WITH the panto season more or less done and dusted, venues across Dorset are preparing for a bumper season of performances.

Over the coming weeks an embarrassment of riches has been scheduled to vanquish the county’s seasonal malaise.

One of the busiest organisations in the county is Artsreach, which takes top-calibre performers on tours of a network of Dorset villages.

This spring, venues ‘out in the sticks’ should brace themselves for the arrival of several high-profile acts who are equally at home on some of the UK’s biggest stages as they are in a village hall.

Next weekend Morgan and West, the Time Travelling Magicians, make landfall in Winterborne Stickland and Portesham with a show that has been praised to the skies by none other than Paul Daniels. Expect plenty of laughs and audience participation plus an endless stream of mind-boggling feats to baffle and bewilder.

Later in the month, elegant guitarist John Etheridge returns to Dorset with Sweet Chorus, a glorious celebration of Stephane Grappelli. John worked with the maestro for several years and the show charts their musical collaboration.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, Townsend Productions also return to the county with The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

This adaptation of Tressell’s classic working-class novel is a hilarious – and timely – show following a year in the life of a group of painters and decorators, as they renovate a mayor’s house.

These workers are the ‘philanthropists’ who throw themselves into backbreaking work for poverty wages in order to generate profit for their masters.

It is being performed in Chetnole, Powerstock, Thorncombe and Child Okeford between January 19 and 22.

There is more comedy on the way courtesy of Devon-based poet Matt Harvey and his Wondermentalist show, and Publick Transport who will perform their latest play Discombobulated at Winfrith and Frampton, both near Dorchester, this month.

All these shows and more besides are coming to Dorset under the Artsreach umbrella and for further details, call 01305 269512, pick up a brochure in libraries and arts venues, or visit artsreach.co.uk Larger venues are also laying on some lavish shows as we bowl on into 2012.

Weymouth Pavilion (01305 783225), Dorchester Arts Centre (01305 266926), Bridport Arts Centre (01308 424204), the Electric Palace in Bridport (01308 424901) and Lighthouse in Poole (0844 406 8666) all have packed programmes planned. It’s a great season to get stuck in to, so banish the winter blues and support your local venues and the performers gracing their stages.