From the outside, it looks rather odd. It looks like they tried to fit it into an irregular…read morepolygonal courtyard; maybe they had to? It isn't really fair to judge a theatre from the outside, though. I've seen excellent, professional productions given inside buildings not much better than a converted ex-Army Nissen hut. But, the Salisbury Playhouse is no Nissen hut; far from it. Once inside, it's spacious but comfortable, There's a bar and restaurant on the ground floor, but we didn't eat there, just had a coffee which was, in my opinion, rather ordinary and somewhat overpriced. The auditorium is the main thing. Comfortable seats, plenty of space and, above all, steeply tiered. I think the man in front could have worn a top hat, and I'd still have been able to see the stage. I did have a little difficulty hearing the dialogue early on. Whether that was down to acoustics, the actor's delivery or the fact I hadn't really tuned in, I couldn't say. But, it seemed to sort itself out after only five minutes or so, and I was able to settle down and enjoy the performance.

Ever since the grant of £1.47 million from the National Lottery, the playhouse has gone from…read morestrength to strength. Situated perfectly in the city centre, the playhouse has a reputation for new exciting theatre to match its glossy modern refurbished shell. The theatre itself is of no great capacity and the audience are often in close quarters to the actors. This is certainly no drawback as it adds greatly to the atmosphere of the playhouse. Some innovative new plays have arisen out of the venue and i look forward to its continued success.

City Hall is a versatile location and on the main South circuit for touring music, comedy and…read moretheatre performances. We've been here many times to see the likes of Jools Holland, Reginald D Hunter, Alan Davies, Sandi Toksvig and more. It's also a key venue for the annual Salisbury Arts Festival (May - June). As well as the main auditorium, there are several smaller spaces available for hire. Just one criticism - the single bar is woefully inadequate for the number of audience members so be prepared to queue for drinks. The good news is that drinks are served in plastic cups so you can take them in with you.

Lovely theatre....staff friendly and helpful.... I came on…read moreOct 20th to see Dr Hook.....oh my goodness what a blast from the past. Brilliant show and so unreal to be watching Dennis Locorriere singing all the songs I have been singing along to for years, he was amazing....I so enjoyed it.....will be back..

The Anvil is Basingstoke's local theatre. Located next to the Festival Place it can be slightly…read moretricky to find parking if coming to a show during the Christmas season. It is right across from both the train station and the bus stops, so taking public transit it also quite convenient. The Anvil itself has a wide variety of shows during the year. The acoustics are good, and the stage is large enough to host a number of different types of art. The pricing is also decent and there are really no bad seats in the house. The website is kept up to date so finding shows is an easy click away. If you want dinner and a show there are a number of restaurants on the other side of the Festival Place.

An excellent venue for music, dance, comedy etc…read more. With 2 bars it's a nice place to have a few drinks with friends before catching a show.

Drama, comics, musicals This beautiful old theatre has a fantastic choice of top quality mid scale…read moretouring shows.

What a great little cinema. We went to see the latest James Bond movie and were greeted by a lovely…read morelittle cinema with a nice bar, great seating and waiter service in the cinema. The film was even introduced in person. A lovely place.

Fab refurb! What was a conventional cinema is now interstellar. The front rows are conventional…read morecinema seating but the back rows now have super comfy sofas with tons of leg room. The sofas have a matrix of either 2 or 3 seats. Whoever first got the inception for this idea deserves a medal The seats don't cost peanuts but not much more than what I would pay for a full priced peak show viewing in a cramped conventional seat in London, so it's good value - no inside out thinking there The foyer bar serves a wider range of food and drink than usually found at your local Odeon, including alcohol. No hunger games here. It's almost like being in your own home but with a giant 3D screen and having your own chef to grease the dining experience and bring you joy With only 2 screens, they have to be creative with rotating and scheduling their films but they do fit in a good mixture of big hits and more art house showings, including the sound of music from live broadcasts Highly recommended

The perfect couples' retreat for a long weekend away from London. Highlights include wood burning…read morestove, bathtub with a view, nearby woods for long walks in fresh air and great locally sourced pub food. I booked a weekend at the Beckford Arms after searching quite a while for a British gastro pub with attached inn. I loved the idea of getting out of London for a long weekend and not dealing with an airport. And, most importantly, getting great food. It took a lot of Googling before I found Beckford Arms, which had good reviews, is about a 2.5 hour drive out of south London and had rooms avail for £95/night including breakfast in the attached pub (closest contenders clocked in around £150/night and upward). Then I found their lodges. The mini lodges (there are just two) are two minutes away from the pub/inn, and cost a bit more. But lodges include a kitchen, wood burning stove, living room/dining area, and an upstairs mezzanine level with a roll top bath with an amazing view over the Fonthill Estate, which included a lake, trees and lovely green fields full of sheep and horses. Breakfast is included in the price, and with the lodge, you could choose to have breakfast in the pub, or they would stock your kitchen and you could cook your own whatever time you felt like it. We went for the lodge and it was so worth the extra cost. Service: Everyone, from the person I emailed with back and forth leading up to the visit to set up dinner and lunch reservations during our stay (they are very popular) was really helpful. Servers in the pub were super friendly and efficient and the woman who popped by our lodge to offer clean towels and more kindling was lovely. We booked in-room massages from their recommended masseuse and she was wonderful, one of the best massages I've ever had. Food: Pretty damn good. I had a breaded chicken, bacon and avocado sandwich with fries and salad that was a huge portion though a tad on the greasy side. For our Saturday night dinner out we shared the 22 oz coute de bouf steak for two with heaping sides of salad and chips and peppercorn sauce. It was incredible, and per our request, dined by the real fire in the sitting room. The breakfast was fantastic as well, the eggs benedict divine. Accommodation: Perfect. The lodges are the perfect size and they do not allow children, they are set back from the road and there are only two of them - so it is the perfect couples' retreat. The entire upper floor is loft/mezzanine style, allowing views out the floor to ceiling windows toward the lake. The wood burning stove warms the whole lodge wonderfully. The bed was big and comfy, the bath is placed with a great view over the fields and lake. The kitchen is small but well stocked - it meant we could bring a few items from home to save eating in the pub every meal (like popcorn and sandwich fixings) and they provided a kettle, coffee/tea and milk. Wifi is provided and it was pretty good. Area: Beautiful! Driving in from the A303 meant driving through a beautiful stone arch into the grounds that feels magical. The Fonthill Estate is gorgeous and a five mile walk is plotted out (including photos so you don't get lost) on pamphlets you can pick up in the pub. You'll walk around a lake, through forest and fields and get a great view of the village from up high and see sheep, horses, dogs, swans and more.

YES: The rooms, the surroundings, the staff, the breakfast, the coffee…read more DON'T: ...expect scones with your tea - or gastro food (but it's very solid pub grub - think Soho House).

Great music and poetry venue with live performers almost every night. The bar stocks a good range…read moreof drinks at sensible prices. Bohemian atmosphere LGBT+ friendly. Recommended.

Best pub in Winchester for live music, poetry, comedy. Retro gaming and Cinema Terrible evenings…read moreupstairs. Beverages reasonably priced. Recently redecorated. Decent sized garden and friendly bouncers (Nicky is a legend:))

Our regular cinema (because all of the ones within 5 miles closed several years ago), Vue…read moreBasingstoke is conveniently located just off the M3 and near to plentiful parking and places to eat. The cinema itself is modern and comfortable although it would be nice to see a bit more clearing up after the show. Not really the cinemas fault when the people visiting it could be a bit more respectful and not drop food everywhere !! Aside from the good facilities (comfy seats, bugs screen, more than ample snack / drink provsion), we like the ability to book and choose your seat in advance together with the ability to collect your ticket anywhere i.e. not just at the kiosk. We would ask Vue, however, to not charge 50p per ticket as a booking fee. We think this is excessive given that it'll cost you less.

Exactly what you'd expect from a modern cinema. Lots of screens (about 10, I think), clean and…read moreairy. The seats are really comfy and are steeply raked, so it doesn't matter if someone tall sits in the seat in front. :-) Only downside - the cost of refreshments. I'd recommend you have a drink before/after. Other than that, gets a thumbs-up from me.