Cheshire Rural Touring Arts: 10 shows from September

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-28 17:47 4 min read

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A library performance space, village halls, community centres and a science centre will become stages when Cheshire Rural Touring Arts Autumn 2026 begins on Friday 25 September. The season runs until Sunday 6 December across community venues in Cheshire, with the opening performance starting at 7pm at Macclesfield Library.

The programme covers theatre, live music, dance, comedy and storytelling. It includes all-ages concerts, family productions for children from six and shows intended for adults, so suitability varies by performance.

Ticket prices were not specified in the listing published by Cheshire West and Chester Council, which also gives no transport or accessibility details. Online booking is available through the Cheshire Rural Touring Arts website and its TicketSource page.

From ukulele harmonies to a Celtic Christmas

The ten productions offer markedly different evenings. The Mersey Belles and Beaus open the season with vintage and contemporary songs arranged around vocal harmonies and ukuleles. Duane Forrest follows with TENDERLY: True Life & Times of Nat King Cole, combining music with the story of Cole’s career and life.

Canadian duo Ménestrel bring medieval music and folk traditions to Gawsworth and Neston. Black Liver’s Rogues Gallery, inspired by a mysterious portrait and the women connected to it, mixes comedy, music and sketches across five Cheshire dates.

For younger audiences, Ri Ri’s Dance Academy presents the Bollywood-inspired The Magic Stick, while Alisha McKenzie’s interactive Alicia’s Amazing Adventure explores the stories of Britain’s first Black Britons. Nicholas Collett’s Mettle draws on his father’s experiences during the Second World War.

The later programme includes Casson & Friends’ SHED STORIES, created around the humour, friendship and resilience found in Men’s Sheds; Pipeline’s darkly comic George and The Drag Queen; and a Christmas concert from Máire Ní Chathasaigh and Chris Newman blending Irish music with festive pieces, jazz and bluegrass.

Dates and community venues across Cheshire

Production	Dates, times and venues
The Mersey Belles and Beaus	25 Sept, 7pm — Macclesfield Library, SK10 1EE; 26 Sept, 7.30pm — Vicars Cross Community Centre, CH3 5LP; 24 Oct, 7.30pm — Siddington Village Hall, SK11 9JR
TENDERLY	2 Oct, 8pm — Great Budworth Parish Hall, CW9 6HL; 3 Oct, 7.30pm — Hoole Community Centre, CH2 3AP
Songs of the Mayflower	17 Oct, 7.30pm — Gawsworth Village Hall, SK11 9QY; 18 Oct, 3pm — Parkgate and Neston United Reformed Church, CH64 6UZ
Rogues Gallery	23 Oct, 7.30pm — St Mary Church, Bosley, SK11 0NX; 24 Oct, 7.30pm — Tarvin Community Centre, CH3 8LY; 25 Oct, 7.30pm — Plumley Village Hall, WA16 0TR; 22 Nov, 6.30pm — Neston Town Hall, CH64 6TR; 28 Nov, 7.30pm — Kelsall Community Centre, CW6 0SB
The Magic Stick	24 Oct, 2pm — Theatre Porto, CH65 6QY; 25 Oct, 1pm — Hoole Community Centre, CH2 3AP
Alicia’s Amazing Adventure	6 Nov, 6pm — Tarvin Community Centre, CH3 8LY
Mettle	6 Nov, 7.30pm — Hoole Community Centre, CH2 3AP; 7 Nov, 2.30pm — Neston Royal British Legion, CH64 9PB; 8 Nov, 7.30pm — Audlem Scout and Guide Hall, CW3 0AL
SHED STORIES	13 Nov, 7.30pm — Goostrey Village Hall, CW4 8PE
George and The Drag Queen	22 Nov, 7.30pm — The Five Villages Hall, CH1 6NT
Celtic Christmas Strings	5 Dec, 7.30pm — Tarvin Community Centre, CH3 8LY; 6 Dec, 7.30pm — Jodrell Bank Science Centre, SK11 9DL

Age guidance differs for each production

The Mersey Belles and Beaus is listed for all audiences. TENDERLY is for families and adults aged eight and over, while The Magic Stick is aimed at children aged six to 12 and their families. Alicia’s Amazing Adventure is suitable from age seven.

Rogues Gallery is listed for adults and young people aged 12 or over. George and The Drag Queen is for adults and those aged 14 and above, while Celtic Christmas Strings is suitable for adults and children from nine. Mettle and SHED STORIES are adult productions.

Volunteers bring professional shows into local halls

Cheshire Rural Touring Arts is a partnership between Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council, supported by Arts Council England. Councillor Lisa Denson credited the volunteers who select, promote and host the performances in community venues.

Full performance details and online booking are provided through Cheshire Rural Touring Arts and its TicketSource booking page.

Source: Cheshire West and Chester Council

Context & actions About this article

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Dates, venues, times and audience guidance were taken from the published Cheshire Rural Touring Arts programme.

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The opening and closing dates were matched to the published schedule.
All ten productions were matched with their listed performance times and venues.
Audience suitability was retained for each production.
No ticket price, transport or accessibility information was inferred where none was suppli...

Cheshire West and Chester Council Check current event information