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Tooley’s boatyard will open its 245-year-old dry dock for ten days of music, comedy and theatre that will coincide with the Banbury Canal Festival.

The boatyard's dry dock, which is the UK’s oldest on the canal system, will host award-winning venue boat The Village Butty and Alarum Theatre for a series of events between September 29 and October 8.

Named Dry Dock n Roll, the event will see seven nights of live music, newly commissioned theatre performances, and boating comedian Joel Sanders take to the stage.

Over the festival weekend, Aquavista Marinas is sponsoring the music, and the Ewan Bleach Trio will be providing plenty of saxophone and clarinet-led jazz to festival goers and boaters alike.

The stage inside the dry dock at Tooley's during last year's canal festival.

Tooley’s boss Matt Armitage said: "We’re not trying to become a music venue or anything, we’re a working boat yard, but the festival is a great opportunity to let people really experience a bit of local history, to sit and be inside the dry dock and see the forge at work.

"Even though I’ve run the place for over 20 years, I still get a thrill walking in to go to work of a morning."

Tooley trust member Kate Saffin said: "We’d like to invite local performers of any kind to come and use the space, because the space should support local artists too, because it’s right in the heart of Banbury, even if it is a little hidden away.

"In the very limited time that the dock can afford to be kept empty and not servicing vessels, it is our aim to make it open to the local population, be they canal users or otherwise".

Tooley's dry dock will host 10 days of f music, comedy and theatre from September 29 and October 8.

Richard Guard from The Village Butty said: "There’s really no where else like it in the country, and when we heard music in the empty dry dock last year, surrounded by all the amazing historic boat building gear from yesteryear, the brick work, the trickle of the water... it’s so atmospheric and special, we immediately wanted to get involved in helping to promote and celebrate this wonderful little gem."

For more information on the performances or tickets visit .eventbrite.com/cc/live-theatre-music-tooleys-boatyard-2023-2514979

For more information about getting involved and using the space email [email protected], or contact them via facebook.com/thevillagebutty

Tooley’s boatyard to open up 245-year-old dry dock for ten days of music, comedy and theatre in Banbury