Families, farce and vampires in Southwold this summer

Southwold opens on 11 July with a new production by Anthony Falkingham of Dave Freeman’s farce A Bedfull of Foreigners. This runs until 21 July before transferring to the Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh for the week 26 July to 4 August. It’s followed on 23 July by Frederick Knott’s classic thriller Write Me a Murder which, when the Southwold run ends on 4 August, moves to Aldeburgh between 7 and 11 August.

Farce returns to Southwold on 6 August (until Saturday 18) with Two and Two Make Sex, which was written by Richard Harris and Leslie Darbon (Aldeburgh 21-25 August). One of this year’s centenary boys, Bram Stoker, has his most famous novel newly adapted by Mark Simpson as The Curse of Dracula. Prepare to have your blood curdled in Aldeburgh from 13-18 August and then in Southwold from 20 August to 1 September.

The main season ends with Peter Shaffer’s first West End success – Five Finger Exercise – which runs in Aldeburgh between 27 August and 1 September before closing the Southwold season from 3 to 15 September. The Sundays at Seven programme has yet to be announced, though it will include Roma’s Song by Caroline Graham (Midsomer Murders writer) and [Richard Howard’s Pub Lunch.

Both Aldeburgh and Southwold will host a series of weekend shows for children. Again, the details of this have not yet been released. So, the English summer permitting, open up your beach-hut, dig out your bucket and spade and – even if it rains – enjoy the theatre in the evening.