the Earthouse

cranborne, Dorset

I was spellbound – I don’t use the word lightly

 THE TIMES

In a field in Dorset there is a hill with a door. This is the Earthouse, a 250-seat fire-lit theatre, where audiences sit on wooden benches, under an earth roof, held up by 21 huge oak tree trunks.

Join us in this fabulous quirky venue for regular live storytelling shows. Expect a magical alternative theatre experience – our fairytales for grown-ups are complete with star gazing, the occasional sheep and a lot of fairylights, creating a glorious outdoor theatre vibe.

what's on

Shahnameh-websitecrop
CRANBORNE EARTHOUSE, DORSET
THE SHAHNAMEH – BOOK OF KINGS
Xanthe Gresham, music by Arash Moradi
16 MAY 2026, 7.30PM
Aerial artiste of the spoken word, Xanthe Gresham, dives headlong into the wild mythology of Persia, to perform sections of The Shahnameh - epic masterpiece, The Book of Kings - accompanied by the remarkable Iranian musician, Arash Moradi.
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StarsHighRes
CRANBORNE EARTHOUSE, DORSET
STARS & THEIR CONSTELLATIONS
Hugh Lupton, Daniel Morden
13 JUNE 2026, 7.30PM - SOLD OUT
Master storytellers Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden bring to life the dazzling Greek myths behind the constellations that glitter above us. Witness the gods toying mercilessly with mortals in tales of lust, pride and passion - stories that will leave you hungry to discover more.
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DownrightRude_
CRANBORNE EARTHOUSE, DORSET
DOWNRIGHT RUDE!
TUUP, Tim Ralphs, Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, Nell Phoenix
11 JULY 2026, 7.30PM
Four Crick Crack Club storytellers take to the stage for a night of gloriously rude folk and fairytales. This no-holds-barred evening of innuendo and bawdiness will peep beneath the petticoats of flirtation, and raise a suggestive eyebrow at forbidden love.
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Magical Alternative Theatre in Dorset

The Crick Crack Club is the UK’s busiest and boldest programmer of live performance storytelling. We present shows that are inspired by or which reinterpet the stunning content of international fairytale, folktale, myth and epic for contemporary audiences. If you’re a thinker, a seeker, or a dreamer, and you have an imagination that you like to feed, then this is for you.

Working with some of the UK’s finest performance storytellers, we present an annual performance programme of live storytelling, in this unusual Dorset arts venue. Exuberant, intelligent, wild, weird and wonderful by turn – our live storytelling events bring audiences together, in the magnificent splendour of this historic venue. Shows usually sell out fast, so grab your tickets early.

 Beyond captivating

 OXFORD THEATRE REVIEW

The Crick Crack Club at The Earthouse, The Ancient Technology Centre, Damerham Road, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 5RP  www.earthouse.org.uk

Crick Crack Club