Wiltshire Creative has planned a socially-distanced season of theatre, dance, music, comedy and live screenings for 2021, if Covid restrictions allow.

After a tough 2020 for entertainment locally and across the world, here's hoping we can finally enjoy some again.

Things are changing all the time of course but it's exciting that there are at least plans for live music and theatre, art and more around the corner.

We all need something to look forward to - thanks to Wiltshire Creative, here are 25 things.

Here they all are and we can expect them soon - if we're lucky!

Theatre

1 - Theatre performances include the return of Living Spit’s Howard and Stu with their new musical, Living Spit’s Beauty and the Beast (February 4-5, Salisbury Playhouse).

2 - There's also Guy: The Musical, described as Bridget Jones meets Queer As Folk, on February 27 and Salisbury Playhouse.

3- Local singer and songwriter Louise Jordan performs Florence: the lesser known life and legacy of Florence Nightingale (February 17, Playhouse).

4- And there is Lewis Doherty’s show WOLF - an adventure across a cyber-punk landscape (February 20, Playhouse).

Online

5 - Digital offerings include a Folio Theatre and Wiltshire Creative co-production of World Wide Wiltshire, three short films harnessing the creative power of the region to showcase the finest work inspired by the county performed by David Ellington, Pippa Haywood and former Stage 65 youth theatre member Iona Johnson.

Dance

6 - Dance comes from Lîla Dance with The Hotel Experience (February 12, Playhouse).

7 - Levantes Dance Theatre return with The Band (February 24, Playhouse).

8 - And there’s Matthew Bourne’s Red Shoes filmed live at Sadler’s Wells Theatre London in January 2020 (February 11, Playhouse).

Music

9 - Live music includes Soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn’s La Vita Italiana! (February 3, Playhouse) which will give audiences a peek behind the curtain of the creative genius of Puccini and Verdi.

10 - There's also Simon’s Comedy Songbook (February 6, Playhouse) with a blend of comic songs and gossipy anecdotes about the many stars Simon Butteriss has worked with.

11 - Friday Nights at Salisbury Arts Centre (January 29-Feb26, Arts Centre) return, with music and quizzes.

12 - And The Boulevards are back with a barnstorming set of feel good music for all ages (February 13, Playhouse).

Family

13 - February half term sees the return of Morgan & West and their Fantastic Family Magic Spectacular! (February 18, Playhouse) - a couple of 'time travelling' magicians.

14 - Half term also brings a digital and physical circus-theatre experience for young children and their families in Play-Along Plink and Boo (Playhouse, Feb 16).

15 - And there are two fantasy, animated comedy, family films in Onward (February 19, Playhouse)... 

16 - And Abominable (February 20, Playhouse).

Youngsters can also hopefully look forward to several workshops for the family at Salisbury Arts Centre.

Comedy

17 - Stand-up comedy comes from well-known comedian Shappi Khorsandi (Feb 26, Playhouse).

18 - Wiltshire Creative continues its popular comedy Barnstormers nights with three local comedians (February 19, Playhouse).

Screenings

19 - Screenings include The Winter’s Tale (Feb 25, Playhouse) filmed at The Globe in London...

20 - ...the award-winning film The Last Black Man (Feb 18, Playhouse) in San Francisco directed by BSFC best new filmmaker winner, Joe Talbot.

21 - Radioactive (Feb 25, Playhouse), based on the Nobel Prize-winner’s work that changed the world.

22- And the 2019 retelling of the classic story Little Women (Feb 2, Playhouse).

Exhibtions

Wiltshire Creative will start the New Year with a double exhibition at Salisbury Arts Centre.

23 - This includes the Diaspora Exhibition (until Jan 10, Arts Centre).

24 - And the Spring Exhibitions (Jan 16-March 6, Arts Centre).

At the heart of both of the exhibitions is wide public engagement.

25 - There is also the added bonus of Art in the Arches every Saturday (including Feb 6, Arts Centre) with an opportunity to view and buy work from local artists.

Covid changes

To follow government guidelines for indoor performances and social distancing, the capacity of the main Playhouse will be reduced from 512 to 148, with audiences sitting in their household bubbles across the auditorium and some rows completely removed.

Other safety measures include paperless ticketing, a one-way system, enhanced cleaning, mandatory face coverings, performances without intervals and advance ordering of refreshments.

The programme of events runs from January 19 to February 27.

Priority booking for Wiltshire Creative members opens online on 10am January 5, with general booking from 10am on January 12.

View the full line-up online.