Pop-up Roundabout Theatre returns to Grasmere

Visitors will be able to experience the Edinburgh Fringe vibe when the state-of-the-art dome pitches up on Thursday September 13 for four days. Roundabout is a self-contained 168-seat auditorium which tours the country to enable people living in more remote parts of the county to experience cultural events without having to travel to major towns and cities. Theatre company Paines Plough, in collaboration with Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre, curate this mini-festival.

Sticks and Stones, a razor-sharp satire about the search for a sure footing in an uncertain world from BAFTA nominated Vinay Patel, bookends the programme, kicking things off on Thursday evening, with further performances on Saturday evening, and wrapping things up on the Sunday afternoon. The other opening night performance comes from stand-up comedian Justin Moorhouse. The Phoenix Nights star presents his new show, Northern Joker, after debuting the routine at the Edinburgh Fringe last month. There are two outings for How To Spot An Alien – a play about a confused alien, two brave kids and a busted spaceship – on Friday and Saturday afternoons, and two Friday performances by Barbara Nice, Britain’s funniest housewife and alter-ego of comedian Janice Connolly. Completing the programme for Friday 14 will be bittersweet drama Island Town, written by Simon Longman, recipient of the 2018 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright. It shows again on the Sunday.

The remainder of the Roundabout schedule sees three shows all appearing on Saturday 15: stand-up spoken word artist Fat Roland performs in the early afternoon; Drip, a one-man musical comedy, features later in the day; and alternative folk band Whiskey Moon Face, who combine elements of Eastern European and klezmer music and old-time New Orleans jazz, have a late-night gig.

For details and to book tickets, visit www.breweryarts.co.uk