The latest film from John Crowley is a poignant British romantic drama, strikingly led by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.

Rather than a meet-cute, restaurateur Almut and recent divorcee Tobias’s first encounter is quite literally a car crash. After such a memorable meeting, an instant spark forms between the pair, overpowering any disagreements they may have about matrimony and children in their future. However, this romance is far from a fairytale when the cruel realities of mortality creep into Tobias and Almut’s lives, leaving them to reassess what they want from their careers and the life they are building together. Spanning the highs and lows of a decades-long relationship, Crowley’s (Brooklyn) drama is a fresh, funny and deeply moving romance that, thanks to Pugh and Garfield’s incredible chemistry, feels authentic and alive.

Olivier award-winning director Damiano Michieletto (Carmen, Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci) returns to The Royal Opera for a new production of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Conductor Antonello Manacorda, with whom Michieletto previously collaborated on Carmen, leads Juan Diego Flórez and Leonardo Caimi, who share the role of the poet E.T.A. Hoffmann, Alex Esposito as the Four Villains, Julie Boulianne as Nicklausse and Ermonela Jaho, Olga Pudova and Marina Costa-Jackson as Hoffmann’s unforgettable trio of lovers.

Helsinki, 1945. The end of the war brings a new sense of artistic and social freedom for painter Tove Jansson. Modern art, dizzying parties and an open relationship with a married politician: Her unconventional life puts her at odds with her sculptor father's strict ideals.

Tove's desire for liberty is put to the test when she meets theatre director Vivica Bandler. Her love for Vivica is electric and all-consuming but Tove begins to realise that the love she truly yearns has to be reciprocated. As she struggles with her personal life, her creative endeavours take her in an unexpected direction. While focusing her artistic dreams on her painting, the work that started as a side project, the melancholic, haunting tales she told scared children in bomb shelters, rapidly takes on a life of its own.

The exploits of the Moomins, infused with inspiration from her own life, bring Tove international fame and financial freedom. There's a daily comic strip, a stage play and stories that continue to delight people around the world. But as she begins to find her artistic identity she has to learn to find herself. Her unrequited love for Vivica is preventing her true liberty and only by learning to break away from her can she truly be free.

TOVE is a captivating drama about the creative energy of an iconic talent and her turbulent search for identity, desire and freedom.

In poor health, Maria Callas wanders around a picturesque Paris as she recounts to an adoring journalist the highs of her career and litany of past loves. Angelina Jolie gives a transforming performance, capturing the myriad layers and masks of this legendary singer’s personality, from pithy to heartbreakingly vulnerable, while showing flashes of the personality that saw her idolised as an opera star. Featuring a stellar cast that includes Valeria Golino, Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher, Maria is a stunning addition to Larraín’s portrait of iconic women subjected to an alarming degree of scrutiny, while the world looked on.

The third instalment brings Paddington's story to Peru as he returns to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.

The incredible ensemble cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Antonio Banderas, Olivia Colman, Julie Walters, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Carla Tous and Jim Broadbent. Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton both return as the voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.

“How do you film the life of an artist as protean, elusive, egomaniacal, imaginative, surprising, and heavily mythologized as Bob Dylan? Haynes’s playful, gutsy biopic, in which six actors take turns embodying one of America’s most legendary musicians, considers that question and swallows it whole. It was in Haynes’s movie that Heath Ledger gave one of his best performances, but the star of the show is Cate Blanchett, who turns Dylan’s rock-star persona into a heroic, electrifying showcase for her own remarkable gifts.”

Screening in preparation for the forthcoming new Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, which screens at The Riverside in early February.

Luca Guadagnino and Challengers writer Justin Kuritzkes transport us to Mexico City in the 1940s with their adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novel. Daniel Craig dazzles as William Lee, an outcast American expat who becomes infatuated with an elusive younger man while living in Mexico City. He also revels in the city’s nightlife and its colourful, larger-than-life characters. Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville and impressive newcomer Drew Starkey populate Guadagnino’s richly evocative and sensual film, which features a typically immersive score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.

Jesse Eisenberg cements his reputation as a gifted filmmaker with this witty and heartfelt portrait of two estranged cousins honouring their roots.

Benji and David travel to Poland to pay respects to their Jewish grandmother. No sooner are they on the road, they realise why they don’t spend much time together anymore. Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin dazzle in their roles as the familial odd-couple, trading witty barbs and sobering ruminations on mid-adulthood growing pains, in this deftly scripted film full of humour and hope.

When Romy (Nicole Kidman), starts cheating on her urbane theatre director husband (Antonio Banderas), it’s not because their sex life has diminished. But when he goes to sleep, Romy sneaks out of the room to finish, alone, what she clearly couldn’t achieve with him. When Romy meets Samuel (Harris Dickinson), an impertinent intern at her company who can intuit more about her than she intends to share — and who’s happy to take control — it’s only a matter of time before they find themselves in a seedy hotel together. They wrestle, literally and figuratively, over a twisty power dynamic. Romy’s age and position give her an advantage, but as Samuel reminds her, he could ruin her life with one phone call.

A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

Written and directed by Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) with an all-star cast that includes Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe.

Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s new film.

New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.  As he forms his most intimate relationships during his rise to fame, he grows restless with the folk movement and, refusing to be defined, makes a controversial choice that culturally reverberates worldwide.

Nominated for Three 2025 Golden Globes: Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture—Drama (Timothée Chalamet), Best Actor for a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Edward Norton), and Best Motion Picture—Drama

"Like its subject has done so many times in his six-decade career, this one exceeds expectations... Mangold’s approach demands a great deal of Chalamet, and he nails it... It gives the film an electricity that biopics almost always lack, feeling urgent instead of merely like a jukebox that’s been played a hundred times." RogerEbert.com

"While we’ve seen that kind of portrait of an artist before—surely most of the greats have at least a dash of cruel vanity in them—Chalamet makes it fresh. To watch him is to feel what so many other characters in the film do: an affection and a curious sense of loss as he drifts away into the lonely mists of talent and fame."    Vanity Fair                                                            

 Advisory note: A Complete Unknown contains several sequences with flashing lights that may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photosensitivities.

Better Man looks at the rise, fall and resurrection of Robbie Williams – one of the UK’s bestselling artists of all time. Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) will shine light on the incredible highs and lows of celebrity and the journey to stardom, inspired by Williams’ life and how he sees himself.

A fantastical musical, filled with reimagined versions of Williams’ musical hits and iconic performances, with spectacular set pieces and stunning visual effects created by the Academy Award® winning team at Weta FX (Avatar, Lord of the Rings trilogy). Williams stars alongside Jonno Davies (Hunters, Kingsman: The Secret Service).

A screening of the stage concert of the musical phenomenon, filmed at the Gielgud Theatre.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the world’s most popular musical, a unique opportunity to experience the spectacular staged concert version on the big screen featuring an all-star cast including Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Matt Lucas and John Owen Jones.

With a cast and orchestra of over 65 and including the songs I Dreamed A Dream, Bring Him Home, One Day More and On My Own, this sensational staged concert is not to be missed!

Please note this screening is part of Woodbridge Film Society's 2024/2025 Season and therefore not open to the public. You can read more about the Film Society and how to join here

Suitable for all ages, this wordless nature documentary showcases the spectacular forest ecosystem supported by a majestic, 210-year-old French oak tree. Dispensing with voiceover, the film instead fuses innovative camerawork with environmental sounds and a vibrant score to immerse the viewer in diverse life stories from root to branch. Its cast of characters includes ants, acorn weevils, field mice, squirrels, Eurasian jays and tawny owls. The result is a mesmerising kaleidoscope of arboreal adventure, as entertaining as it is educational.

David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) and Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife, Criminal Record) lead a stellar cast in an ‘enthralling’ (★★★★★ Daily Telegraph) new production of Shakespeare’s MACBETH, filmed live at the Donmar Warehouse in London, especially for the big screen. Unsettling intimacy and brutal action combine at breakneck speed as Max Webster (Life of Pi, Henry V) directs this tragic tale of love, murder, and nature’s power of renewal. With staging ‘full of wolfish imagination and alarming surprise’ (★★★★★ The Guardian), the immersive 5.1 cinema surround sound places the audience inside the minds of the Macbeths, asking are we ever really responsible for our actions?

TICKETS ON SALE 16TH OCTOBER

Friend of The Riverside, Mike Leigh, returns with this uncompromising, yet heartfelt, portrait of contemporary family life in London.

Sisters Pansy and Chantal are chalk and cheese, but their close bond is the foundation that their extended family is built upon. Lately, life has proven too much for Pansy, her anguish manifests in relentless criticism of the world, leaving her husband Curtley, son Moses and Chantal walking on eggshells. Things come to a head over the course of a Mother’s Day weekend. Rarely have the nuances of familial relations been so accurately captured on screen. Working with regular collaborators Dick Pope (cinematography), Jacqueline Duran (costume design), Gary Yershon (music) and Suzie Davis (production design), Hard Truths ranks with Leigh’s finest films. Michelle Austin, David Webber and Tuwaine Barrett excel as members of the Pansy family. But in reuniting with Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets & Lies), audiences are treated to a performance so intimate in its details, it could almost be moments from a home movie.

Reuniting the director, writer and stars of FORREST GUMP– HERE is an original film about multiple families and a special place they inhabit. The story travels through generations, capturing the most relatable of human experiences. Zemeckis directs from a screenplay by Eric Roth and him. Told much in the style of the acclaimed graphic novel by Richard McGuire on which it is based, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright star in a tale of love, loss, laughter and life, all of which happen right HERE. The film also stars Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly and Michelle Dockery, and is produced by Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Derek Hogue and Bill Block.

Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.

Director Jeff Fowler returns along with our all-star cast including Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, Adam Pally, Lee Majdoub, newcomers Alyla Browne and Krysten Ritter, with Keanu Reeves joining the franchise as Shadow the Hedgehog.

Join us for an afternoon of fast moving, hard hitting, toe tapping contemporary jazz from a spectacular 18 piece big band that features soloists and ensemble players from around East Anglia.

Horn Factory perform an impressive and extensive range of contemporary big band jazz by composers such as Buddy Rich, Bob Mintzer, Quincy Jones, Oliver Nelson, Maynard Ferguson, James Morrison, Bobby Shew, Sammy Nestico and Gordon Goodwin, plus arrangements of music normally associated with smaller groups, including Thelonious Monk, Joe Henderson, Chuck Mangione, Chick Corea and Horace Silver.

“There is nothing quite like the sound of a Big Band up close . Not to be missed!”

The heartwarming box office hit from Thailand about a dropout student's growing bond with his wealthy grandma who is terminally ill.

How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has been a box office smash across Southeast Asia where audience’s emotional reactions to the tearjerking comedy drama went viral on TikTok. Thai megastar Billkin plays M, a college dropout who becomes full-time caregiver for his irascible, cancer-stricken grandma as he vies for her substantial inheritance with the rest of her dysfunctional family. But M begins to question his motives as his bond with his grandma grows.

Hilma af Klint was an abstract artist before the term existed, a visionary, trailblazing figure who, inspired by spiritualism, modern science, and the riches of the natural world around her, began in 1906 to reel out a series of huge, colourful, sensual, strange works without precedent in painting.

The subject of a recent smash retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum, af Klint was for years an all-but-forgotten figure in art historical discourse.

Her work inspired some most celebrated contemporary artists like Josef Albers, Paul Klee, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Mondrian, Kandinsky…

Screening as part of our THERE ARE GREAT WOMEN ARTISTS season and to replace the film WAR PAINT as the release date for that film has been changed.

One of the most memorable romantic films ever and winner of two Academy Awards.

Sam (Patrick Swayze), living as a ghost, discovers his death wasn't just a random robbery gone bad. To help him reconnect with the love of his life, Molly (Demi Moore), and solve his own murder, he enlists the talents of a skeptical psychic (Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg), who doesn't even believe her own abilities. GHOST is a supernatural mystery-thriller that will cross over into your heart and never leave. GHOST will surprise you, delight you, make you believe.

Three decades on, this weepie classic retains an innocence and earnestness that makes it as delightfully comforting as ever. - The Guardian

One of the finest (and weepiest) love stories ever to hit the big screen, Ghost is a a fundamental human tale that touches the hardest heart. - Empire

Celebrate the 35th anniversary of this timeless romantic classic at The Riverside with your loved one and enjoy a 3-course meal beforehand prepared by our chefs.

With a glass of Crémant on arrival, let the Riverside restaurant team look after you as you choose from our special Valentines Day Menu (details nearer the time) and then at 8pm head into the cinema for our special 35th Anniversary Screening of GHOST.

All Tickets £50.00 for 3-Course Dinner and Film (Limited Spaces available), or £7.00 for the film only.

Join the Company of Four for a purr-fect February half-term pantomime treat!

Come and see plucky Dick Whittington on his quest for fame and fortune. Along the way he’ll experience the adventure of a lifetime - meeting a new feline friend, battling rats and falling in love - but will he find himself on the path to becoming a West End star?

Get ready for a joyful tale, featuring an amazing cast of characters, sensational song and dance numbers and wonderful costumes. Grab your panto tickets and get ready for a show that'll leave you feline PAWsitevly magical!

*Wed 19 Feb 14:00 will be a relaxed and British Sign Language performance

Tickets go on sale to Friends of the Company of Four on Wednesday 5th & Thursday 5th December, then general public from Friday 6th December

Three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy.  While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.  Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation, and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.

An anime masterpiece that the whole family can enjoy.

Ten-year-old Chihiro and her parents unwittingly stumble upon a magical world that is home to a sanctuary for the weary inhabitants of the spirit world. With her parents turned into pigs, Chihiro begins a surreal journey that finds her working at a bath house and encountering a dragon and witches. With a nod to Alice in Wonderland, Spirited Away is Miyazaki’s masterpiece and a true animated classic that deserves all the awards and recognition it has received.

Japanese with English Subtitles

Two-time Academy Award® winner Renée Zellweger returns to the role that established a romantic-comedy heroine for the ages, a woman whose inimitable approach to life and love redefined an entire film genre.   

Bridget Jones first blasted onto bookshelves in Helen Fielding’s literary phenomenon Bridget Jones’s Diary, which became a global bestseller and a blockbuster film. As a single career woman living in London, Bridget Jones not only introduced the world to her romantic adventures, but added “Singletons,” “Smug-Marrieds” and “f---wittage” into the global lexicon. Bridget’s ability to triumph despite adversity led her to finally marry top lawyer Mark Darcy and to become the mother of their baby boy. Happiness at last.  

But in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Bridget is alone once again, widowed four years ago, when Mark (Oscar® winner Colin Firth) was killed on a humanitarian mission in the Sudan. She’s now a single mother to 9-year-old Billy and 4-year-old Mabel, and is stuck in a state of emotional limbo, raising her children with help from her loyal friends and even her former lover, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant).  

Pressured by her Urban Family —Shazzer, Jude and Tom, her work colleague Miranda, her mother, and her gynecologist Dr. Rawlings (Oscar® winner Emma Thompson) — to forge a new path toward life and love, Bridget goes back to work and even tries out the dating apps, where she’s soon pursued by a dreamy and enthusiastic younger man (White Lotus’s Leo Woodall). Now juggling work, home and romance, Bridget grapples with the judgment of the perfect mums at school, worries about Billy as he struggles with the absence of his father, and engages in a series of awkward interactions with her son’s rational-to-a-fault science teacher (Oscar® nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor). The returning cast includes Oscar® winner Jim Broadbent and BAFTA winner Gemma Jones as Bridget’s parents and, as a new character, Isla Fisher (Now You See Me, The Great Gatsby) as Rebecca, Bridget’s neighbor.  

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Michael Morris (To Leslie, Better Call Saul), from a screenplay by BAFTA nominee Helen Fielding, based on her novel, with contributions from Emmy winner Abi Morgan (The Iron Lady, Eric) and Oscar® nominee Dan Mazer (I Give it A Year, Bridget Jones’s Baby).  

Out hunting, Prince Siegfried chances upon a flock of swans. One among them transforms into the beautiful human Odette and he is immediately enamoured. But Odette is bound by a spell which keeps her captive as a swan during the day. Can Siegfried free her? Tchaikovsky’s sensational score combines with the evocative imagination of choreographer Liam Scarlett and designer John Macfarlane to heighten the dramatic pathos of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s quintessential ballet classic. Opening in Spring and returning in Summer, Swan Lake remains to this day one of the best-loved works in the classical ballet canon.

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock classic Jesus Christ Superstar returns to its roots with this sensational performance filmed in the UK during the Live Arena Tour.

An incredible cast including Tim Minchin as Judas Iscariot, Melanie Chisholm as Mary Magdalene, Chris Moyles as King Herod and Ben Forster as Jesus Christ, perform hit songs including “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane,” “Heaven on Their Minds,” “Everything’s Alright,” “King Herod’s Song” and “Superstar” in an exciting and contemporary interpretation.

Becoming Led Zeppelin explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds. Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

Please note this screening is part of Woodbridge Film Society's 2024/2025 Season and therefore not open to the public. You can read more about the Film Society and how to join here

The stunning and utterly compelling directorial debut of Riley Keough (star of Daisy Jones and The Six) and Gina Gammell, winner of Cannes’ Caméra d'Or

At 23, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself.

Whether it’s syphoning gas, delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to carve his way to the “American Dream”.

Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho (LaDainian Crazy Thunder) can’t wait to become a man.

Desperate for approval from his young, unavailable father, a series of destructive decisions turns Matho’s life upside down and he finds himself unequipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world.

A powerful tale of life, hope and belonging created over a period of four years in collaboration with members of the Pine Ridge Reservation.

HOST  - KEITH FARNAN

“Brilliant, thought-provoking and laugh out loud funny” – TIME OUT

“Artful, satirical…with a lightness of touch and a hefty helping of roguish Celtic charm” – THE SUNDAY TIMES

Keith Farnan is an internationally renowned Irish comedian who has appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Montreal’sJust for Laughs, Showtime’s Live from Amsterdam with Russell Peters as well as hosting Money, Money, Money, his own stand-up documentary for RTEwhich explored the financial collapse in Ireland.  

MIKE GUNN

 Early in his career Mike was supporting the likes of Jo Brand and Alan Davies and recently supported Lee Mack on his huge UK tour. He now headlines at all the top comedy venues in the UK and is rapidly reaching cult status on the circuit. He has performed internationally, taking his talent to Hong Kong, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia and to Australia at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where he completed a five-week sell-out season.

He also had the dubious honour of being the first comic to ever play in Kuantan, East Malaysia and has entertained the troops in the Falkland Islands. Mike has also taken two solo shows to the Edinburgh Festival. His first performance saw him adopt the character of a funeral director in his show ‘Good Grief’ for which he received rave reviews. His follow up show at the festival was the provocative show: “Uncut”. A departure from straight stand-up, this took a comedic look at drug addiction and recovery. In 2012 Mike and his touring partner Sean Collins completed a 35 date sell out UK tour.

Television appearances include Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC1), Celebrity Deal or no Deal (CH 4), Harry Hill’s TV Burp (ITV), Al Murray’s sitcom ‘Time Gentlemen Please’ (Sky), Soccer AM (Sky 1), The Comedy Store (Comedy Central), Live At Jongleurs (CH5), and The Gas (CH4). He is a regular on the Sky Poker channel and has also been a contributor for The Guardian. He has written for Time Out, The List, The 11 O’clock Show (CH4) and Match of The Day Magazine. even though he hates football.

“One of the 10 leading stand-ups in Britain” – Independent on Sunday

DON BISWAS

Don Biswas is one of the gems of the circuit. A politically charged gag merchant who likes to cover a wide range of subjects including his Asian upbringing, his neurodiversity as someone with dyspraxia, ADHD, and ASD and even the most important of topics.. conspiracy theories. Don has gained huge admiration off all corners of the circuit.

Don is now a regular face in comedy clubs across the UK. Alongside that Don recently recorded a comedy special for BBC Radio 4 entitled ‘Neurotopical’ and has appeared on Radio 4’s 13 Million Club, Rosie Jones’s Boxticker as well as UKTV Digitals Rosie Jones’s Disabled Comedy Extravaganza and BBC Onlines Future Food Stars

His unique style has seen him support John Williams on tour, perform in the USA  (Silicon Valley & New York) & Switzerland

MARTIN WESTGATE

Martin is one of the 'go to' acts in Norfolk,  an accomplished MC and is resident MC of Norfolk based Hooma Comedy Club. He has written and performed stand up sets and sketches for the BBC New Comedy Show, hosted the Sense of Hooma Podcast; and the online show 'Sunday Roast'. supporting Gary Meikle and Carl Hutchinson on their Norwich legs of their tours.

Line up is subject to change

"Frida" chronicles the life Frida Kahlo shared unflinchingly and openly with Diego Rivera, as the young couple took the art world by storm. From her complex and enduring relationship with her mentor and husband to her illicit and controversial affair with Leon Trotsky, to her provocative and romantic entanglements with women, Frida Kahlo lived a bold and uncompromising life as a political, artistic, and sexual revolutionary.

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society. Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist. She is also known for painting about her experience of chronic pain.

This multi award-winning show captured recently at the Sadler’s Wells Peacock Theatre is an extraordinary

musical journey paying homage to Janis Joplin and her biggest musical influences. Like a comet that burns far

too brightly to last, Janis Joplin exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and, almost overnight, became the

queen of rock & roll. The unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort, made

her a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock. Fuelled by such unforgettable songs as “Me and Bobby

McGee,” “Piece of My Heart”, “Mercedes Benz”, “Cry Baby” and “Summertime”, a remarkable cast and

breakout performances. A Night with Janis Joplin, written and directed by Randy Johnson, is a musical

journey celebrating Janis and her biggest musical influences—icons like Aretha Franklin, Etta

James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith, who inspired one of rock ‘n roll’s greatest legends.

Shakespeare’s great love story is brilliantly retold through this modern ballet classic celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2025. The fervent longing of the star-crossed lovers is perfectly captured by Kenneth MacMillan’s impassioned choreography. The flourishing of young love is just as present in Romeo and Juliet's meeting on the balcony as in their final moments when they desperately cling to life in the tomb.

Come and enjoy a fantastic evening of entertainment jam-packed with non-stop hits, big-screen action, expert narrative and lots of fun.

You will be taken on a journey through several decades of pop as we celebrate the music of Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and The Beatles’ George Harrison, as well as the collective genius that was The Traveling Wilburys.

Although the Wilburys never toured, here you have the chance to experience what it might have been like to see them live, as we explore their many collaborative hits.

Now in its ninth year of successful touring this popular show is an up-tempo feel-good celebration of classics such as Pretty Woman, Mr Blue Sky, Please Please Me, End of The Line, Handle With Care, Free Falling, Blowin’ in the Wind, Tweeter and the Monkey Man, Heading for the Light, Only the Lonely and many more.

Seven-time BAFTA Award-winner Steve Coogan (Alan Partridge, The Trip) plays four roles in the world premiere stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s comedy masterpiece Dr. Strangelove.

When a rogue U.S General triggers a nuclear attack, a surreal race takes place, seeing the Government and one eccentric scientist scramble to avert global destruction.

This explosively funny satire is led by a world-renowned creative team including Emmy Award-winner Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, Veep) and Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley (The Upstart Crow, The Play What I Wrote).

Based on the Academy Award® nominated film, Billy Elliot the Musical has won the hearts of millions since it opened in London’s West End in 2005. Set in a northern mining town, against the background of the 1984/85 miners’ strike, Billy’s journey takes him out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class where he discovers a passion for dance that inspires his family and whole community and changes his life forever. The original creative team behind the film, including writer Lee Hall (book & lyrics), director Stephen Daldry, and choreographer, Peter Darling, is joined by music legend Elton John (music) to produce a funny, uplifting and spectacular theatrical experience that will stay with you forever.

Drawing on Chinese and Italian theatrical tradition to evoke a richly-imagined, mythical Peking, Andrei Șerban’s dazzling production is a ‘blazing masterpiece’ (Financial Times). Rafael Payare and Francesco Ivan Ciampa conduct Puccini’s opera of love and revenge, with Sondra Radvanovsky and Ewa Płonka sharing the title role and SeokJong Baek and Gwyn Hughes Jones sharing the role of Calaf.

In the final months of his life Puccini struggled to depict Calaf's triumph: he died before finishing the final act of this grand opera. Turandot was completed by Franco Alfano two years later and given its premiere in 1926 at La Scala, Milan.

Turandot has gone on to have great worldwide success.

The Impressionists are the most popular group in art history - millions flock every year to marvel at their masterpieces. But, to begin with, they were scorned, penniless outsiders.

1874 was the year that changed everything; the first Impressionists, “hungry for independence”, broke the mould by holding their own exhibition outside official channels. Impressionism was born and the art world was changed forever.

What led to that first groundbreaking show 150 years ago? Who were the maverick personalities that wielded their brushes in such a radical and provocative way?

The spectacular Musée d’Orsay exhibition brings fresh eyes to this extraordinary tale of passion and rebellion. The story is told not by historians and curators but in the words of those who witnessed the dawn of Impressionism: the artists, press and people of Paris, 1874.

Made in close collaboration with the Musee d’Orsay and National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Please note this screening is part of Woodbridge Film Society's 2024/2025 Season and therefore not open to the public. You can read more about the Film Society and how to join here

Travis has just been released from prison and it quickly becomes apparent that everything has changed while he’s been gone. While girlfriend Candice is on the up and auditioning to star in a musical, teenage daughter Kenisha is struggling in school and her relationship with her mum is tense. When Travis buys Candice her dream dress for an audition, rather than smoothing over the family’s problems, it ends up creating even more… As secrets and desires left unsaid threaten to spill out, Travis is forced to re- examine who he is and how he wants to be perceived in the world.

A debut feature from writer and director Dionne Edwards, Pretty Red Dress features breakthrough performances from Natey Jones and newcomer Temilola Olatunbosun, as well as the chart-topping singer and West End actor Alexandra Burke in her first film role.

André Rieu has turned 75 and invites you to join him in celebrating his birthday as he sails through his hometown of Maastricht on a beautiful boat with his beloved Johann Strauss Orchestra by his side.

Our brand new cinema special is a tribute to André's childhood dream of forming his own orchestra and traveling the world. The film features a selection of André's favorite performances during his worldwide tours and some of the Johann Strauss Orchestra's finest moments with the maestro.

Most of these concerts have never been shown on the big screen before, so this is your chance to see André’s iconic classics for the first time. It's a big celebration – so come aboard and join us in bringing the unforgettable birthday party to the cinemas!

At the end of Ibsen’s classic, ground breaking 1879 play, A Doll’s House Nora walks out on her marriage, home and young children.  Playwright Lucas Hnath builds on Ibsen’s seminal work by imagining what happens when Nora returns years later with an urgent request.  Old School Theatre Company presents Hnath’s rich, stand alone sequel, eloquently exploring traditional gender roles and social class still inherent in today’s society.  A Doll’s House, Part 2 received its UK premiere at the Donmar Warehouse, London in 2022.

Please note this screening is part of Woodbridge Film Society's 2024/2025 Season and therefore not open to the public. You can read more about the Film Society and how to join here

Robin Campillo, director of the acclaimed 120 BPM and Eastern Boys, mines the memories of his upbringing in post-colonial Madagascar to create a spellbinding, autobiographically inspired drama that mixes forms and textures to stunning and imaginative effect.

Inspired by his own childhood, the film is set in the early 1970s and follows eight-year-old Thomas growing up on a French Air Force base in recently independent Madagascar. From the innocent perspective of a child, the island is a paradise and a playground. But as adolescence grows near, he begins observing his parents and their circle of friends with new eyes, and childhood innocence slowly gives way to a more shadowy understanding of the hypocrisy and racism that defines France’s military involvement on the island.

As Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian beautifully summarised, ‘Robin Campillo has surrendered to the flow of memory to bring audiences a wonderfully personal film, created with tenderness, unsentimental artistry and visual flair.’

Brentwood Mac is a charismatic musical ensemble dedicated to bringing the timeless melodies of Fleetwood Mac to life. Their repertoire spans all eras of the band, from the early Peter Green days (Albatross), to solo tracks by Lindsey Buckingham (Go Insane) and Stevie Nicks (Rooms on Fire). They play a wide selection of hits and a few lesser-known tracks too.

Founded by a group of passionate musicians who share a deep love for Fleetwood Mac's music, Brentwood Mac meticulously recreates the sound and essence of the original band. Their attention to detail in capturing the nuances of each era ensures an authentic and unforgettable experience for audiences.  

From the haunting vocals of Stevie Nicks to the driving rhythms of Mick Fleetwood, Brentwood Mac pays homage to every member of Fleetwood Mac, delivering a performance that transports audiences back in time. Whether you’re a Fleetwood Mac enthusiast or a new listener, Brentwood Mac promises a night of captivating music that’s sure to leave you wanting more!

Following a string of sell-out shows we recommend you buy your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Love and death, gods and mortals, heroes and villains: it’s all here, in the thunderous second chapter of the Ring cycle. Following the glittering triumph of Das Rheingold in 2023, Barrie Kosky and Antonio Pappano plunge back into Wagner’s mythic universe. Christopher Maltman’s Wotan returns alongside an international cast including Elisabet Strid as Brünnhilde, Lise Davidsen as Sieglinde and Stanislas de Barbeyrac as Siegmund.

It has become the most performed opera of the cycle, loved and admired for its nuanced and intelligent exploration of complex family entanglements, expressed through music of astonishing power – perhaps nowhere more so than in the glorious music for the incestuous lovers Siegmund and Sieglinde.

Michelangelo - Love and Death offers a cinematic journey through the great chapels and museums of Florence, Rome and the Vatican, to the print and drawing rooms of Europe, to explore Michelangelo's tempestuous life. The film goes in search of a greater understanding of this charismatic and enigmatic figure, both through his relationships with his contemporaries and his ongoing artistic legacy.

The film invites audiences to intimately examine Michelangelo’s art and artistic process - from the Carrara quarries where Michelangelo sourced his marble, to the new technology being used to attribute works. The film also offers a rare chance to get up close to the mesmerising Rothschild Bronzes, which, following an extensive research project carried out by Academics in Cambridge in 2015, were positively attributed to Michelangelo after over a century of debate.

Key contributors to the film include art critics Martin Gayford and Jonathan Jones, Deputy Director of the Vatican Museums Professor Arnold Nesselrath and contemporary artist Tania Kovats.

Filming locations include Casa Buonarroti in Florence, Carrara marble mines, the Medici Chapel and the Vatican. These beautiful locations, combined with high-resolution views of Michelangelo’s greatest works, convene to create a staggering visual experience.

Please note this screening is part of Woodbridge Film Society's 2024/2025 Season and therefore not open to the public. You can read more about the Film Society and how to join here

Ulzii, a teenager from a poor neighbourhood in Ulaanbaatar, is determined to win a physics competition to get a scholarship. His illiterate mother finds a job in the countryside, leaving him and his younger brother and sister in the middle of winter.

Ulzii needs to find ways to keep their yurt warm and look after his siblings while preparing for the national competition.

If Only I Could Hibernate is the first Mongolian film to ever play in the official selection at Festival de Cannes.

Please note this screening is part of Woodbridge Film Society's 2024/2025 Season and therefore not open to the public. You can read more about the Film Society and how to join here

Donya, a young Afghan who moved to Fremont, California after serving as a translator for the American army, spends her days working at a fortune cookie factory and her nights wide awake battling between her desire to rebuild her life and the overbearing guilt she carries within. In a bid to connect with the world, she sends an unconventional message through a fortune cookie. Tinged with Jarmuschian deadpan humour, this sensitive immigrant tale premiered in the 2023 Sundance NEXT section before playing at SXSW and Karlovy Vary and closed the 2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival.