Tucked in the heart of Dartmouth, The Flavel Arts Centre is a true cultural gem, offering a vibrant programme of live performances, film screenings, and creative events that punch well above the town’s size. From touring theatre companies and celebrated musicians to art exhibitions and community workshops, The Flavel brings together locals and visitors in a shared love of the arts, all within a welcoming, modern space at the centre of town life. It’s not just an entertainment venue — it’s where Dartmouth’s creative spirit comes alive.
More Live Events than Ever
The Flavel is home to the town’s cinema, theatre, library and arts centre, the doors opened in 2005 and in this, its 20th year, it is going through a bit of a renaissance. Under the guidance of Michael Sells, new Head of Programming and Operations, we have programmed more live events than ever before, and we will be bringing a lot more live theatre and variety to the Flavel stage. Where else in the South Hams could you see such a wide variety of theatre, music and the arts?
Coming up in November we kick off with Annie Jr – we are thrilled to be hosting the students from Dartmouth Theatre Company once again after their sell-out production of Matilda last year. Then we present the marvellous Inn Theatre, normally seen at Dartmouth Castle presenting their annual Shakespeare week, they are coming indoors with Shakespeare’s Dreams, Charms and Phantoms. An evening steeped in mystery, with scenes from many of his best loved plays (and a few less well-known ones) featuring ghosts, prophecies, omens, fairies, potions, witches or other unnatural forces.
More Live Music Across Genres
Direct from The Cavern Club in Liverpool we bring you one of the top Beatles tribute bands - aged between 18 and 22 Beatles Complete are the closest thing you will get to the unbridled joy of seeing the young Beatles when they first lit up the world. Closely followed by top folk band Flook; there is also something wholly unique when this iconic Anglo-Irish band step on stage together, their playing always an intuitive, almost symbiotic, exchange between the various flutes, whistles, frets and skins.
At the back end of November we bring you a slick, funny, and unnervingly accurate evening of psychological illusion with Alex McAleer, mind reader. This is followed by an evening of Gilbert and Sullivan from former members of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company including some of your favourites and some lesser performed pieces from Utopia Limited, Grand Duke, The Mikado, Ruddigore, The Pirates of Penzance and more.
We continue our variety theme with a tribute to Victoria Wood, featuring the star of BBC1’s ‘All Together Now’, Paulus The Cabaret Geek with Michael Roulston (Fascinating Aïda) on piano, it is an evening of pure joy filled with Victoria’s best-loved songs, including the iconic ‘Ballad of Barry & Freda’ (Let’s Do It) and the classic ‘It Would Never Have Worked’. If you loved Victoria Wood, her songs and her humour you will love this show. Our chef, Jess, is also conjuring up a pre-show supper ‘dinner-ladies’ style with beef stew and dumplings – book soon though because places are limited.
Entertaining Fundraising
Like all Art Centres we constantly need to fundraise to support our finances – and we have four fantastic fundraising events coming up before Christmas. The first is a Flavel Fundraising gig with Red Wagon and The Showers, this is a standing event so you can get your boogie shoes on and test out the biggest dance floor in Dartmouth. The Dart Gallery Postcard Auction launches on 1st November – many of the gallery artists and other talented (and famous!) local artists have kindly agreed to donate postcard-sized original artworks which you will be able to bid for. On 3rd December we present Fashion and Fizz a joint fundraiser for Children’s Hospice Southwest and The Flavel Arts Centre - the independent boutiques of Dartmouth will be taking to the catwalk for an evening of fun, style and chic. And last but not least join the fabulous Dartmouth Rock Choir on 18 December for a seasonal selection of songs and some sing-along opportunities.
Whether you’re visiting Dartmouth for a weekend break or just exploring for the day, make time to see what’s on at The Flavel. Its ever-changing calendar means there’s always something new to discover, whether that’s an intimate jazz concert, a family theatre show, or a thought-provoking film screening. Supporting The Flavel means supporting the arts right here in Dartmouth - and experiencing one of the town’s most inspiring cultural treasures.