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Mark Farrelly brings Patrick Hamilton to life

Is Patrick Hamilton the most successful writer you've never heard of? The author of a string of best-selling novels in the 1930s that have now largely been forgotten, even his ground breaking plays Rope and… read more
Posted in Theatre

Small things like these - a preview

Anyone used to seeing Cillian Murphy head up the Birmingham underworld, or run for his life chased by zombies, or invent the atomic bomb, is in for a shock as he brings to the screen… read more
Posted in Film

Matt Bragg steps in with only hours to spare

For once, the Corn Hall opened its doors on a Sunday night, seeing off the weekend for the near capacity audience with a welcome night of comedy, compered by American Russell Hicks. He grabbed the… read more
Posted in Comedy

Best Friends soothe a Little Bawl of Pain

West End Best Friend Productions came all the way across the country from Birmingham's Old Joint Stock Theatre to present A Little Bawl of Pain, an evening of tearjerkers at the Corn Hall, the second… read more
Posted in Music, Theatre

Father Brown and the Curse of the Xmas Fairy

It has become something of a seasonal tradition that in the New Year, Common Ground Theatre Group pay the Corn Hall a visit to remind us that Christmas was only a fortnight ago. Best known… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre

Have your say on future film programming at The Corn Hall

We are pleased to announce that a programme of film screenings will return to The Corn Hall from January 2025. In order to make these screenings as successful as possible we’d like to invite you… read more
Posted in Film, Uncategorised

Our 2025 shows are LIVE!

As panto season is upon us (oh, yes it is) you might be wondering what you have to look forward to here at The Corn Hall in the New Year. Well, the answer is LOTS!… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

The Open Space of the Deep Blue Sea

More than any other local theatre group, Open Space focuses on classic texts, favouring writers such as Anton Chekov, Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams.  In doing so they set themselves the considerable challenge of doing… read more
Posted in Theatre

An Inspired Folly from Roughcast Theatre

George Bernard Shaw's tale of Eliza Dolittle's transformation has undergone so many iterations over the years that the themes and tone of the original play have been obscured, it not lost. Even the version of… read more
Posted in Theatre

Another full house for Corn Hall Comedy

It was another full house for the reinvigorated Comedy night at the Corn Hall, with Steve Bugeja warming up the crowd nicely, exchanging the sort of good natured banter with the front row that we've… read more
Posted in Comedy

Oaklands Care Home and Kingsley Home Care sponsor Diss Dementia Cafe

Kingsley Healthcare’s Oaklands Care Home has teamed up with sister company Kingsley Home Care to sponsor a thriving dementia café in Diss. Time with Friends attracts up to 40 people to its meetings in The… read more
Posted in Dementia Friendly, Diss, Family, Norfolk, Outreach

Simmons Measures Up

A member of the same club as Tim Vine, Milton Jones and Darren Walsh, Mark Simmons rejoices in word play and classic one-liners. Proving, once again, that there is an avaricious appetite for comedy in… read more
Posted in Comedy

A Haunting performance from Thom Bailey Theatre

With Halloween only a week away Thom Bailey Theatre arrives just in time to scare the pants off the Corn Hall’s audience with four strange tales, based on East Anglian history and folk law. Reminiscent… read more
Posted in Theatre

Folk were away with the Faeries

As winter inexorably draws in, as do the nights, it’s all the more important that the likes of the Peatbog Faeries are around to entertain us with their extraordinary mix of pipes, fiddles (not one… read more
Posted in Music

A Clogstravaganza at the Corn Hall

The welcome return to the Corn Hall of musician Kathryn Tickell was met with a full house, eager to enjoy her very particular offering of Northumbrian pipe and fiddle music. As before, she was accompanied… read more
Posted in Music

An Uncommonly good ghost story

The uncommon thing about a Common Ground production is that you never quite know what you're going to get, not just in substance but in tone. It will most likely be written and directed by… read more
Posted in Theatre

Visit our Christmas Craft Fair

Join us for The Corn Hall Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday 9 November from 11am til 4pm here at The Corn Hall.   With a wonderful array of local stallholders, makers and crafters on offer… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Well, that rascal hath good mettle in him

Rumour has it that Elizabeth I was so enamoured with the character of John Falstaff in Henry IV, she persuaded Shakespeare to bring him back to the stage. Given the play can be charitably described… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre

What's on this Autumn at The Corn Hall

  Don't hibernate on the sofa this Autumn, take a look at our fantastic programme of theatre, music and comedy events (and more) here at The Corn Hall this season and you'll find plenty to… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Luke Wright brings Joy to Diss

Luke Wright has appeared at the Corn Hall countless times with performances ranging from Poetry Nights, where new material is road tested in an informal setting, to the masterful long form trilogy of Johnny Bevan,… read more
Posted in Theatre

Ideal weather for an outdoors performance

It’s a brave group that relies on the capricious weather of a British summer, but that's exactly what Dot Productions do, performing in outdoor venues all over the country. This time last year the Corn… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre

The music of Canada comes to Diss

A French-Canadian music group from Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu in Quebec, Le Vent du Nord played to a capacity audience at the Corn Hall, with an eclectic mix of their own compositions and traditional Québécois music. Though heavily… read more
Posted in Music

An evening in Praise of the Fender Guitar

Who knew that there were so many fans of the Fender guitar living in Diss? An evening celebrating a particular guitar might sound like a niche evening appealing only the select few but that clearly… read more
Posted in Music

A Friendly Invasion of the Corn Hall by the Harleston Players

The latest production from the Harleston Players was truly an all singing, all dancing affair, with the Station366 Singers and a team of dancers adding a sense of scale and spectacle to the story of… read more
Posted in Theatre, Uncategorised

Charlie Haycock Digs out his anecdotes

After Charlie Haycock's hugely entertaining talk on dialects back in April, it came as no surprise that he, once again, enjoyed a full house for his return visit to the Corn Hall, regaling his audience… read more
Posted in Film, Word

An Elephant in the room

Feast Theatre’s mission statement is to bring theatre to the villages and towns of Norfolk, placing a heavy emphasis on stories rooted in the region. Having previously seen the excellent Canada Boys ( notwithstanding its… read more
Posted in Theatre

Paul Jones and Dave Kelly share the Blues

When British blues royalty pay a visit to Diss, it’s a rare treat not to be missed. Paul Jones and Dave Kelly are no strangers to the Corn Hall, having previously appeared as part of… read more
Posted in Music

Best of Comedy at the Corn Hall

Unusually for a compere, Matt Richardson was probably the best known of the comics on the bill, and having nicely warmed up the crowd with the usual Wickerman ribbing we grin and bear from London-centric… read more
Posted in Comedy

Greetings, grapple fans!

Those of us of a certain age can remember Saturday afternoons in front of the telly, listening to Kent Walton commentate as the likes of Big Daddy, Kendo Nagasaki and Mick McManus knocking seven bells… read more
Posted in Family, live entertainment

The Norfolk & Norwich festival comes to Diss

Last year, Geneva Lewis performed at the Octagon Chapel in Norwich alongside pianist Evren Ozel, but this time she was flying solo, showcasing the superb sound of a violin constructed by Guadagnini in the eighteen… read more
Posted in Music

We are WINNERS!

We are the Best Arts, Culture and Theatre Venue in Norfolk as voted for by YOU in the Muddy Stilettos Awards 2024!   Now in their 11th year the Muddy Stilettos Awards celebrate the best… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

There is no substitute for the Real Thing

Before the evening’s headliner took to the stage, Richie Sampson warmed up the crowd with a lovingly curated selection of soul and Motown hits. Showcasing a fine voice, he kicked things off with The Temptations'… read more
Posted in Music

Brilliant performances have the audience buzzing

Its over twenty years ago since I saw my first Eastern Angles play, and since then everything from Boudicca's Babes to Booming Voices have explored the history and landscape of East Anglia. It's always worth… read more
Posted in Theatre

Rachel Stockdale takes a Fat Chance

Rachel Stockdale is a jobbing actor and serial audition failure, so unsuccessful in the latter that she's written a play about it. Described by a casting director as Northern, fat and a woman, he went… read more
Posted in Theatre, Uncategorised

Best of Comedy debut is a sold out success

Over the years, the likes of Sara Pascoe, Dave John, Simon Munnery and Mitch Benn have entertained the Corn Hall Comedy Club, but not all on the same night. I don't think there's ever been… read more
Posted in Comedy

We're in the finals! Please vote for us!

DISS - WE'VE MADE IT! Thanks to you and your votes, we've made it into the Regional Finals of Norfolk’s Muddy Stilettos Awards 2024 in the BEST ARTS, CULTURE & THEATRE category.   We're thrilled… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Update to our Transaction Fee

Not many towns of our size can boast a vibrant arts venue at the heart of their community which welcomes 25,000 people each year. The Corn Hall is part of what makes Diss such a… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Townsend Theatre Brings History to Life

Townshend Theatre Productions have been coming to the Corn Hall for over ten years, highlighting overlooked figures from history that have been involved in the struggle for social justice. Subjects as diverse as the Tolpuddle… read more
Posted in Theatre

Wonka is a chocolate box of delights

Director Paul King is the man behind the Paddington movies, so we have every right to expect great things from Wonka, and his trademark whimsy has certain certainly been put to good use again. The… read more
Posted in Film

Top Marks for Top Girls

Roughcast Theatre's focus on classic texts - over half of their productions in the last ten years have been Shakespearean - has inevitably meant that the lion's share of significant parts on offer favoured male… read more
Posted in Theatre

Hamlet gone for a burton

Jack Thorne’s play is about rehearsals for a play that is staged as if were a rehearsal of Hamlet, which features Hamlet staging a play. The fact that The Motive and The Cue recently transferred… read more
Posted in Theatre

A Final Curtain Call for Caine and Jackson

  Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson bring their considerable acting skills to bear on The Great Escaper, a simple, heart-warming story of a D-day veteran who "escapes" to France to attend the 70th… read more
Posted in Film

Radio Brought to life on Stage

The Crime and Comedy Theatre Company benefit from a number of familiar faces (and voices) to draw in an audience, with Colin Baker - best known for his playing of the Doctor during the classic… read more
Posted in Theatre

Come and see the violence inherent in the system

They say the necessity is the mother of invention, and I doubt there's a better exemplar of the maxim than Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a film that, as the posters said at the… read more
Posted in Comedy, Film

Café Culture at the Corn Hall

I can imaging it might come as a surprise that an evening of Balkan gypsy jazz tunes could fill the Corn Hall to bursting, but it wouldn't  to anyone who had previously spent time in… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

A Fabulous Theatrical Feast

Rob John's sharply written Hollyhock Trilogy benefits hugely from the acting talent of Dawn Finnerty and Robin McLoughlin, who both breathe life into the characters sketched out in three separate mini-plays focusing on loneliness, loss… read more
Posted in Theatre

An Unlikely tale of Contrition and Kindness

Adapted from Rachel Joyce’s bestselling novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is a deceptively simple tale of a man that walks the length of England, imagining that the act itself will prevent an old friend… read more
Posted in Film

A Word to the Wise from Charlie Haylock

If a history of our spoken language doesn't sound like your idea of a fun night out, then I have to assume you've never spent time in the company of Charlie Haylock. Combining an encyclopaedic… read more
Posted in Word

Wozniak's Family Fable Fills the Corn Hall

Unique is one of the most overworked words in comedy, but Mike Wozniak really is one of a kind. Impeccably well mannered, dressed in his signature suit and tie, and with a moustache that would… read more
Posted in Comedy

A Haunting tale of Murder

Kenneth Branagh’s latest Poirot adventure, very loosely based on Agatha Christie's Halloween Party, is a significant departure from the star filled travelogues that preceded it, and is all the better for it. While the essential… read more
Posted in Film

Children and Young People Flourish at The Corn Hall

We've pledged to make Norfolk a place where every child and young person can Flourish.     Flourishing in Norfolk is Norfolk County Council's partnership strategy for children and young people and here at The… read more
Posted in children, Flourish

Painting the Modern Garden

The Royal Academy’s exhibition ‘Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse‘ traced the emergence of the modern garden using a vast collection of works by some of the most important Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Avant-Garde artists… read more
Posted in Art, Film

Magical Comedy delivered Just like that

Given the ubiquity of tribute bands that make an honest living pretending to be someone else, it’s perhaps surprising that the idea doesn't branch out into other forms of entertainment.  Admittedly, I've seen the likes… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre

And Then Come The Nightjars

The fictional world of the Detectorists, the fishing exploits of Whitehouse and Mortimer and Benjamin Myer's Perfect Golden Circle all deal with the stoic, idiosyncratic, emotionally repressed bond between two heterosexual men, but its a… read more
Posted in Film

Methought I was enamoured of an ass

It's not every night that I find myself dancing with a mischievous sprite, at least not one with whom I had just had a rubber chicken dual. Perhaps it was all just a dream, albeit… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre

Past Lives wonders what might have been

Celine Song's astonishingly assured directorial debut seems all the more poignant when you learn it is loosely autobiographical. Much like Greta Lee’s Nora, she lives in New York, having migrated from Korea twenty years previously.… read more
Posted in Film

Delf Delves into the Wilderness

Last year, Eliza Delf gave what was only her second live performance at the Corn Hall, supporting Roddy Woomble of Idlewise. Eight months later, she has returned, accompanied by her Wilderness Collective, as headliner. Before… read more
Posted in Music

A Magical Night at the Corn Hall

The last time I can recall magic coming to Diss was Morgan and West, and that was in Garboldisham before the refurbished Corn Hall reopened. There is clearly an appetite for it though, as the… read more
Posted in Theatre

Joseph Fiennes Scores a Winner for Dear England

Sport and Stage make uneasy bed fellows, generally requiring two members of any self-respecting pub quiz team. Attempts to dramatize the former, in particular football, have generally fallen short of their goal. It would be… read more
Posted in Film, Theatre

A celebration of Django Reinhardt

The regular jazz evenings at the Corn Hall, hosted by Chris Ingram, always attract a sizeable audience, and their loyalty is invariably rewarded by excellent musicians playing the music they love. The four-piece London Django… read more
Posted in Music

A whip smart script makes for a cracking film

Can it really be over forty years since the first Indiana Jones film? If so, can it really be Harrison Ford running atop a moving train in the latest one? With the assistance of some… read more
Posted in Film

The Cawston Band raises the roof off the Corn Hall

If you've never heard a brass band play live - and these days that sadly places you with the majority – it might be hard to appreciate why those of us who have simply love… read more
Posted in Music

A Special Trip to Cromer

Who would have thought that a German documentary about Cromer would even be a thing, let alone a success, both in producer Jens Meurer's home country and here in the UK. Seaside Special is all… read more
Posted in Film, Norfolk

Mark Watson Embraces Diss

I've seen Mark Watson a few times over the years, and I'm never sure how much of his intended routine ever gets delivered. Such is his conversational, seemingly disconnected, style, it’s tricky you work out… read more
Posted in Comedy

Nolan's Explosive Biopic lights up the screen

Christopher Nolan’s formidable, if occasionally unwieldy, biopic of Robert Oppenheimer is huge in both its scale and ambition. Over the course of its considerable playing time, it interweaves Oppenheimer's time in academia, his romantic entanglements,… read more
Posted in Film

The Ice Wolf Cometh

MISS MIMPLE MEETS THE ICE WOLF - Common Ground Theatre Company Ushering in the New Year in the company of Common Ground Theatre has become something of tradition in the last few years, and one… read more
Posted in Music, Theatre

Bah Humbug!

Just when you thought it was safe to put away the tinsel and the baubles, Simon Callow pops up with a version of Charles Dickens's classic, ghostly tale to remind us that the spirit of Christmas… read more
Posted in Film, Theatre

The Corn Hall Box Office

The Box Office will be closed until Monday 8th January. read more
Posted in Uncategorised

A Magical Seasonal Treat for All the Family

The Corn Hall has hosted a Christmas pantomime for many years, but this is the first created in house, and it's a gamble that has paid off handsomely. The ensemble cast and crew may not… read more
Posted in Pantomime, Theatre

Sprowston Boy is a winner

In the mid 80s, salesman Geoff Whiting and coal merchant Kenny Blanch bought a racehorse and named it after the road they both grew up on. The horse went on to romp home ahead of… read more
Posted in Theatre

In the Barbie world life in plastic is fantastic

Greta Gerwig's surprisingly subversive movie about the eponymous Barbie, in all her weird and wonderful incarnations, stars Margot Robbie in a role that she was surely born into, as Stereotypical Barbie. Her stereotypical pal Ken,… read more
Posted in Film

A Timely reminder of the horrors of conflict

It was nearly one hundred years ago that RC Sherriff's extraordinary treatise on life in the trenches was first performed in the West End. And yet, in both its language and sensibilities, Roughcast's staging of… read more
Posted in Theatre

Return of the Romcom

Shekhar Kapur, probably best known as the director of Elizabeth returns after an extended period with the  romcom What’s Love Got to Do with It? It's the sort of fun, frothy and good-natured romp that… read more
Posted in Film

Julian Dutton salutes John Le Mesurier

Julian Dutton's tribute to John Le Mesurier, the actor best known for his role in Dad's Army, was an affectionate but candid look at the life of a man that met triumph and disaster, and… read more
Posted in Theatre

Caulfield covers Kangaroos and Coat hangers

Diss Station isn't really in Diss, observed Jo Caulfield, and I suppose if you've come all the way from Edinburgh by train, it must feel quite a slog from Gilray Road to the Corn Hall.… read more
Posted in Comedy

A fitting Swan Song for Ken Loach

In collaboration with his regular screenwriter, Paul Laverty, Ken Loach has completed a loose trilogy around the themes of poverty and austerity with The Old Oak, a film which he has signalled will be his… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

A Romantic Thriller that confounds expectation

Park Chan-wook has a seemingly effortless ability to confound expectation. Very few would have thought the director of Oldboy would have turned his hand to the overt eroticism of The Handmaiden, and with Decision to… read more
Posted in Film

A compelling drama of chilling relevance

At 8.15 in the morning, on the 6th August 1945, the United States unleashed the terrible power of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Michael Mears’s The Mistake is a complex and involving play that offers… read more
Posted in Theatre

Zerdin's Stand up for Dummies is a masterclass

Is Paul Zerdin Britain's finest ventriloquist? Fans of Nina Conti might have something to say about that, but it's fair to say they are the only two masters of the art that could sensibly lay… read more
Posted in Comedy

James Norton's Challenging Little Life

The Corn Hall frequently showcases the best the National Theatre has to offer, and it's always a treat seeing what London is enjoying, presented in a way that faithfully captures the theatrical experience.  Filmed at the… read more
Posted in Film, Theatre, Uncategorised

Eric Ravilious is drawn to War

Given the interest shown in the work of Eric Ravilious following the ground-breaking exhibition of this art back in 2015, it's hard to imagine that his work was almost forgotten until his children found a… read more
Posted in Art, Film, Uncategorised

Diss Heritage Transport Fayre - Sunday 24th September

Over 100 classic vehicles including cars, commercials and motor cycles will be on display in and around Diss Town Centre at this year's Diss Heritage Transport Fayre on Sunday 24th September. As you wander around… read more
Posted in Heritage

Luke Wright’s Celebrates his Silver Jubilee

It's hard to believe that Luke Wright, or anyone else for that matter, has earned a living through stand up poetry for the last twenty five years. Once you've ticked off John Cooper Clarke, Attila… read more
Posted in Comedy, Luke Wright, Stand-Up Poetry, Uncategorised

Alfie Moore gives an arresting performance

Regular Radio 4 listeners, the great majority of which appeared to have turned up to a full-to-bursting Corn Hall, will be familiar with Alfie Moore, a former police officer and stand-up comic who presents a… read more
Posted in Comedy

Dot Productions weather the storm

It was with some trepidation that I made my way to the grounds of the Oaksmere for Dot Production's open air performance of their adaptation of Jane Austin's Persuasion. The heavens had opened only moments… read more
Posted in Theatre

Fraser Anderson and Bex Baxter in perfect Harmony

Confronted by a bare stage, there was a palpable feeling of both expectation and curiosity amongst the audience at the Corn Hall, waiting for Fraser Anderson to take to the stage. I wasn’t alone in… read more
Posted in Music

The Care Experience

Back in January 2023, The Corn Hall hosted an exhibition and a series of events called The Care Experience.    The Exhibition, No Colours for my coat, reflects Paul Yusuf's experience of growing up in care… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

By Jove, Robertson & Collett play to a full house

What does a theatre company do when cast, props and sets are stuck in a van that's broken down on the M6? As everyone knows, the golden rule is the show must go on. Gavin… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre

Preparations underway for The Tashi Lhunpo Monks residency at The Corn Hall

A week of workshops and performance, and a rare opportunity to experience the music and art of the unique Tibetan Buddhist culture which flourished for six centuries in Tibet and which the monks now continue… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

John Kiki Exhibition launch is a huge success

On Saturday John Kiki's exhibition got off to a busy and enthusiastic start. John Kiki is a major English figurative painter based in Great Yarmouth, and has deep roots in the Greek Cypriot community. He… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Emma is The Pantaloons at their very best

Those coming to a show by The Pantaloons expecting a faithful adaptation of their favourite novel might come away disappointed. However, those more familiar with their style will enjoy this riotous, irreverent and hugely entertaining… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre

A unique window into the world of Vermeer

With the exhibition at the Rijksmuseum museum sold out for months, this film is now the only chance to see the largest grouping of the artist’s work ever assembled. It’s hard to argue that the… read more
Posted in Art, Uncategorised

His Luton bungalow had more than one story

It might be a stretch to call John Hegley’s show multimedia, but we did get a series of slides, starting off with a drawing of the Luton bungalow where he grew up, featuring inspirations for… read more
Posted in Comedy, Music, Word

She Said is a gripping account of dogged journalism

Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s solid adaptation of Jodi Kantor’s book of the same name follows in the footsteps of Spotlight and Post, as a team of journalists doggedly investigate wrongdoing that has been covered up by powerful… read more
Posted in Film

Woomble and Delf offer a rare Double bill

Founding member and lead vocalist of Idlewild, Roddy Woomble, is currently touring on own, albeit with a little help from his friend and fellow band member Andrew Mitchell on keyboards and guitar. In a relaxed… read more
Posted in Music

Coracle floats the Corn Hall Boat

Accordionist Paul Hutchinson, multi-instrumentalist and singer Anna Tam, and clarinettist Karen Wimhurst are a pleasingly eccentric trio, bringing their disparate musical talents together to offer up a sound that is grounded in folk, yet clearly… read more
Posted in Music

SOLD - a Powerful and Provocative indictment of Slavery

Amanda Edmund's dramatization of the life story of Mary Prince is an astonishing and powerful mix of song, dance, drum rhythms and riveting narrative from Kuumba Nia Arts. Based on Prince's biography, a best-selling treatise… read more
Posted in Theatre

The Baghdaddies get Diss Dancing

It’s been a while since the Corn Hall has been quite so packed and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it quite so boisterous, as the Baghdaddies took Diss by storm with a grand standing… read more
Posted in Music

A Medieval Miracle is Ivor Cutting's Swansong

Eastern Angles’ tale of mischief, devils and song is Ivan Cutting's final production as Artistic Director of a company he founded forty years ago. It is as ambitious and bold as we have come to… read more
Posted in Theatre

Start With Art - The Beatles, a huge success!

On Tuesday 4th April the latest Start With Art took over The Corn Hall. Think yellow submarines, an octopus's garden and all things Beatles! Inspired by the current exhibition - The Beatles on Film - the… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Townsend Productions' return to a classic Text

Townsend Productions are so overtly political their polemical shows can be something of a shock to anyone expecting a cosy night at the theatre. Having previously dramatized the Shrewsbury 24, the chain makers of Cradley… read more
Posted in Theatre, Uncategorised

Singing the Praises for Love Song

Abi Morgan's play spans forty years, with the four members of the company playing a couple at the beginning and the end of their marriage. Anyone familiar with the work of Roughcast Theatre, will realise… read more
Posted in Theatre

The Corn Hall hosts a perfect collaboration

The Hosepipe Band is no stranger to collaboration, having previously worked with the poet Martin Newell, but their latest outing is with Blake Morrison, whose Shingle Street collection has inspired the composition of original music… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

A Classic Performance from Chamber Philharmonic

The Chamber Philharmonic Europe brought a rare, but very welcome, programme of classical music to the Corn Hall that teetered teasingly between the populist and the adventurous. Lead violinist Pawel Zuzanski took us on a… read more
Posted in Music

Bowjangles get their teeth into Dracula in Space

I can’t imagine many people knew what to expect from a show that featured a string quartet and a space vampire, so full marks to the audience at the Corn Hall that took a leap… read more
Posted in Music, Theatre

Wright brings mirth in his night with McNish

The poetry club at the Corn Hall has long since outgrown the cosy Waveney Room, and now wins audiences in the main hall that rival shows that you might think would have a wider audience.… read more
Posted in Luke Wright, Stand-Up Poetry

Hal Cruttenden is heard at his best

Over the years, the Corn Hall has played host to many fine comedians, but Hal Cruttenden's sold out show must surely rank as one of the best for a very long time. Deep down, we… read more
Posted in Comedy

John Etheridge lifts Spirits with a virtuoso performance

John Etheridge is probably best known as guitarist for the prog-rock/jazz outfit Soft Machine, but he’s played with everyone from Stéphane Grappelli to Hawkwind. Known for his extraordinary dexterity and eclecticism, his visit to the… read more
Posted in Music

Don't Worry - Florence Pugh is outstanding.

Olivia Wilde’s second feature comes to the screen weighed down by its considerable baggage, but set aside the acrimony and last minute cast changes, and Don’t Worry Darling emerges at a film that is arresting… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Pierre Hollins Banishes the January Blues

A regular highlight on the Corn Hall calendar, the Comedy Club brought some much needed cheer to frosty 2023 for a packed crowd keen to shake off the January blues with an international roster of… read more
Posted in Comedy

A boiling Crucible of terror and tragedy comes to the Corn Hall

Arthur Miller’s 1953 study of hysteria and public shaming marks a welcome return of live performance beamed in from the National Theatre to the Corn Hall. The play is notionally a period drama, retelling the… read more
Posted in Theatre

A delightful confection starring Leslie Manville and fifties fashion

Anyone familiar with the films of Mike Leigh will know how good an actor Leslie Manville is, but it’s only as recently as 2017, for the performance in Phantom Threads, that this was widely acknowledged.… read more
Posted in Film

Tom Cruise goes Maverick in this astonishing spectacle

Viewed through the prism of all that followed, the first Top Gun film looks oddly dated now, but at the time it was a game changer, instrumental in bringing the vitality and economy of advertising… read more
Posted in Film

Common Ground have fun with nuns

The Common Ground Theatre Company specialises in the dramatization of challenging classic texts, fearlessly tackling the likes of Coleridge, Poe and Dostoevsky. Their shows make for intellectually nourishing and wonderfully enlightening evenings that educate as… read more
Posted in Review, Theatre

Martin Turner transports the Corn Hall back to the Seventies

Still sporting the classic rock star look despite his seventy something years, Martin Turner proved a commanding and avuncular presence at the Corn Hall, introducing the songs and sharing wistful anecdotes about his time with… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Blancmange makes Waves in Diss

In what was an exciting departure for the Corn Hall, Blancmange brought Synth-pop to Diss, brilliantly showcasing a new album and a back catalogue stretching back forty years. The evening kicked off with Rodney Cromwell,… read more
Posted in Music

Roughcast Theatre revive a comedy classic

Frank Capra’s movie of the same name is such a perfect example of the screwball comedy genre he made his own, it’s easy to forget that Arsenic and Old Lace was originally a play, and… read more
Posted in Theatre

Full Steam ahead for the Railway Children's Return

It’s been over fifty years since Jenny Agutter stood on a railway platform calling for her Daddy in the definitive family film. In this belated sequel, it’s Beau Gadsdon that does much the same, in… read more
Posted in Film

Daliso Chaponda Stands Up to Lockdown

Daliso Chaponda is best known for reaching the final of Britain’s Got Talent, having been fast tracked by Amanda Holden with the golden buzzer. A sweet, self-effacing performer, he describes himself as a D list… read more
Posted in Comedy

Open Space takes Miss Julie in a new direction

Those familiar with Strindberg’s play, might be surprised by how much of it has remained intact in Patrick Marber’s updated version. Marber’s abiding message, by implication, is that nothing much changed in the sixty years… read more
Posted in Theatre

Mark Rylance fits the Outfit like a glove

Single set dramas – anything from 12 Angry Men to Reservoir Dogs – are compelled to do something interesting with words, and The Outfit is no exception. Mark Rylance is reliably excellent as the cutter… read more
Posted in Film

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis is caught in a trap

Baz Luhrmann’s latest movie is a kaleidoscopic biopic of Elvis Presley, audaciously telling the story of his rise to fame through the distorted prism of Colonel Tom Parker. There have been so many attempts to… read more
Posted in Film, Music

Dunstan Bruce didn't go gentle into that good night

As lead singer (a description he balks at even today) and front man of Chumbawamba, Dunstan Bruce had his moment in the sun with chart-topper Tubthumping.  The definitive one hit wonder (they even had t-shirts… read more
Posted in Music, Theatre

Time and Tide waits in the Cromer Cafe

Relish Theatre’s play has been touring across East Anglia throughout October, and will continue on manoeuvres after this performance at the Corn Hall, finishing up with a brief run at the Theatre Royal. It’s a… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre

Fantastic terrors never felt before

The latest production from the Common Ground Theatre Company sees them venture into ambitious territory, taking on both the biography and stories of Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven uses a recital by Poe as a… read more
Posted in Theatre

A tiny show with a huge message

String Theatre have brought, crows, chimney sweeps and circuses to the Corn Hall in previous years, in productions that featured the changing of the seasons, the aquatic world of fish and myriad forms of insect… read more
Posted in children, Family, Theatre

Paula Rego Show is Up and Running

On Saturday The Corn Hall Paula Rego exhibition got off to a busy and enthusiastic start. Curator David Case gave two introductory talks which were sold out, followed by a screening of the recent film… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Natalie Songer’s Satellites was utterly Spellbinding

Natalie Songer’s extraordinarily ambitious and complex show took in the vastness of time and space, and yet did so by exploring the most intimate and touching of family stories. Taking inspiration from her family’s hazy,… read more
Posted in Theatre

This riveting documentary perfectly complements the Corn Hall's latest Art Exhibition

  Paula Rego, Secrets and Stories, a documentary made by her son Nick Willing, was never going to be the usual detached academic dissection of a painter and their work, but neither is this a… read more
Posted in Art, Film

Operation Mincemeat is a resounding success

Ten years ago I read a fascinating book by Ben Macintyre, outlining an extraordinary scheme to trick  Nazi Germany into thinking the allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia, rather than their actual target, Sicily.… read more
Posted in Film

Licorice Pizza is a tasty treat

Fans of Paul Thomas Anderson films won’t be disappointed by this leisurely exploration of dysfunctional young love. Like Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights and Inherent Vice it takes its time to work its way into your… read more
Posted in Film

Walker and Styles - a workshop where we dug deep to reveal our own concerns

It’s been a long 18 months since the People’s Cabaret last came to the Corn Hall but back in 2021 (as part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival), Jessica Walker came to Diss accompanied only… read more
Posted in Music, Word

Wonderful Work Experience!

During my work experience at The Corn Hall, I took part in a diverse range of activities to introduce me to the inner workings of an arts centred organisation. Throughout the week, I helped run… read more
Posted in work experience

The Joys of Start With Art!

As a part of the Corn Hall's Elephant Project, this month's 'Start With Art’ session was also elephant themed. The sessions tied in with the work being exhibited in the Upper and Lower Galleries.  As… read more
Posted in Art, children, Family

Benedict Cumberbatch gives an electrifying performance

It turns out that I have Louis Wain to thank for a life in service to my cats – before his whimsical illustrations became popular at the turn on the last century cats were apparently… read more
Posted in Film, Uncategorised

Almodóvar is on top form with his latest film

Two mothers, not really parallel at all, come together in this moving melodrama that celebrates the courage of single mothers, while nodding to the unhealed wounds of Spain’s troubled political history. Pedro Almodóvar’s new movie… read more
Posted in Film

Jodie Comer's stunning stage debut

Jodie Comer's star is resolutely in the ascendant at the moment, having been propelled there by her leading role as the chameleon Villanelle in Killing Eve. An actor that has made her name as a… read more
Posted in Theatre

Death on the Nile is a sumptuously filmed romp

In the case of Death On The Nile, director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green’s sequel to their polished adaptation of Murder On The Orient Express, we get nothing less than the origin story of… read more
Posted in Film, Uncategorised

Women of Troy - a Corn Hall steward's review

On Friday night I continued in my quest to see as much local drama as I can, so I went to Diss Park to watch the open air production of Women of Troy by Euripides… read more
Posted in Diss, live entertainment, Open Space Theatre Company, Review, Theatre

Shaparak Khorsandi delights her audience with gentle good humour and salacious anecdotes

Back in the 90s, there was no social media, no dating sites, and – if we are to believe Shaparak Khorsandi – no shame. In her early twenties Shappi, as she was then known, was… read more
Posted in Comedy

The National Theatre Returns to the Corn Hall

David Hare’s new play marks a welcome return of the Corn Hall’s programme of National Theatre plays,  broadcast live from London. In this instance, we got a front row seat in the Bridge Theatre, watching… read more
Posted in Theatre

Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast is a spellbinding masterpiece

Kenneth Branagh’s elegiac, autobiographical movie has a tremendous warmth to it, notwithstanding its grim subject matter, and although it focuses on a specific time in Branagh’s life, it touches on surprisingly universal themes. When, it… read more
Posted in Film

Unfolding Theatre Breaks Bread with the people of Diss

Unfolding Theatre's deceptively complex examination of memory, family life and friendship was a delightfully positive, yet unusually thought-provoking two-hander, written by Luca Rutherford. There was dancing on tables, music from Maximo Park’s Paul Smith, free… read more
Posted in Theatre

A return to form for the King's Man

Director Matthew Vaughan appears to have, unusually, listened to critics of the earlier Kingsmen films, retaining the stiff upper lip of the protagonist, while dispensing with much of the leering, laddish attitude that marred what… read more
Posted in Film

Tim Holt-Wilson discusses the elephant in the room

Despite an early start for Tim Holt-Wilson's fascinating lecture, the Corn Hall attracted a healthy audience in search of the Lost Beasts of Norfolk and Suffolk. His walk-through of the region’s pre-history was the opening… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

John Illsley brings the Songs of Dire Straits to DIss

  It’s not often that Corn Hall hosts a member of one of the biggest bands in the world. John Illsley may not be a name familiar to everyone, but together with Mark Knopfler, he… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Banham Zoo Meerkats enjoy new toys made at The Corn Hall

Thank you to Banham Zoo for starting the Historic Elephants of Diss project with their exciting roadshow at The Corn Hall. Everyone enjoyed the crafts and artifacts and it looks like the meerkats definitely enjoyed… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Start with Art! Inspired by current exhibition

Our latest Start with Art! at the Corn Hall on Tuesday 5th April saw our young artists drawing self-portraits and mixing water colours to paint skin tones. These activities were inspired by the works of… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

The Bard Of Bungay returns to Diss

The Bard of Bungay has become a regular fixture at the Corn Hall over the years, with his much loved Poetry fixture bringing the very best in stand-up poetry to Diss. We’ve also seen his… read more
Posted in Theatre

Something wicked this way came

It’s been over twenty years since Roughcast’s first production, and also the last time they staged Macbeth. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person in the audience second guessing who was making a return visit… read more
Posted in Theatre

The Corn Hall Café Raises £3140 for Ukraine 

The Corn Hall Café has raised an amazing £3140 for The Red Cross Ukraine Appeal following their hugely successful Coffee morning. Lara Macmillan, Café Manager organised the event, with the help of colleague Sue Sizer.… read more
Posted in Diss, Norfolk

Open Space's welcome reminder of Russian culture

Never a group to shy away from a challenge, Open Space Theatre have taken on three of Anton Chekhov’s rarely performed single act plays, with The Bear and The Proposal taking the lion’s share of… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Mothering Sunday is a day no one will forget

Based on Graham Swift’s 2016 novel, the English-language debut of French director Eva Husson largely takes place over the course of a day, the eponymous Mothering Sunday. The crux of the film, and the significance… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Catfish thrill audience after a two year wait

Too bluesy for rock, and too rocky for blues - these are, I hasten to add, guitarist Matt Long’s words, not mine. It’s true the sound that Catfish produces is a sometimes curious hybrid, but… read more
Posted in Music

Black is the Color of my Voice plays to a full house

Apphia Campbell’s award-winning show has been performed in London, New York, Shanghai and Edinburgh but, finally, it has found its way to Diss. I’ve seen many shows at the Corn Hall that warranted a full… read more
Posted in Music, Theatre

Mark Watson finally finds out that Diss Exists

Over the years, I’ve seen Mark Watson several times (he’s practically a permanent fixture at Latitude) and he has never failed to mention Diss at some point in his act. It seemed to gain near… read more
Posted in Comedy

Britten Sinfonia brings a World Premiere to our doorstep

It's been a long time coming, but chamber music has come to the Corn Hall, with a day of activities that culminated in an evening recital from Britten Sinfonia. What immediately became apparent was how… read more
Posted in Music, Review

A stunning drama that resonated with universal truths  

Continually rescheduled over the last couple of years, we’ve had to wait a long time to see Feast Theatre’s production of The Canada Boys. Fortunately, it proved to be well worth the wait. Rob John’s… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Dune is an extraordinary, spectacular visual treat

Director Denis Villeneuve’s decision to take on Frank Herbert’s mammoth Dune novel might be thought brave to the point of foolhardiness, given the almighty mess David Lynch made of it back in the eighties. For… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Gary Delaney makes a triumphal return to Diss

Gary Delaney took the Corn Hall on a trip to Punderland for a second sold out night, delighting his audience with an exhausting, and seemingly inexhaustible, supply of gags.  With help from his warm up… read more
Posted in Comedy

After Love is a stunning debut

Dominating this debut movie from director Aleem Khan is a superb performance from Joanna Scanlan, probably best known for her work in comic gems like Getting On and The Thick of It. Her understated acting… read more
Posted in Film

Sadie Clark fascinating look at Solo Theatre comes to the Corn Hall

Given the current restrictions, financial and practical, imposed on live theatre at the moment, it’s perhaps no surprise that there is a growing interest in solo projects. No social distancing required on stage, tour-friendly staging… read more
Posted in Theatre, Word

No Time to Die proves well worth the wait

Daniel Craig’s final Bond film is a fitted conclusion to his record breaking fifteen year tenure. Packed with set-piece action and outrageous stunts, there’s more than enough to keep fans of old-school 007 movies happy.… read more
Posted in Film

Elvis McGonagall returns to the Corn Hall as funny, and as angry, as ever

Luke Wright hosted his poetry night with his usual charm and good humour, but otherwise seemed in reflective mood. Perhaps conscious that this quarterly treat is packed with a regular audience, he was keen to… read more
Posted in Comedy, Review, Word

A View From the Bridge marks Open Space's triumphal return to the stage

After interminable covid rescheduling, Open Space Theatre Company have finally been able to tour with their production of Arthur Miller’s A View From the Bridge. Judging from the number of people that had come along… read more
Posted in Theatre

Common Grounds handsome adaptation of Dostoevsky is a bold triumph

One thing you can’t say about Common Ground Theatre Company is that they lack ambition. Taking on Dostoevsky is bold under any circumstance. Adapting him for the theatre is brave indeed. The Dream of a… read more
Posted in Theatre

The Courier is a Ripping Yarn - but is so much more as well

We are so used to seeing Benedict Cumberbatch play dysfunctional geniuses that it’s a little disorientating to discover he’s more than capable of playing a man distinguished by his ordinariness. Greville Wynne, a salesman with… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Promising Young Woman is an engaging, thought provoking and gripping examination of date rape.

Given the films industry’s focus on  the #MeToo movement, it’s surprising that  a move exploring the issues raised hasn’t come along earlier. It’s also surprising that it should be marketed as a revenge thriller. Director… read more
Posted in Film

First Cow is a triumph of gentle story telling

Based on screenwriter Jonathan Raymond’s novel, director Kelly Reichardt film is not a story that gets told in a hurry. As much a collage of scenes as a narrative, it is shot with simplicity and… read more
Posted in Film

The Killer Question answered in this funny, inventive mystery

It is always a pleasure and a treat to see new writing performed, and all the more so when the text is as sharp and witty as Dave Payne’s comedy thriller. Payne readily acknowledges a… read more
Posted in Comedy, Review, Theatre

Kathryn Tickell lights up the Corn Hall with the Darkening

Kathryn Tickell is a composer, a recording artist, a Radio 3 presenter, and probably one the country’s best pipe players. She’s made a career out of exploring the musical heritage of her native Northumbria (from… read more
Posted in Music

Arthur Smith headlines a cracking evening of merriment.

Unavoidable absences are becoming so commonplace these days they hardly warrant a mention, but hats off to the three comedians that did make it to the Corn Hall for what was a slimmed down comedy… read more
Posted in Comedy

A superbly staged production that is both ambitious and original

It’s been awhile since we’ve enjoyed theatre of any kind, but setting that aside, a while longer since The Keeper’s Daughter have presented one of their adaptations of classic texts. The works of Conan Doyle,… read more
Posted in Family, Theatre

Hollie McNish signals the triumphant return of Luke Wright's Poetry evenings

Luke Wright’s poetry evening at the Corn Hall returned with a genuine star turn, as Hollie McNish read from her latest collection. As ever, though, Wright kicked things off with work of his own, and… read more
Posted in Theatre

A Magically Nostalgic Evening with Dad's Army

Back in the 70s it was not uncommon for a successful TV show to be adapted for the radio, and Dad’s Army was no exception. David Benson’s and Jack Lane’s audacious idea was to replicate… read more
Posted in Family, Theatre

Time with Friends: August

Today our Time with Friends Dementia Cafe group met to enjoy a belated VE Day celebration, postponed from last year.   We were fortunate to have Gary and Mary Alderton with us to show and… read more
Posted in Art, Dementia Friendly, Diss, Outreach

Sound of Metal - a moving and heartfelt film

In Darius Marder’s moving and heartfelt film, Riz Ahmed plays an American drummer whose life, and career, is sent into a tailspin by the sudden offset of deafness. Ironically, there is very little Metal beyond… read more
Posted in Film

Start With Art! returns with wonderful weaving

On Tuesday 1st June, The Corn Hall hosted its first Start With Art! event of the year. Organised by Rachel Barker of IMPS Creativity, the Start With Art! project sees children engage with creative activities… read more
Posted in Family

Ezio thrill the Corn Hall audience with a cracking gig packed with fan favourites

This was the third is a series of gigs presented by English Folk Expo at the Corn Hall. Notionally a folk artist, Ezio is at the rockier end of the spectrum, with a sound that… read more
Posted in Music

The Corn Hall reopens with a celebration of protest and song

Presented as part of the of  N&N festival, The People’s Cabaret is a work in progress, with this premier intended as seed corn from which a bigger, bolder event will emerge through community involvement. We… read more
Posted in Music, Theatre

The Corn Hall unlocks with an evening celebrating local talent

As the Corn Hall tentatively awakens from its lockdown slumber it is only fitting that it should make use of this opening night (albeit online) to showcase local talent. Mentored by the Corn Hall’s ActNow!… read more
Posted in Family, Film, Review

War Horse - one of the best known, and best loved, theatrical productions of this century.  

It’s hard to imagine a better way to re-open the Corn Hall than with a showing of what must be one of the best known, and best loved, theatrical productions of this century. Based on… read more
Posted in Family, Film, Theatre

Don’t wait for the world to change - ACT NOW!

The Corn Hall is responding creatively to the Covid-19 pandemic with an exciting new arts program for young adults, funded by Arts Council England and The Norfolk and Norwich Festival Creative Individuals fund. ACT NOW!@The… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Theatre

Start with Art! with some Awesome Owls, Swirling Otters and very Creative IMPs

On Tuesday 27 October, The Corn Hall hosted its latest 'Start With Art!' (SWA!) event aimed at encouraging children to express their creativity. The SWA! programme is the brainchild of Rachel Baker, of Imps Creativity,… read more
Posted in Art, Exhibitions, Family, Outreach

The Gentlemen is a Exuberant, Labyrinthine Romp

After dipping his toe into family friendly films, Guy Ritchie returns to what he does best with The Gentlemen. The film is a scabrous, exuberant romp, with a labyrinthine plot that will have your head… read more
Posted in Comedy, Film

David Copperfield is very funny, breathlessly energetic and endlessly imaginative

Armando Iannucci’s exuberant adaptation of David Copperfield opens with our eponymous hero telling his life story to a rapt audience in Bury St Edmund’s Theatre Royal. What follows is a joyous romp around East Anglia,… read more
Posted in Family, Film, Uncategorised

Parasite is meticulously plotted, perfectly cast, and hugely entertaining

Parasite is deservedly the first foreign language film to win an Oscar for best film. It is meticulously plotted, perfectly cast, and hugely entertaining, Bong Joon-ho won two more, for direction and script, along with… read more
Posted in Film

Red Shoes is a Marvellous Spectacle full of glamour and romance

Michael Powell's masterful adaptation of a Hans Christian Anderson story famously inspired Mathew Bourne to enter the world of dance, and his adaptation of the film is full of the glamour, romance and creativity that… read more
Posted in Family, Review, Theatre

1917 is a thrilling, spell-binding triumph

Much has been made of the technical brilliance of Sam Mendes’s 1917. This is a film that takes place in real time, with the camera seemingly following soldiers Schofield and Blake in a single unbroken… read more
Posted in Film

Live Theatre returns to Diss with The Handlebards’s Romeo and Juliet

It was a slimmed down version of the Handlebards that entertained people in the park, as part of the Corn Hall’s continuing efforts to reintroduce live theatre to Diss. Fortunately, what the company lacked in… read more
Posted in Comedy, Family, Theatre

Little Women breathes new life into into the Classic Novel

Louisa May Alcott’s book has been adapted many times, and as recently as the mid-nineties, so Greta Gerwig had to bring something very special to the screen in order to justify yet one more retelling… read more
Posted in Family, Film, Review

Paul Howling 1963-2020

It was with great sadness that the Corn Hall recently received news of the sudden death of our much loved and respected long-time volunteer and Stewarding Coordinator, Paul Howling. Paul was one of the first… read more
Posted in Staff

ROH broadcasts - COVID-19 update

19 March 2020 This morning we received the following information from More2Screen, the content providers for Royal Opera House live broadcasts: SWAN LAKE - LIVE BROADCAST CANCELLATION We can now confirm that the Live broadcast… read more
Posted in Screening

THE REMAINS OF LOGAN DANKWORTH Completes Luke Wright's stunning trilogy

It was perhaps inevitable that in the third of Luke Wright’s trilogy of political monologues he would come bang up to date with an examination of Brexit. In previous outings, in the company of Johnny… read more
Posted in Review, Theatre, Word

The Peanut Butter Falcon is a delightful buddy movie that plucks on your heartstrings

Anyone who remembers Huckleberry Finn fondly will find much to love in The Peanut Butter Falcon. Set in the North Carolina Outer Banks, this delightful buddy movie is a film that plucks on your heartstrings… read more
Posted in Film

The Crow's Tale was charming, imaginative, and delightful

This was the third visit to the Corn Hall for London based String Theatre, presenting their most ambitious production yet - a charming tale based on a Lenni Lenape Native American legend. The story of… read more
Posted in Family, Theatre

Bait is a true original in both form and content

Shot with clockwork cameras on grainy 16mm stock, which Cornish film-maker Mark Jenkin hand-processed in his studio in Newlyn, Bait is a true original in both form and content. Clearly influenced by Nicolas Roeg, this… read more
Posted in Film

Dom Joly shares his holiday snaps with Diss

From the outset, Dom Joly made it clear there were to be no squirrel costumes or giant phones for the evening’s performance. What we got instead was a fascinating and insightful talk on some of… read more
Posted in Comedy, Theatre, Word

Horrible Histories is a fun packed romp through Roman Britain

The Horrible Histories book series has sold over 25 million copies, inspiring toys, magazines, and video games. In 2009, CBBC showcased a sketch show based on the franchise which continues to this day. Perhaps inevitably,… read more
Posted in Comedy, Family, Film

John Hegley certainly knows his potatoes

With a mix of poetry and song, John Hegley presented an evening of gentle good humour at the Corn Hall. With the help of Chris and his trumpet, he delighted his audience with whimsies on… read more
Posted in Comedy, Family, Music, Theatre, Word

Pain and Glory is a Stunning return to form for Pedro Almodóvar

This is a stunning return to form for Pedro Almodóvar, consolidating the success of Julieta after the misfire of I’m so Excited. Just as his previous film revolved around a woman confronting the ghosts of… read more
Posted in Film

Judy is Zellweger’s chameleon like transformation makes this her movie from beginning to end

Adapted by Tom Edge from Peter Quilter’s the stage play, this is a raw portrait of Judy Garland at the end of her career, and a showcase for Renée Zellweger’s uncanny ability to get under… read more
Posted in Family, Film, Music

Downton Abbey film - a lavishly produced treat for the series many fans

Fans of Downton Abbey won’t be disappointed by this big screen opportunity to catch up with old friends. Gifted a bigger budget, Julian Fellowes’s drama about upstairs/downstairs has been turned from a show where thoughtful… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Boothby Graffoe headlines the strongest comedy line up for months

 It was a welcome return to form for the Corn Hall’s Comedy Club, with a varied lineup hosted by MC James Dowdeswell. Hugely personable, Dowdeswell had a pleasingly large crowd on side from the outset,… read more
Posted in Comedy

J D King's Elvis - here soon!

read more
Posted in Family, live entertainment, Music

A Triumphant Return for Common Ground's Sherlock Holmes

Common Ground returned to the Corn Hall with another of their post-Christmas shows. It's something that looks like becoming something of a traditional, with packed houses for both performances of their further adventures of Holmes… read more
Posted in Comedy, Family, Theatre

The Blues Band are better than ever in concert & on their new album

The Blues Band, and permutations of its constituent parts have come to Diss quite a few times but I don’t recall them ever playing quite so well. The reason may be The Rooster Crowed, their… read more
Posted in Music, Review

Present Laughter – Andrew Scott's brilliant performance in the National Theatre's Production makes Noel Coward's play sparkle

Noel Coward’s furiously funny farce is given a new lease of life in this frenzied production at the Old Vic. Largely a vehicle for Andrew Scott’s brilliant incarnation of preening thesp Garry Essendine, the play… read more
Posted in Screening, Theatre

A triumphant and life affirming return for Paul Sinha

Paul Sinha made a real impact at the Corn Hall last year - he seemed to enjoy the evening as much as his audience did - so perhaps it’s no surprise that his return was… read more
Posted in Comedy

The Pantaloons Master one of Shakespeare's Greatest Tragedies

The members of the Pantaloons Theatre Company pride themselves on accessible interpretations of classic theatre, from Homer to Shakespeare to Dickens, unlocking the playfulness and good humour from the most sober of texts. Othello must… read more
Posted in Theatre

Yesterday is a funny, feelgood film that will delight fans of Richard Curtis's very particular brand of film making

When Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle teamed up it seemed such a provocative combination that it was hard to imagine what would emerge. The end result is a lot closer to Love Actually than Trainspotting,… read more
Posted in Comedy, Diss, Film

Hazel O’Connor held her audience spellbound

Given the revival of interest in eighties music it’s no surprise that Hazel O’Connor played to a full house at the Corn Hall. But to attribute her success merely to nostalgia would be to greatly… read more
Posted in Diss, Music

Start with Art! #NationalLottery25

This image represents an special moment in a child’s life, shared with his grandparents, at our recent ‘Start with Art!’ event. Here at the Corn Hall in Diss the support from Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage… read more
Posted in Art, Diss, Exhibitions, Family, Heritage, Norfolk, Outreach

The Dave Thomas Big Blues Band delivers a masterclass in classic Chicago blues

If Dave Thomas ever took to running, I suspect he’d go for a marathon rather than a sprint. With a carefully curated set that lasted only a few minutes shy of three hours, Thomas took… read more
Posted in Diss, live entertainment, Music, Review

Gary Delaney brings down the house with his Gagsters Paradise show

You have to wonder if Gary Delaney’s brain is wired up differently from everyone else’s. His prodigious gag writing ability is such that, even before settling down to the show, he has bombarded us with… read more
Posted in Comedy, Review, Uncategorised

Rocketman - screening tomorrow - is bold, imaginative and original

Considering that both David Furnish and Elton John were producers of this film, it’s a remarkably frank and unflinching examination of Reg Dwight’s rocky path to fame and its almost disastrous consequences. Even more remarkable… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Another chance to see Fleabag on the big screen - it's a terrifically entertaining showcase for Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s considerable talents

I wonder how many others were belatedly catching up with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s extraordinary Edinburgh debut back in 2013, kicking themselves that, at the time, they went to see something else instead? Given the global success… read more
Posted in Review, Screening

The Keeper - a watchable, engaging story of hope & humanity triumphing over bitter resentment

Marcus H Rosenmüller’s robust, no nonsense account of Bert Trautmann’s improbable, but true, journey towards a role as Manchester City’s post war goalie is a loving tribute to reconciliation and forgiveness that is a paean… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Cast your prejudices aside, you’ll be cheering over this heart-warming tale with family, East Anglia & wrestling at its heart

If you’re wondering whether a film about wrestling is for you, then wonder no more, and not just because it largely takes place in East Anglia. This heart-warming tale of a close knit, loving family… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Can You Ever Forgive Me? - you will, after seeing next week's hugely enjoyable film

Continuing the current fashion for true tales that are stranger than fiction, Marielle Heller turns Lee Israel’s improbable career as a forger into a jolly, breathless romp that skips from scene to scene. Israel’s wobbly… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Green Book - in spite of its hard hitting subject matter - is an absolute delight from beginning to end

Loosely based on Don Shirley’s tour of the Deep South of America, Peter Farrelly’s film - showing on Wednesday 21st August - is an absolute delight from beginning to end, notwithstanding its hard hitting subject… read more
Posted in Film, Review

A Splash of Colour with IMPS: Abstract Expressionism

On Tuesday 6th August 75 children between 17 months and 11 years old, together with their parents, grandparents and carers, joined Rachel Baker from IMPS as she introduced them all to the works of world… read more
Posted in Art, Arts Award, Exhibitions, Family, Outreach, Uncategorised

Follow the Lost Boys, Hoist the Jolly Roger and Look Out for Captain Hook.

              For three days last week 22 young performers immersed themselves in singing, dancing, drama and arts activities as they journeyed to Neverland. Late on the third day these… read more
Posted in Art, Family, live entertainment, Music, Outreach, Theatre

Arts Award News

So much hard work, so well rewarded! Congratulations to the 21 Arts Award students who gained their Bronze and Silver Awards (Silver award students pictured) on 16 July 2019. Their work included meeting local arts… read more
Posted in Art, Arts Award, Outreach

In Loyal Company - a masterpiece of war storytelling

In Loyal Company - coming to the Corn Hall on Friday 13th September - is based on the incredible true story of Arthur Robinson’s experiences as a Prisoner of War during World War II. This… read more
Posted in Theatre

Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie give powerful performances as the rivals in next week's Wednesday film

Mary Queen of Scots The rivalry between Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I has been repeatedly dramatized and documented, but most often from the perspective of the English monarch and the furore surrounding the… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Roughcast's rumbustious romp of A Midsummer Night's Dream features a scene-stealing, marvellously exuberant Bottom

A Midsummer Night’s Dream RoughCast Theatre Company has never been afraid to take on challenging writing, tackling everything from Ibsen to Orton, and in their latest production they take on that most formidable of oxymorons,… read more
Posted in live entertainment, Review, Theatre

All is True - Branagh & Dench are magnificent in this film which seeks to explain the great mystery of why Shakespeare retired so suddenly

All is True (12A) Kenneth Branagh’s career is so closely associated with Shakespeare, it was perhaps inevitable that he would one day play the man himself. To that extent this is very much Branagh’s film,… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Ruby Watkinson: Work Experience Review

On the 8th July 2019, I began my weeks work experience at the Diss Corn Hall. After finding out that year 12 had to complete this compulsory week I set out to ensure that I… read more
Posted in Art, Diss, Exhibitions, Heritage, Jobs, Norfolk, Review

Tom and Bunny Save The World  –  A review by Lissy Mapes Graham

On Tuesday 8th May 2018 I went to The Corn Hall in Diss to see ‘Tom and Bunny Save The World’, a must see show from the Fat Rascal Theatre. To start off, the songs… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Family, Theatre

Ruby Whitehouse: My Work Experience at the Corn Hall 2019

  This July I have completed a week of work experience at the Corn Hall, an organisation I chose because of my interest in art and media. I was surprised by the variety of tasks… read more
Posted in Art, Diss, Exhibitions, Heritage, Jobs, Norfolk, Review

Stan & Ollie - next Wednesday's film - is a warm, affectionate delight

Stan & Ollie Jon S Baird’s gentle, unassuming biopic of the most famous double act the world has ever seen, is a warm, affectionate delight that touches on far broader issues than the pair’s final… read more
Posted in Film, Review

The Favourite - screening next Wednesday - is an eccentric, intriguing delight from beginning to end

The Favourite (15) - a review Set in the court of Queen Anne, the last of the Stuart monarchs, Yorgos Lanthimos’s quirky, profane and shamelessly anachronistic period drama is an eccentric, intriguing delight from beginning… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Julius Caesar by Silas Tooth

Julius Caesar Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar has been put together by the Bridge Theatre London which has only been with us since 2017. The performance was directed by Sir Nicholas Hyther who captured the greatness of… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Old Herbaceous - a night at the theatre that was a delight from beginning to end

Old Herbacious - Kick in the Head productions Alfred Shaughnessy’s sensitive adaption of Reginald Arkell’s novel is a delight from beginning to end, cleverly distilling not just the narrative, but also the spirit of Arkell’s… read more
Posted in Review, Theatre

Ryan Gosling is excellent as Neil Armstrong in next Wednesday's film, First Man

First Man Adapted from James R Hansen’s book by Spotlight screenwriter, First Man is similar in tone to Philip Kaufman’s The Right Stuff. Sombre and respectful, this is a film that is immersed in its… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Spring Flowers and Little Dewdrops

On Wednesday 8 May, we were lucky enough to have Tina Bone, a member of the Iceni Botanical Artist collective, to run an exclusive workshop focused on observing, drawing and painting wild spring flowers. Find… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Thomas Paine play was sometimes melancholy, frequently moving, and ultimately life affirming.

Thomas Paine’s To Begin the World Over Again Thomas Paine only worked in Diss for a year, but we still make a claim on him, so it was pleasing that the playwright and performer, Ian… read more
Posted in Heritage, Review, Theatre

Wednesday 15 May - your chance to see one of the best films ever made

Ingmar Bergman's dark masterpiece, The Seventh Seal reaches back to scripture to create a nightmarish, episodic journey for Max von Sydow’s world-weary crusader, questioning everything while the long shadow of death chases him all the… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Luke Wright’s Stand-Up Poetry - a night of great pleasure

One of the great pleasures of Luke Wright’s stand-up poetry nights is hearing his new work in progress, and it was fascinating to hear his continued look inward. We heard about his mum, his dad,… read more
Posted in Luke Wright, Review, Stand-Up Poetry, Word

David Vass talks to Ian Ruskin about his play Thomas Paine's To Begin the World Over - performed at the Corn Hall on Thursday 9 May

David Vass talks to Ian Ruskin about his play Thomas Paine's The Begin the World Over which will be performed at the Corn Hall on Thursday 9 May Ian Ruskin has acted all his life,… read more
Posted in Theatre

Next Wednesday: Bohemian Rhapsody - with a roster of superb concert recreations - is hugely enjoyable

After the much-publicised troubles that have beset this movie, it comes as a pleasant surprise that Bohemian Rhapsody is such a fun ride, with a roster of superb concert recreations, including Life Aid – where… read more
Posted in Film, Music, Review

Gillian Anderson and Lily James - superb in the National Theatre live screening of All About Eve

This adaption of a 1950s movie films its actors while they perform live, projecting them onto a screen, while yet more the actors perform live on stage - all of which has then been filmed… read more
Posted in Review, Screening, Theatre

Mary Poppins flies into the Corn Hall this Wednesday

Mary Poppins Returns Fans of the original Mary Poppins who approach this belated sequel with some trepidation need not worry. The film has been created with them in mind as much as a family audience… read more
Posted in Family, Film, Review

The Pantaloons inventive reworking of The Odyssey is a triumph!

The Pantaloons are no strangers to the inventive re-working of classic texts, but this must be their most ambitious attempt to date. Slimming down Homer’s epic Greek poem into two hours of knockabout fun is… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Review, Theatre

Lady Gaga CAN act - See her in 'A Star is Born'

A Star is Born Bradley Cooper’s version of this much told story is more a reimagining than a remake, with his fading rock star crossing paths with Lady Gaga’s ascendance as an all singing, all… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Next Wednesday's film - a master class in screen acting that is as enjoyable as it is compelling

When Joe Castleman wins the Nobel Prize for Literature his wife is delighted for him – who wouldn’t be – and yet there is something niggling away at her that isn’t fully explained by his… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Super Happy Story - genuinely good theatre with real emotional impact

A Super Happy Story (about feeling super sad)  A musical about depression and self-harm is not an easy sell. It takes imagination to write, empathy to perform, and courage to programme. Silent Uproar’s collaboration with… read more
Posted in Review, Theatre

'Tom and Bunny Save the World' Review by Roisin

'Tom and Bunny Save the World' Review by Roisin On Tuesday 8th May, as part of my Silver Arts Award I saw 'Tom and Bunny Save the World' at Diss Corn Hall. It is a… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Theatre

'Tom and Bunny Save the World' Review - By Malachy

'Tom and Bunny Save the World' Review By Malachy As part of my Silver Arts Award on 8th May 2018 I saw 'Tom and Bunny Save the World' at the Corn Hall in Diss. 'Tom… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Theatre

TOM and BUNNY SAVE the WORLD. A review by Elvis

TOM and BUNNY SAVE the WORLD. A review by Elvis   Fat Rascal Theatre have created two very successful shows, Beauty and the Beast, a musical parody, and BUZZ a new musical; but their work… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Theatre

TOM & BUNNY SAVE THE WORLD Review

TOM & BUNNY SAVE THE WORLD Review by Isabella St.John-Clarke Recently I have seen a new musical: Tom and Bunny Save The World at the Corn Hall. It is a comedy; it is original with… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Theatre

TOM AND BUNNY SAVE THE WORLD THE MUSICAL…

TOM AND BUNNY SAVE THE WORLD THE MUSICAL… by Bethany Ely On Tuesday 8th may I viewed the comedy performance of Tom and Bunny Save the World, the musical. Basically Tom and Bunny have to go… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

TOM AND BUNNY SAVE THE WORLD THE MUSICAL!

TOM AND BUNNY SAVE THE WORLD THE MUSICAL! ***** (5 /5 stars!) by Naomi Ely   On Tuesday 8th May I went to see the spectacular new musical, Tom and Bunny Save The World! From… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Theatre

Stranger than fiction, Wednesday's film BlacKkKlansman, is probably the best Spike Lee film in 20 years

Probably the best Spike Lee film in 20 years, this stranger than fiction story of a black man infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan mixes absurd comedy with jaw-dropping racism to brilliant effect. Both a social… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Luke Wright's latest show – Poet Laureate - is unusually thoughtful and moving

Following in the wake of his ambitious play/poems of recent years, Luke Wright’s latest show might at first appear a tad conventional, but there was a lot more going on here than just a collection… read more
Posted in Luke Wright, Review, Word

Hotel Salvation - anyone who has spent time with an ageing parent will find much that is achingly resonant.

In this story of an ex-schoolteacher who decides to spend his final days in Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges, Shubhashish Bhutiani’s directorial debut presents a world that will be alien to European viewers,… read more
Posted in Film, Uncategorised

A Right Royal Draw-Along with Nick Sharratt, The Cat and The King, Timothy Pope and Tracy Beaker

Yesterday I went to watch Nick Sharratt do an entertaining 'drawalong' show at the corn hall. It was an amazing show and I’m very glad I got the opportunity to watch it. He came out… read more
Posted in Family, Review

East Anglian film premiere brought to life George Butterworth - a man who might have become one of Britain’s foremost composers

The Corn’s Hall’s presentation of Stewart Hajdukiewicz’s biography of composer George Butterworth may not have been quite the world premiere, but it was only the third public outing for the film, and was attended by… read more
Posted in Film, Heritage, Music

Singer ,Georgia Mancio delighted Diss Jazz Club with her interpretation of songs by Tom Jobim

Award-winning singer Georgia Mancio, brought to The Corn Hall a totally wonderful evenings music, fun and elegance. Presenting us with a beautiful musical array from the celebrated Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos 'Tom' Jobim, Georgia explained… read more
Posted in Music, Review

In an age of zero hour contracts and offshore sweatshops, Townsend productions provide a timely reminder of how effectively historical drama can resonate with the issues of today.

Rouse Ye Women – Townsend Productions Thursday 14th February Townsend Productions have been edging ever closer to contemporary issues over the last few years, with their last show - an examination of the Grunwick strike… read more
Posted in Theatre

A stellar cast makes The King of Thieves by far the best and most poignant cinema version of the Hatton Garden heist

The Hatton Garden heist in 2015 has already been repeatedly dramatized, but this is by far the best, and most poignant, with a stellar cast of British heavyweight actors who, much like the characters they… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Cold War - A sweeping, yet oddly intimate love story

Winner of the Best Director award at last year’s Cannes Festival, Paweł Pawlikowski has created a sweeping, yet oddly intimate love story about two people brought together, and then torn apart, by circumstances way beyond… read more
Posted in Film

January Comedy Club had a packed house cheering with laughter

John Mann got straight down to business as MC of the Corn Hall’s comedy club, largely dispensing with audience interaction if favour of a very silly series of one-liners that had the audience nicely warmed… read more
Posted in Comedy, live entertainment

NT's Antony & Cleopatra next Thursday is packed with enough intrigue to fill a mini-series

Simon Godwin’s production of Antony & Cleopatra for the National Theatre may be in modern dress, but it is otherwise a surprisingly mainstream and coherent retelling of Shakespeare’s complex, episodic tale of his other star-crossed… read more
Posted in Screening, Theatre

We are Persimmon Community Champions!

Persimmon Community Champions Award Being presented with the Persimmon Community Award for November 2018 will help the Corn Hall  Arts and Heritage team to continue to run activities at low or no cost to our outreach groups including young children,… read more
Posted in Art, Arts Award, Dementia Friendly, Exhibitions, Family, Staff

Fire your imagination at ARCADIA!

This arresting collage of archive footage is notionally a movie that explores our changing relationship with the land, and opens with scenes of a bucolic and idealised countryside that will have the viewer settling in… read more
Posted in Film, Heritage, Review

'Royalty' at the Corn Hall in the shape of Paul Jones & Dave Kelly!

British blues royalty paid a visit to the Corn Hall last weekend, with Paul Jones and Dave Kelly (describing themselves as 40% the Blues Band) performing an acoustic set of blues classics. The pair made… read more
Posted in Music, Review

Allelujah! - something to celebrate!

The arrival of a new play by Alan Bennett is always something to celebrate, not least as they are increasingly rare. His latest, set in a rundown NHS hospital, is his first in six years,… read more
Posted in Review, Screening

LECTURE ON WORLD WAR ONE ART WAS ENTERTAINING, EDUCATING, AND ENRICHING

During the First World War the British government developed a variety of art schemes to bear witness to the conflict. Tania Harrington’s far reaching and ambitious talk on the subject examined how revolutionary changes in… read more
Posted in Heritage, Word, WWI

David Vass is swept away with the surprisingly moving new production of The King and I

The King and I has long been the “problem” Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, and there is certainly a hint of condescension in a story about an English governess showing the King of Siam the error… read more
Posted in Review, Screening

Enter the Dragon - weird and wonderful but David Vass wants more like this

Enter the Dragons - review In what amounted to a significant gear change for the Corn Hall, Abigail Dooley and Emma Edwards presented a short, sharp shock of a show that was funny, provocative, and… read more
Posted in Comedy, Review, Theatre

Luke Wright's Stand Up Poetry Club presented a compelling contrast of talent

Promoted to the main auditorium, Luke Wright's Stand-Up Poetry Club swapped intimacy for elbow room in an evening dominated by the anger of men who can’t quite believe what is happening in the world. First… read more
Posted in Luke Wright, Review, Stand-Up Poetry, Theatre, Uncategorised

Open Space's Browning Version - their finest ever

The Browning Version Never shy of a challenge, Open Space Theatre Company’s latest production is a play generally regarded as Terence Rattigan’s finest. Judging by the opening night at Wingfield Barns, it may well also… read more
Posted in Open Space Theatre Company, Review, Theatre

A riotous performance of Peter Pan is captured by a drawing soldier

Last Saturday Peter Pan flew into the Corn Hall in search of his shadow and, along with the Darling family, took the Saturday Club on an amazing adventure to Neverland. There were so many pirates,… read more
Posted in Diss, Exhibitions, Family, Pantomime, Review, Theatre, Uncategorised

Next Wednesday's film, The Happy Prince, has a message which is ultimately positive

The Happy Prince Rupert Everett has written, directed and starred in this film, a project he has toiled for years to get off the ground, and his commitment and belief in the endeavour is evident… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Journey's End - the Wednesday film - is a quietly magnificent - and hugely respectful - testament to those we must not forget.

Journey’s End (12A) While watching Saul Dibb’s superb adaption of R C Sherriff's masterpiece, I found myself being continually astonished that the play on which it was based was written only 10 years after the… read more
Posted in Film, Review, WWI

Common Ground's, The Mariner demonstrates just how good a touring company can be

The Mariner If there is one word to describe Common Ground’s latest production, it would be ambitious. Handsomely staged, this mix of song, music and theatre tackles both Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s life and his most… read more
Posted in Review, Theatre

4 star review of 'The Mariner' Common Ground's latest production - coming 26 Oct

Samuel Taylor Coleridge is probably as much remembered by the general public today for his troubled life and opium addiction as for his verse and association with Wordsworth’s circle. Of his poetry, the most likely… read more
Posted in Music, Review, Theatre

The Hilarious World of James Campbell… yes everyone thought it was really hilarious.

A review by Sophie. Yesterday I went to watch the amazing kid’s comedian James Campbell, he was a joy to watch and extremely funny- all the children and most of the adults were crying with… read more
Posted in Uncategorised

ARTS AWARD STUDENTS AT THE CORN HALL VOLUNTEER WITH PETE'S FAMILY JAM AT OUR SATURDAY CLUB

On Saturday 22nd September we volunteered at Pete's Family Jam. It was a fun, light hearted 'get away' for children aged 0 to 100! The show incorporated both children and adults with easy to use… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Family, Music, Review

David Vass enjoys reliving the many hits of The Kinks

Resolutely not a tribute band, The Kast off Kinks are essentially the real thing without the Davies brothers, and have been performing their considerable back catalogue for well over 20 years. Obviously pleased to be… read more
Posted in Music, Review

Wednesday film - part comedy, part travelogue, part mystery, part romance - will delight fans of Downton Abbey

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Wednesday 26 Sept, 10.30am & 7.30pm Part comedy, part travelogue, part mystery, part romance, Mike Newell’s adaptation of Annie Barrows’s post-war epistolary novel is a film… read more
Posted in Film, Review

The Corn Hall Presents Diss in WWI

The Corn Hall presents Diss in WWI. Commemorating the centenary of the end of WWI in 2018 we are pleased to be able to bring to the Corn Hall a series of events and activities… read more
Posted in Diss, Exhibitions, Family, Film, Music, Norfolk, Word

Lady Bird - next Wednesday's film - features superb performances

Depending through which end of the telescope you view Lady Bird (nominated for three Academy Awards), teenager Christine McPherson is either a bright young thing struggling against the suffocation of suburbia, or a brattish malcontent,… read more
Posted in Film, Review

I, Tonya - An absorbing tale that is both tragic and hilarious

While not exactly America’s answer to the tribulations of Eddie the Eagle (Tonya Harding was a world class athlete) this shaggy dog story is similarly fantastical and contradictory. Director Craig Gillespie busts the fourth wall… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Toyah - Up Close & Personal at the Corn Hall

Perhaps the first British singer to be known only by her first name, Toyah entertained the Corn Hall with a string of post punk hits from the early 80s, and while for those of us… read more
Posted in Music, Review

Next Wednesday's film - literate, profane and very clever.

What do you do, screenwriter and director Martin McDonagh seems to be asking, when there is nothing to be done? When a mother’s grief, following her daughter’s murder, turns to impotent rage she hits out… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Next Wednesday’s film - The Shape of Water – is a modern fairy tale that is both startling and uplifting

The cinema of Guillermo del Toro is notoriously dark and troubling and, although his latest film is notionally set in the US of the 1960s, it is a typically fantastical alternative version of those troubled… read more
Posted in Diss, Film, Review

Have you tried wolf tail soup? Our three little pigs thought it was delicious...!

On Saturday 21st July I went to watch the fantastic, child friendly performance at the Corn Hall, Three Little Pigs Tails (Young Reviewer Sophie pictured with Garlic Theatre's Iklooshar Malara).   I was extremely impressed… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Comedy, Diss, Family, Norfolk, Review, Theatre

Authentic and truthful, A Fantastic Woman holds a mirror up to society

If there was any doubt where director Sebastián Lelio’s was going with the Oscar Award-winning A Fantastic Woman, there’s a big clue in the film’s ironic title.  While some might find transgender Marina Vidal, played… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Christopher Plummer - a brilliant performance as cantankerous Getty in next Wednesday's film

Although loosely based on John Pearson’s book, Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortune and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J Paul Getty, the antecedence of Ridley Scott’s film has been largely overshadowed by the reshooting of… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Bethany Crow's review of Life on the Deben

During my time at the Diss Corn Hall work experience day I had the pleasure of helping steward the movie Life on the Deben and then watching this interesting documentary. Throughout the documentary you learn… read more
Posted in Diss, Film, Norfolk, Review, Training

Rowan Whittington Reviews Life on the Deben

I am Rowan Whittington, a student from Diss Sixth Form, taking part in the student Takeover Day at The Corn Hall. Whilst doing so, I watched the Wednesday morning showing of Life on the Deben.… read more
Posted in Diss, Film, Norfolk, Review, Training

Elliot Grayston Work Experience At The Corn Hall

Work Experience: I am a student from Diss Sixth Form, and because of changing A-levels we had to complete a week of work experience. I had the opportunity to complete my work experience at the… read more
Posted in Training

Joseph Grayston Has Enjoyable Time During Work Experience Week At The Corn Hall

For one week starting on the 9th of July I completed work experience at Diss Corn Hall. The opportunity arose after a change in A-Levels meant that students of year 12 at Diss High had… read more
Posted in Training

Luke Wright & Mike Garry mesmerised at June Poetry Club

Another six months have rolled by since the last time we had a night of performance poetry at the Corn Hall, but it proved to be worth the wait, with a selection of new poems… read more
Posted in Luke Wright, Review, Stand-Up Poetry, Word

Gary Oldman’s Oscar winning performance invests the character of Churchill with doubt, humanity and righteous anger - Darkest Hour Preview

Churchill has been so lionised in reason times, that it’s both a surprise and a shock to be reminded how tenuous his authority was at the outset of the Second World War, and how capricious… read more
Posted in Diss, Film, Norfolk, Review

This Wednesday's film - heart-warming and beautifully judged

Breaking Away When movies seem split between brainless big budget blockbusters and narrow gauge art house fodder, it’s tempting to harken back to a golden age of intelligent, offbeat, cinema intended for a mainstream audience.… read more
Posted in Film, Review

In Between - David Vass previews this Wednesday's film

The idea of a dope-smoking, leather-jacketed lawyer and an aspiring DJ, opening up their home to a strait-laced, studious, ultra-conservative Muslim sounds like the setup for a credulity stretching social drama, but in the hands… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Luke Wright’s Stand-Up Poetry Club

Another six months have rolled by since the last time we had a night of performance poetry at the Corn Hall, but it proved to be worth the wait, with a selection of new poems… read more
Posted in Review, Stand-Up Poetry, Word

Young Reviewer thinks Water Babies is fantastic

"It was about a little boy who did work up a chimney, his boss forced him to do it. He jumped into the sea because his life was just work. But when he jumped into… read more
Posted in Family, Review, Theatre

Wednesday's film is a gloriously cinematic rollercoaster ride

Murder on the Orient Express Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel is a big budget, gloriously cinematic, giddy rollercoaster ride of a movie. A nostalgic indulgence that is not just for a… read more
Posted in Film, Review

String Theatre's inventive mix of puppetry and magic lantern entranced audience

String Theatre’s charming adaptation of Charles Kingsley’s novel is a delightfully whimsical version of what is frankly dubious source material, thankfully borrowing more Lionel Jeffries’s film than Kingsley’s sombre satire damning child labour. Using an… read more
Posted in Family, Theatre

Arts Award students make a 'spectacle' of themselves!

Our Silver Arts Award students had a specs-tacular time exploring our last exhibition in the Upper Gallery. The exhibition of Dipple & Conway’s optical paraphernalia was a hit with adults and children alike who were… read more
Posted in Arts Award, Exhibitions

This Wednesday's film will keep you gripped until it's surprising conclusion

Loveless Filmed in the perpetual gloom of a snowy Russian autumn, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s latest movie paints a sombre, melancholy picture of a self-centred and supremely unsympathetic couple in the midst of an acrimonious breakup, oblivious… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Community Choir continuing due to popular demand

Our Singing for All - Community Choir has been so successful we're running it throughout the summer. Our relaxed and informal choir meets on Saturday mornings and everyone is welcome :) Experienced and friendly tutor… read more
Posted in Family, Music

Sour Puss - A magical performance according to our young reviewer

Recently I went to watch the heart-warming children's play, Sourpuss here at the Corn Hall in Diss. The acting capabilities of puppeteer Joanna May were so impressive the puppet strings disappeared and the puppets came… read more
Posted in Family, Uncategorised

Get Out! - an intelligent thriller says reviewer David Vass

It’s a truism that the characters in thrillers frequently act irrationally, leaving their frustrated audience mute with impotent rage. All we want them to do is get out, yet they rarely follow this advice. Jordan… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Eastern Angles latest play is powerful and moving

Eastern Angles have something of a reputation for cannily focusing on regional topics which nonetheless touch on universal themes. In Nicola Werenowska’s Guesthouse, the company uses the device of a struggling B&B in Clacton to… read more
Posted in Review, Theatre

Oscar & BAFTA winning film is a beautifully photographed love letter to Northern Italy

Call Me By Your Name Set during a hot and seemingly endless summer, this beautifully photographed film is a love letter to Northern Italy, telling the minutely observed story of Elio, a grumpy teenager played… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Review of Open Space production of Dancing at Lughnasa

Brain Freil’s play Dancing at Lughnasa is an uncompromising examination of how poverty so often leads to the stagnation of already challenged lives. If that sounds like a grim way to spend a couple of… read more
Posted in Review, Theatre

This Wednesday - Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool is refreshing and authentic, says David Vass

Loosely based on Peter Turner's account of his love affair with faded movie star Gloria Grahame, Paul McGuigan’s unassuming film Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool recounts a quiet romance between a struggling young actor… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Julius Caesar from National Theatre a hit

Shakespeare’s essay on political expediency and the fragility of power is notoriously difficult to stage effectively. With an early exit for its eponymous lead, and the closing scenes largely taken up by folk shouting and… read more
Posted in Review, Screening, Theatre

ARTS AWARD STUDENTS TAKE A STAND

Tuesday 6th March saw our Arts Award students take a stand during the inspiring theatre performance of ‘We are the Lions, Mr Manager!’ at the Corn Hall. The students were treated to an exclusive workshop… read more
Posted in Art, Arts Award, Comedy, Theatre

Paddington 2 wins over our reviewer, David Vass

Freed from the exposition of the little bear’s arrival in London, the sequel to Paddington gets stuck straight into the action, with a meticulously constructed screenplay that is crammed full of huge laughs, but also… read more
Posted in Film, Review

Local children explore the world of Winnie the Witch at the Corn Hall

Following on from the visit of the internationally acclaimed children’s illustrator Korky Paul to the Corn Hall to open his exhibition and lead a charmingly interactive ‘Read & Draw’ Saturday Club workshop, the Arts &… read more
Posted in Art, Arts Award, Family, Refurbishment, Staff, Word