New season at the Merlin Theatre

The Merlin is brimming over with shows this summer: comedy, theatre, dance, live screenings, outdoor theatre film and more. 

Productions coming up are as follows:-

• Wednesday 26th April – 7pm Royal Shakespeare Company presents William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar screened live.

Angus Jackson directs Shakespeare’s epic political tragedy, as the race to claim the empire spirals out of control. Caesar returns from war, all-conquering, but mutiny is rumbling through the corridors of power.

The Rome season in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre opens with the politics of spin and betrayal turning to violence. Following his sell-out productions of Tom Morton-Smith’s Oppenheimer (2014) and James Fenton’s adaptation of Don Quixote (2016), season director, Angus Jackson, steers the thrilling action. Watch a live transmission in a theatre setting; tickets £16 available online merlintheatre.co.uk or call the Box Office 01373 465949

• Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre do Shakespeare – Earth’s funniest footwear makes its debut at the Merlin Theatre Frome on Friday 28th April 7.45pm with a brand new show of songs, sketches, socks and violence, taking on The Bard Of Avon himself.

Howl at their Hamlet, roar at their Romeo & Juliet, and peer into their Coriolanus.  Plus all the usual satirical nonsense from the Two Gentlesocks Of Verrucca.

This is the Socks’ 9th all-new hour long show, fresh from the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe. Following their sellout success with such shows as Socks In Space and Minging Detectives, this year they’ve risen to the challenge of Shakespeare, to rave reviews.

Tickets cost £10.50 and are available on line www.merlintheatre.co.uk or by calling the box office on 01373 465949

“The unparalleled pinnacle of comedy puppetry” ★★★★★ Venue

“Had every single audience member… laughing until they cried.” ★★★★★ Edinburgh Evening News

“One of the truly great comic inventions of our time” ★★★★★ Theatre Bath

• Then on Sunday 30th April – 7.45pm, The Bluebirds present Nzingabeth! Two queens chat lip-stick and politics in magic culture collision!

‘Nzingabeth! – or When Ana Met Virginia’ is a provocative, thoughtful new play from Taunton-based arts and education initiatives Storytree and The Bluebirds, and Exeter-based Four of Swords. It portrays a fictitious, musical meeting between Elizabeth I of England and the proud African Queen Ana Nzinga. It poses crucial questions on race, gender and politics, but is also designed as a treat for the senses; expect wig-swapping, sumptuous costumes and great music.

Elizabeth is an historical figure who needs little introduction in this country, but Ana Nzinga is less well known. She was a wily character who successfully played Dutch and Portuguese colonial powers off against each other and, much like the ‘Mother of Dragons’ in TV’s Game of Thrones, led an army of freed slaves.

Tickets cost £14.50 and are available online www.merlintheatre.co.uk or by calling the box office on 01373 465949.

• Expect plenty of laughs with comedians Rob Rouse on Thursday 4th May at 7.45pm

Rob is well known for performances on 8 out of 10 Cats, Dave’s One Night Stand, The Friday Night Project, Spoons, Celebrity Juice and Live at the Comedy Store.

• Obsession by the National Theatre Live on  Thursday 11 May – 7pm.

Jude Law (The Young Pope, Closer, The Talented Mr Ripley) stars in the stage production of Obsession, broadcast live from the Barbican Theatre in London. Ivo van Hove (NT Live: A View from the Bridge, Hedda Gabler) directs this new stage adaptation of Luchino Visconti’s 1943 film.

Tickets for all shows can be bought on line www.merlintheatre.co.uk or via the box office on 01373 465949.