Ventnor Fringe Festival will host a free (work in progress) outdoor performance this Saturday telling the story of the seaside dippers, the working-class women history has largely forgotten.
Who were the dippers
Long before beach huts lined the shore and lidos offered a leisurely dip, dippers guided nervous bathers into the sea.
They worked season after season, in all weathers, a job that history has largely erased.
A new free outdoor performance called The Dippers aims to change that.
Michele O’Brien, Amy Rose and Ventnor’s own, Teresa Grimaldi, created the show, which brings these forgotten figures back to the seafront where they once worked.
An immersive performance
A purpose-built replica of a small-scale bathing machine takes centre stage, with costumed characters moving around it.
Puppetry, automata and music fill out the scene.
The creators rooted the show in community input and shaped it around local voices.
It’s aimed at curious children and seaside nostalgists alike, and at anyone who has ever stood at the water’s edge and wondered about the Island’s past.
Call to audience members
You can help shape the show and provide feedback on this ‘work in progress’.
Teresa says,
“Come and be part of the finishing touches before the show goes on tour.”
Free and family friendly
The Dippers takes place at the Rotunda Bandstand end of Ventnor beach.
Performances run at 11am and 2pm this Saturday (25th July 2026), each lasting between 20 and 30 minutes.
Entry is free and no tickets are required.
Find more Free Fringe events on the Ventnor Fringe website.
See the full programme of events via the Ventnor Fringe website or the mobile planner.
Arts Council England and Dorset Council have funded the production.
