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In a field on the outskirts of Cranborne village, there is a hill, and it has a door….

One of Dorset’s best kept secrets, the Earthouse is a 250-seat theatre – lit by lamplight and fire-light. Here audiences sit on wooden benches, under an earth roof, held up by 21 huge oak tree trunks… they come to listen to stories. The Ancient Technology Centre works with the Crick Crack Club to bring some of the finest contemporary performance storytellers to this fabulous off-beat venue – turning it into a cinema of the imagination.

‘A fresh dose of magic you need in your life’ EVERYTHING THEATRE

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13 April 2024   7.30pm – SOLD OUT 

AND OTHER WONDERS

by Sarah Liisa Wilkinson

Once upon a time there were three sisters, and three brothers, and a mortal king, and a tree of gold, a fruit of life, a mountain of glass, a witch in the woods with a knife, and a daughter, a slaughter and a sacrifice, a shared myth, a curse, a tragic truth, another world beyond a wall, the devil himself, and other wonders…

Fall into the surreal, enchanting, and hallucinatory world of three wonder tales told by Sarah Liisa Wilkinson. We promise to return you in one piece…unless you choose to stay.

Sarah Liisa Wilkinson is one of the most exciting people standing on our stages just now, and a queen of fairytales for grown-ups.

LOCATION: Cranborne Earthouse, The Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Cranborne, BH21 5RP
TICKETS: £12.50 per person BOOK NOW
TIME: Starts: 7.30pm Site opens: 6pm. Duration: TBC
SUITABLE FOR: Adults (14+) CONTENT WARNING: This performance contains descriptions of sex, threat, and death contextualised
within a paradigm of mythic narrative, archetype and metaphor.

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11 May 2024   7.30pm – BOOK NOW 

LOVE RITES

by Ben Haggarty & Steph Brittain

A man buries his heart…
A woman becomes a wild creature of the trees…
A corpse hangs by its hair…
The God of Love’s wife takes the reins and spreads desire.

Storytellers, Ben Haggarty & Steph Brittain, chase a timeless theme through the forest of grown-up folktale, fairytale, epic and myth, to find the love we seek; the love we fear; the love that transcends; the love that burns, the love that heals; and the love that entangles sex and death and rebirth.

Expect strange attractions, eros, madness, romance, intoxication, and betrayal. Bring your heart and join the pursuit of the eternal mystery of, ‘what is this (crazy little) thing called love’?

LOCATION: Cranborne Earthouse, The Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Cranborne, BH21 5RP
TICKETS: £12.50 per person BOOK NOW
TIME: Starts: 7.30pm Site opens: 6pm. Duration: 120mins plus interval
SUITABLE FOR: Adults (16+) CONTENT WARNING: This performance contains descriptions of sex, child-loss, suicide, self harm, murder,
and death contextualised within a paradigm of mythic narrative, archetype and metaphor.

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15 June 2024   7.30pm – BOOK NOW 

Dauntless – Grace O’Malley

by Debs Newbold

Debs Newbold gleefully delivers the boisterous, remarkable and inspirational story of her hero: Grainne ni Mhaille – Grace O’Malley – legendary Irish clan chief and queen of the sea.

Stowing away aboard her father’s ship aged 8, Grace became a 16th century force of nature. A multilingual, seafaring weapons expert, leader of 2,000 men, rebel, politician, kingmaker and slayer, prodigious lover, avenging hero and notorious pirate. Best of all, she was real. From the west of Ireland to the court of Elizabeth I, from wild youth to even wilder old age, Dauntless is an epic celebration of uproarious storytelling, high drama and one fascinating 16th century feminist. 

No knights in shining armour need apply.

LOCATION: Cranborne Earthouse, The Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Cranborne, BH21 5RP
TICKETS: £13 per person BOOK NOW
TIME: Starts: 7.30pm Site opens: 6pm. Duration: 80-90ins no interval
SUITABLE FOR: Adults (14+) CONTENT WARNING: This performance may contain descriptions of birth, postnatal bleeding, sex,
violence and death, contextualised within a paradigm of mythic narrative, archetype and metaphor.

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13 July 2024   7.30pm – BOOK NOW 

THE THREE SNAKE LEAVES

by Hugh Lupton, Sally Pomme Clayton & Ben Haggarty. With music by Sheem Mukherjee

The forest is a place where marvels gleam in the shadows and the mysterious snake leaves bring transformation.

Over 200 years after the Grimm Brothers’ magnificent collection of stories was first published, three pioneers of contemporary performance storytelling reform to bring their seminal piece, The Three Snake Leaves, to the stage once more, with new music by Sheema Mukherjee.

Seamlessly stitching together lesser-known stories from the Grimm Collection, Hugh Lupton, Ben Haggarty and Sally Pomme Clayton journey deep into a half-remembered realm of grown-up fairytale and myth. Dark, beguiling, and comedic by turn, this is an enchanted search for contemporary wisdom and a joyous exploration of the complex nature of humanity.

Come into the fairytale forest, and be prepared to stray from the path.

LOCATION: Cranborne Earthouse, The Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Cranborne, BH21 5RP
TICKETS: £13 per person BOOK NOW
TIME: Starts: 7.30pm Site opens: 6pm. Duration: 120mins plus interval
SUITABLE FOR: Adults (14+) CONTENT WARNING: This performance may contain descriptions of or references to death, incest, rape,
death in childbirth, and mutilation
contextualised within a paradigm of mythic narrative, archetype
and metaphor.

band1-144x16GENERAL INFORMATION

    • WRAP UP WARM! Bring a cushion & wear sensible shoes. A torch might also come in handy…
    • We often have a bar (but not 100% always), but you can also bring your own booze. We serve tea, coffee and hot spiced apple juice on a cash donation basis. Sometimes we hand out shots, just for fun. Occasionally there’s cake! 
    • We open the site at 6pm for evening shows. If it’s sunny, please feel free to bring a picnic to eat in the grounds of the Earthouse (just don’t munch food while the show is on).
    • Please check age guidance for each show.
    • Please only attend if you have a ticket
    • Wheelchair access is very weather dependent and there is no formal access – please call the ATC on 01725 517 618 for advice before booking. If you use a wheelchair please inform us when you buy a ticket so we can accommodate you in the venue safely.
    • This is a no smoking site.
    • No dogs (except guide dogs) are allowed on site. Please don’t leave them in your car!
    • We do not offer ticket refunds unless we manage to resell your ticket. If you are unable to attend, then we recommend that you pass your ticket(s) to a friend. What better gift would there be?!
    • ADDRESS: The Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Cranborne, Dorset, BH21 5RP.
    • DIRECTIONS: Turn off Damerham Road into Cranborne Middle School. Parking is in the school car-park. Walk up the road from the car-park to the Ancient Technology Centre, and follow the lane to the doors of the Earthouse.

TICKET QUERIES

  • General ticket queries & waiting lists: The Crick Crack Club: kate@crickcrackclub.com
  • Queries about tickets already booked on-line: www.ticketsource.co.uk