Barleycorn - plus post-show karaoke on the weekend!
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Riddlestick Theatre present a new musical comedy telling tales of folk intrigue, ‘wyrd’ happenings and inebriated villagers
Weds 12th - Sat 15th Aug 2026
7.30pm | £14 | Ages 12+
It’s been raining all summer. But that’s not going to stop the residents of Hopley Drew gathering in The Barleycorn Inn for their annual village show and one final knees up before the pub closes its doors for good. As the villagers show off their soggy crops, share songs and tales of local lore, and wait with baited breath for the results of the raffle, a wild storm rages. Some say it’s just typical British weather, but others say it’s something much more sinister… Can this drenched and disenchanted community band together to overcome whatever lurks outside?
A new musical comedy inspired by English lore, folk horror, and ‘wyrd’ 1970s telly, featuring traditional and original music and dance.
Riddlestick Theatre are a troupe of actor-musicians who draw on folk theatre traditions to tell weird and wonderful stories through playful performance and enchanting live music. They’re returning to The Wardrobe Theatre after a sell-out run of The Cabinet of Madame Fanny Du Thé (listed in The Guardian’s Best Shows at the Edinburgh Festival 2018), their raucous late-night Christmas show, Undercover Christmas Club, and their Shakespearean cabaret, FOOLS.
“A hilarious mash-up of folk song, dance and storytelling… Riddlestick will blow away any cobwebs you have in your head.”
★★★★ StageTalk Magazine
“A musical comedy both immersive and full of homespun appeal… Barleycorn is a highly enjoyable slice of pastoral charm.”
★★★★ The Fix Magazine
“Their energy is boundless, the script fiercely intelligent and the original live music bound to stay dancing through your head.”
The Guardian on The Cabinet of Madame Fanny Du Thé
Weds 12th - Sat 15th Aug 2026
7.30pm | £14 | Ages 12+
It’s been raining all summer. But that’s not going to stop the residents of Hopley Drew gathering in The Barleycorn Inn for their annual village show and one final knees up before the pub closes its doors for good. As the villagers show off their soggy crops, share songs and tales of local lore, and wait with baited breath for the results of the raffle, a wild storm rages. Some say it’s just typical British weather, but others say it’s something much more sinister… Can this drenched and disenchanted community band together to overcome whatever lurks outside?
A new musical comedy inspired by English lore, folk horror, and ‘wyrd’ 1970s telly, featuring traditional and original music and dance.
Riddlestick Theatre are a troupe of actor-musicians who draw on folk theatre traditions to tell weird and wonderful stories through playful performance and enchanting live music. They’re returning to The Wardrobe Theatre after a sell-out run of The Cabinet of Madame Fanny Du Thé (listed in The Guardian’s Best Shows at the Edinburgh Festival 2018), their raucous late-night Christmas show, Undercover Christmas Club, and their Shakespearean cabaret, FOOLS.
“A hilarious mash-up of folk song, dance and storytelling… Riddlestick will blow away any cobwebs you have in your head.”
★★★★ StageTalk Magazine
“A musical comedy both immersive and full of homespun appeal… Barleycorn is a highly enjoyable slice of pastoral charm.”
★★★★ The Fix Magazine
“Their energy is boundless, the script fiercely intelligent and the original live music bound to stay dancing through your head.”
The Guardian on The Cabinet of Madame Fanny Du Thé
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Where is it happening?
The Wardrobe Theatre, 25 West Street,Bristol, United Kingdom
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Host or PublisherThe Wardrobe Theatre
