THE world’s first portable, pop-up, plug-in and play theatre returns to Bournemouth with a programme of theatre, music and comedy for all the family.

Once again Lighthouse is partnering with the Arts By the Sea festival to bring the Roundabout to Bournemouth Gardens where audiences can enjoy four days of entertainment in one intimate setting with the audience seated in-the-round and close to the action.

This year Roundabout will showcase three world premieres from Paines Plough and Theatr Clwyd – On the Other Hand, We’re Happy by Daf James, Dexter and Winter’s Detective Agency by Nathan Bryon (probably best known from TV sitcom Benidorm) and Daughterhood by Charley Miles.

All three plays will be directed by Stef O’Driscoll, artistic director of Nabokov theatre company and previously the Associate Director at Paines Plough and Lyric Hammersmith.

Announcing the programme, Artistic directors of Paines Plough, James Grieve and George Perrin said: “We are privileged to premiere three extraordinary new plays by three of Britain’s boldest, wittiest and most distinctive playwrights.

“This trio of plays will take you on adventures, teeter you on cliffhangers, transport you to other worlds, make you howl with laughter then will rip out your heart.” Both Charley and Nathan are former recipients of the Paines Plough Playwright Fellowship so we are particularly thrilled to now be premiering their full length plays. Along with Daf we think they are amongst the most entertaining and exciting new writing talent and we can’t wait to share their stories across the country in our beautiful Roundabout.”

The programme will be performed in rep by Charlotte Bate, Toyin Omari-Kinch and Charlotte O’Leary who appeared at Roundabout last year.

Roundabout 2019 will also feature Middle Child Theatre’s production of The Canary and the Crow, new gig theatre by Daniel Ward who combines grime, hip hop and theatre to tell the semi-autobiographical story about a working class black boy who is accepted into a prestigious school.

* Roundabout runs from Wednesday, September 26 – Sunday, September 29. To book, call 01202 280000.