Sidmouth Amateur Dramatic Society

The Amateur Dramatic Society in Sidmouth puts on a surprising amount of theatre for a town of this size. It's a local operation run by volunteers who clearly take their craft seriously, and if you're staying in the area - perhaps at Ladram Bay or Oakdown just down the road - catching a show can be a decent evening out.

What you get depends entirely on what's on. They do a mix of comedies, dramas, and musicals throughout the year, performed by locals who range from genuinely talented to enthusiastically amateur. The productions are pitched at family audiences mostly, so don't expect anything too avant-garde or demanding. It's the sort of thing where you might find yourself laughing at the earnestness as much as the actual jokes, but that's rather the point with amateur theatre.

The practical side: admission won't break the bank, though I'd ring ahead or check their Facebook page for current shows and ticket prices since information online is thin on the ground. A show typically runs two hours with an interval, so factor that into an evening if you're planning around other activities. Winter and spring tend to have the busiest schedules.

For families staying at one of the nearby caravan parks, it's a proper option on an evening when the beach weather turns grim. Teenagers might roll their eyes, but younger kids often enjoy the immediacy of live performance. Solo travellers or couples looking for local colour will find it authentic enough - these shows are genuinely for locals, not tourists.