Garden Theatre this Summer
Summer 2022 Outdoor Theatre in Mid Devon
Mid Devon is buzzing with fun-filled events and entertainment. Now the days extend long into the evening, it’s time to enjoy some outdoor garden theatre. With a range of plays from Shakespeare to Dickens, Carrol to Walliams, here’s where you can indulge in some cultural leisure time this summer:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND, SATURDAY 25 JUNE, 7PM, KNIGHTSHAYES
The Queen of Hearts is on the war path… It’s up to Alice to save everyone’s head by throwing her a tea-party along with the help of some new friends…
A Turtle who’d rather be singing, a Cook with a pepper habit, a Hatter who’s quite mad, a Rabbit with a time keeping problem and one very naughty Cat… What could possibly go wrong? This summer, Common Players give you Lewis Carrol (via Monty Python) and welcome you to the madness and mayhem of Wonderland! Expect larger than life characters, puppets, live music, dancing and lashings of absurdity! Gather your friends and family, pack a picnic, bring a blanket or chair to sit on and follow us down the rabbit hole.
Don’t be late, it’s a very important date!
For more information, visit: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/a1aac896-c508-486f-939d-367e94447633/pages/details
Image courtesy of The Festival Players
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAMTHEATRE, SUNDAY 26 JUNE, 7PM, TIVERTON COMMUNITY ARTS THEATRE
Tiverton Community Arts Theatre (TCAT) is delighted to welcome back Festival Players International, a professional theatre company delivering the best in open-air Shakespeare, and committed to presenting the very best in touring theatre. The company continues to grow in reputation internationally. This year, Festival Players International brings you one of Shakespeare’s most popular Comedy Plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Shakespeare’s wonderful fantasy comedy has always been a firm favourite for open-air production. As in the Bard’s day, Festival Players International will be performing with an all-male company of skilled professional actors, and invite you to share in the colour, poetry, and magical mayhem of this unique and amazing play. A Summer treat for the whole family.
Licensed Bar available – Bring your own picnic and chairs/blankets.
For more information, visit: http://tivertontheatre.com/events/festival-players/
ESTELLA, THURSDAY 7 JULY, 7PM, KNIGHTSHAYES
Theatre6 present ESTELLA: Inspired by Dickens’ classic novel ‘Great Expectations’, three captivating actor-musicians lead a re-imagining set against a backdrop of live music and song.
As the ashes begin to fall inside Satis House, two unnamed spirits manifest. These forgotten women are here for a final reckoning and they won’t leave until the past goes up in smoke.
Inspired by Dickens’ classic novel ‘Great Expectations’, this ground breaking new play shows how devastating the truth can be in a world built on secrets and lies. Diving straight to the heart of literature’s most mysterious heroine – Estella – three captivating actor-musicians lead a radical re-imagining set against a backdrop of live music and song.
It’s time for the precious daughter of ‘Great Expectations’, Estella, to rise from the debris and step into the light…
For more information, visit: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/5e763470-f8bc-423d-b8d2-674fd56ed286/pages/details
Image courtesy of Sun & Moon Theatre
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, FRIDAY 8 JULY, 7PM, THE WALRONDS
An outdoor performance from the Sun & Moon Theatre of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.
This company endeavour to:
– Break down barriers that put audiences (young and old) off Shakespeare
– Make Shakespeare’s works relevant and accessible
– Explore and play with text and asking ‘Why this play now?’
– Embrace the actor-audience relationship and adapt to a range of audiences and spaces
– Embrace the significance of process as well as performance, valuing our ensemble and the collaborative nature of rehearsal
– Entertain and invite the audience to share in brilliant stories, text and characters that have stood the test of time
A licensed bar will be available.
For more information, visit: https://www.walronds.com/event/much-ado-about-nothing/
Image courtesy of Heartbreak Productions
JANE EYRE, THURSDAY 14 JULY, 7PM, KILLERTON
Step right up, ladies and gents, to Heartbreak Productions’ Carnival Spectacular – complete with astounding acrobats, jaw-dropping jugglers, and our very special guest – the death-defying escape artist Jane Eyre. Watch her wriggle out of five different tight corners, including everyone’s greatest fear – fire!
Heartbreak is delighted to present this original adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic, Jane Eyre, for the outdoor stage. We follow our favourite Victorian heroine through her many ordeals, using the backdrop of a carnival, as she escapes from her aunt’s house, her school, the fire, the moors, and finally finds safety with her true love, Mr Rochester. Harrowing at times and heart-warming at others, this romantic tale is best enjoyed with a picnic of course!
For more information, visit: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/bc66a79b-c3f2-4b24-9a55-39978c521027/pages/details
AS YOU LIKE IT, TUESDAY 26 JULY, 7PM, KILLERTON
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men – with a history stretching back to William Shakespeare himself – invite you to join them this summer for the sparkling comedy, As You Like It. One of the UK’s finest touring theatre companies present this great play as Shakespeare first saw it performed – in the open air, by an all male cast and with Elizabethan costumes, music and dance.
Separately, Rosalind and her dear friend Celia, the noble Orlando, and the usurped Duke Senior and his courtiers get banished and set up new lives in the Forest of Arden. Free from the constraints of their former lives lovers tussle, wits and fools spar, familial bonds are challenged, and everyone wrestles with what it really means to be yourself. In exile they become exultant as true love and true identity is found in the forest. This rustic romp packed with music, laughs, cross-dressing confusion and a dash of wrestling will keep you smiling to the last.
Bring a chair and a picnic and prepare to be entertained and transported. Book early to avoid missing out!
The Walronds
THREE ONE-ACT PLAYS, THURSDAY 28 AND FRIDAY 29 JULY, 7PM, THE WALRONDS
A drama: The Rats by Agatha Christie provides the main production of the evening; followed by two comedies: The Fifteen Minute Hamlet by Tom Stoppard and Tidy Away My Soul by Rachel Feeny-Williams.
The plays will be performed by Next Generation Theatre Company in association with Creative Cullompton.
A licensed bar is available at the venue.
For more information, visit: https://www.wegottickets.com/creativecullompton
AWFUL AUNTIE, SATURDAY 6 AUGUST, 6PM, KILLERTON
Awful Auntie by David Walliams, adapted for the outdoor stage by Heartbreak Productions, is a truly thrilling tale. Owls, ghosts, chases, escapes, motorcycle rides, and tiddlywinks all fill Stella’s days as she evades her menacing Aunt and saves the family home. So, please join us at the dedication of the new playground at Saxby Hall and hear how it all came about. Make sure you bring a blanket or chair to sit on, weather-appropriate gear, and a picnic, as the tale could take some time to tell, and storytelling can be hungry work!. Bring your chair or blanket, a picnic and dress for the weather as the story unfolds.
For more information, visit: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/37c74c4b-fedf-465d-9791-a494aceeb94a/pages/details
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, SATURDAY 13 AUGUST, 2PM, CREDITON TOWN SQUARE
Award-winning theatre company, Calf2Cow, bring you a fantastic theatrical experience in a re-telling of Kenneth Grahame’s classic ‘The Wind In The Willows’ story.
“So – this – is – a – River!”
A summer afternoon in Wild Wood, while the animals sat, ate picnics and played with their friends, a mischievous ‘poop poop’ echoed in the trees. Join Mole, Ratty and Badger in a floor stomping, hilarious recount of this woodland adventure as they save Toad and his shiny new motorcar from deep trouble.
Described as “Remarkable”, “Fantastic” and ” Mesmerising”, this new adaptation, assisted with some great folk rock tunes, is perfect for the modern day audience. An acclaimed, not to be missed, story comes dramatically alive.
For more information, visit: https://www.creditonartscentre.org/event-details/calf2cow-present-the-wind-in-the-willows
Image courtesy of Adventure Cinema
OUTDOOR CINEMA, FRIDAY 2 – SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER, 8:30PM, KNIGHTSHAYES
Adventure Cinema are bringing their outdoor cinema experience to Knightshayes for three nights in September:
- Friday 2 September: Mamma Mia! (PG)
- Saturday 3 September: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (PG)
- Sunday 4 September: West Side Story (12A)
Gates open at 7:00pm and the film starts when the sun goes down at 8:30pm.
For more information, visit: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/2ee2b0b8-d61b-4f27-b2a0-0c1ffa39c8e4/pages/details
Please note: all of the these performances are all held outside so visitors are advised to be prepared with appropriate seasonal clothing and keep an eye on the weather. Many of the venues have alternative arrangements in place in case of adverse weather but please check the event information with the provider for further details. Visitors should bring their own chairs or picnic blankets unless advised otherwise on the event pages. For details about other events in Mid Devon, please see our What’s On page.
