Bones in the Desert

Half Moon presents BONES IN THE DESERT by Joe Nerssessian for ages 13+ and adults: an urgent new play about memory, belonging and the shadows of war.

Two lives. One past. A hundred years apart. A story that refuses to stay buried.

Berlin, 2022. Artur, a 19-year-old refugee, is stuck in a city that doesn’t feel like home - caught between worlds, between roles and haunted by the ghosts of his escape from the Syrian civil war.

When someone from that journey suddenly reappears, what begins as a joyful reunion soon becomes a reckoning with identity, memory and the question of how to be free.

From the deserts of 1915 to the chaos of today, Bones in the Desert traces the long shadows of war and the lives it still shapes. With raw honesty and urgency, it confronts mental well-being, racism in contemporary Europe and the devastating cost of silence.

Written by British-Armenian playwright Joe Nerssessian, this powerful new play speaks directly to young adult audiences with heart, humour and an unflinching gaze. It’s about where we come from, who we carry with us and what it means to belong.

Presented in an immersive style with a pulsating contemporary soundtrack, Bones in the Desert is the latest production from Half Moon, the UK’s leading small-scale young people’s venue and touring company.

Thematic content warnings:

This production explores difficult historical and contemporary themes unflinchingly. It contains graphic descriptions of violence, including sexual assault, hate speech, historical accounts of mass atrocities and frank depictions of contemporary sectarian conflict.

Language guidance:

References to suicide, misogyny and associated sexual violence, overt racism and poor mental health.

Technical content warnings:

This is an immersive theatre experience where the audience stands and moves around in close proximity to other audience members and the actors. At times, the soundtrack will be loud and reflect sounds and noises depicting violence, protest and discrimination. Bones in the Desert is an immersive production. There is no assigned seating and audiences remain standing throughout the performance.

Twinkle Twinkle

Twinkle Twinkle – a nocturnal journey for early years by The Last Baguette

Inspired by The Star by Jane Taylor

It’s the longest night of the year and it’s hard to sleep. Gazing at the stars, surprising things start to happen…As the sun sets and the stars come out to shine, join the woodland animals as they gather together to celebrate the solstice.

Together we will discover the light that shines in the darkness.

‘Tis your bright and tiny spark, Lights the trav'ller in the dark : Tho' I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

A playful, gentle journey based on the poem The Star by Jane Taylor (first published 1806) with original music, puppetry, joyful jokes, a host of woodland animals and lots of starlight.

The Last Baguette makes entertaining, accessible and eccentric work for family audiences.

Elvis Lesley’s - Jingle Bell Bingo Bash!

She’s here! Elvis Lesley is in the building..

Join us for a festive evening packed with thrilling bingo games, sidesplitting musical comedy and outrageously fun prizes!

Award winning character comedian Tracey Collins (Audrey Heartburn) brings her hilarious musical comedy show to Winchester.

Having spent the last decade working the tills at Tesco, Elvis Lesley is on a journey to gyrate back to the bright light city. With nothing more than a homemade costume, hilariously reworked songs, and a bad bingo habit. Will she nail the famous lip curl, sensuous croon, and jiggly legs? 

Will you win big at bingo? Don't be lonely this Christmas, go for GOLD, and see Elvis as you’ve never seen them before.

THE NUTSHELL COMEDY CLUB: December

Kicking away the winter blues here’s a right bunch of Christs Comedy Crackers!

Our festive funnies are Kate Lucas, Kev Mud, Javier Jarquin and all held together by your host and MC Mark Cram!

Do note that line ups are subject to change.

A welcome return to the Nutshell Comedy Club for the award winning musical comedian Kate Lucas. Known for her razor sharp and deliciously dark songs, she combines catchy melodies with original lyrics to showcase her playfully bitter musings on life. Audiences have come to expect examples of what not to say and how not to behave from this gloriously talented comic.

Kev Mud made a blistering start to his stand up career by either winning or getting to the finals of most national competitions in his first year. So it's no surprise that by year three, he was booked to play on the main comedy stage at Glastonbury, and been the subject of full page articles in the national press.

Kev has shared the stage with the likes of Frankie Boyle, Sara Pascoe, Russell Howard, Ed Gamble, Kiri Pritchard McClean, Al Murray and Shaparak Khorsandi, as well as appearing on TV alongside Mark Steel, Paul Foot, Josh Pugh and Ian Stone.

Javier Jarquin is an extremely experienced and highly respected, multi-skilled performer. Having performed his critically acclaimed show Card Ninja in 27 territories, Javier has established himself as a masterful entertainer. 

Javier was raised in New Zealand with Latin-American/Chinese parents, and skilfully weaves his unique perspective into every performance and delivers sharply executed insights on life as an immigrant. In addition, Javier’s joke rate is something to be envious of, a witty quick-hitter. 

The perfect all-round entertainer with an abundance of skill, comedic flair and excessive likability, Javier is one to watch. 

Mark Cram is quite the all-rounder; with both a killer set and strong MCing chops. For the last few years Mark has been plying his comedy trade across the UK. Constantly evolving, usually unpredictable; he is garnering positive reactions everywhere he goes.

Mark thrills crowds with his tales of dead-end jobs, his family and being the less than grateful winner of Bedford Comedian of the Year.

JazzBops: The Spitfire Sisters

The sensational Spitfire Sisters are back for their annual Christmas JazzBops lunchtime concert!

Grab your Christmas hats, and seasonal cheer and join us for our monthly lunchtime jazz concert made especially for grown-ups and their little ones (ages 0-4) - a jazz club designed with grown-ups in mind.

For our holiday JazzBops events, children of all ages are welcome! 🎄