £9 / £7 / £5 under 18s

Dorchester Youth Theatre presents Dark Dorset at Dorchester Arts Centre on 16th and 17th January.

You will be taken on an enchanting journey into deepest darkest Dorset, to a hidden world full of mystery and mischief.

This devised performance, set in the round, brings to life local folklore based on Robert J. Newland’s and Mark J. North’s Dark Dorset Stories.

Performances are at 7pm on both days witha 2.30pm matinee on Saturday for junior performers.

Dorchester Arts Centre: Fri 16 & Sat 17  Jan 7pm • £3

Founder members of the seminal Southampton band Press to Play, Ronny Taylor (alto sax) and Johnny Wands (vocals and guitar) play Dorchester Arts Centre on Saturday 10th January.

Together they have more than 80 years experience of playing blues and R&B. Hugely popular wherever they perform, this Bluesnight appearance will provide a cracking start to 2009.

Dorchester Arts Centre: Sat 10 Jan 8pm • £10.50adv £11.50 door

The Barcodes play Dorchester Arts Centre as part of the Bluesnights series on Saturday 13th December.

The Barcodesare ex-Yardbird Alan Glen (guitar and harmonica), Bob Haddrell (keyboards) and Dino Coccia (drums). All veterans of the UK and international scene, their take on the blues embraces a wide range of material, much of which is self-penned. 

Dorchester Arts Centre: Sat 13 Dec 8pm • £10.50adv £11.50 door

California-born Guy Tortora plays Dorchester Arts Centre on Saturday 15th November as part of the Bluesnights series.

Tortota is a major figure on the UK’s blues scene and his shows feature electric and acoustic blues, with Guy on guitar and vocals, Janosch Bajtala (keyboards), Costa Tancredi (bass), and Adam Roman (drums).

Dorchester Arts Centre: Sat 14 Nov 8pm • £10.50adv £11.50 door

Café Scientifique is a place where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology.

On Friday 14th November, Dr Jim Smith, physicist at Portsmouth University’s School of Earth & Environmental Sciences and an international expert on nuclear energy, will kick start a discussion on power generation and the way the press influence public opinion in the way they report scientific facts.

Café Scientifique is a forum for debating science issues and is committed to promoting public engagement with science and to making science accountable.

Dorchester Arts Centre:  Fri 14th Nov 7.30pm • Free admission • Food £3