Dorchester has a proud history of community plays dating back to 1985.

It's first was Entertaining Strangers, written by award-winning playwright David Edgar and directed by Ann Jellicoe, the founder of the community theatre genre.

Entertaining Strangers went on to be performed at the National Theatre with Dame Judi Dench and Tim Pigott-Smith playing key roles.

Following this incredible experience, Dorchester Community Plays Association (DCPA) was formed and has staged five further community plays, each based on the history of the town.

DCPA launched Spinning the Moon, Dorchester's record-breaking seventh community play – no other town has achieved this many – in October 2019 with a public play reading, workshops and casting.

The group were delighted to have an outstanding response, with more than 130 local people from all ages and backgrounds signed up to take part as actors, musicians, front of house, costume and prop makers.

Rehearsals started in January 2020 and costume making in the DCPA workshop. The town was buzzing with community play fever for almost three months, but then Covid-19 hit hard.

Following several years of planning, six months of development and outreach work and almost at the end of six months of production, the whole project was halted by the first lockdown, just three weeks away from scheduled performances.

Three years on and the group are now back rehearsing, preparing to perform in April 2023.

This includes a cast of 90 local people, plus musicians, directed by Peter Leslie Wild (Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, Chester Mystery Plays, The Archers) with a script written by Stephanie Dale (Giants on the Hill, Persuasion, several works for the BBC and our fifth community play A Time to Keep).

Music for the play has been written and is performed by actor and musician Tim Laycock with a team of local musicians.

Rowan Seymour of DCPA said: "It has taken a lot of hard work to get us where we are today, keeping momentum going through the pandemic and raising the funds to ensure that Spinning the Moon can finally go ahead. But this is what Dorchester does!

"Spinning the Moon is set in and around Dorchester in the time of social turbulence following the Wars of the Roses. It blends history with fiction and tells a tale of poignancy and drama with power and humour."

Spinning the Moon will be performed at the Thomas Hardye Theatre from April 4 to 15 and tickets are available from Dorchester Arts online at https://www.dorchesterarts.org.uk/ or call 01305 266926.