The National Trust Outdoor Theatre information
Outdoor concerts are something that the British do rather well. The National Trust has kindly prepared details of their forthcoming theatrical programmes around the countryside for Countrylife.co.uk.
The Trust adds: ‘With over 80 performances at historic houses, ruined castles and beautiful gardens, there are heroes and villains ready to entertain the whole family. So why not bring a picnic and a comfy cushion, then sit back and enjoy a magical and unforgettable experience.’
Devon & Cornwall
Killerton, Devon beautifully positioned on the flanks of a hill, surrounded by its splendid gardens, said by many to be the great glory of Killerton. Created in the 1770s by renowned landscape designer John Veitch, it features a stunning abundance of rhododendrons and magnolias
01392 881 345
Sleeping Beauty (Chapterhouse)
Sat 26 July, 7.00pm
£10 Adult, £6 Child, £30 Family, £6 Conc
Treasure Island (Openwide)
Sat 2 August, 7.00pm
£9 Adult, £5 Child, £25 Family
Much Ado About Nothing (LCM)
Tue 12 August, 7.00pm
£15 Adult, £10 Child
West Midlands
Attingham Park, Shropshire This elegant 18th century mansion is one of the greatest country houses in Shropshire, containing many important collections. Not to be outdone its grounds are also a sight to see. The large working estate and deer park landscaped by Humphry Repton is an area of great natural beauty for all to enjoy by taking one of the many attractive estate walks
01743 708 162
Peter Pan (Heartbreak)
Wed 6 August, 6.30pm
£12 Adult, £8 Child, £35 Family
East Midlands
Belton House, Lincolnshire Recently featured in the BBCs adaptation of Jane Eyre this eye-catching country house lies within tranquil gardens which are a delight to explore
01476 566 116
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Chapterhouse)
Sat 9 August, 7.00pm
£10 Adult, £7 Child
The Hound of the Baskervilles (Illyria)
Fri 22 August, 7.00pm
£10 Adult, £7 Child
Calke Abbey,Derbyshire A country house, park and gardens where time truly has stood still. This unique house completed in 1704 has been preserved as it was found in the early 1980s and gives visitors a chance for visitors to explore an interesting period of history when many fine country houses where struggling to survive.
01909 511 061
Peter Pan (Heartbreak)
Tue 19 August, 7.00pm
£12 Adult, £6 Child, £40 Family
Clumber Park- This peaceful area of parkland is just the perfect place to relax with peacful woods, a superb serpentine lake and the longest avenue of lime trees in Europe.
01909 544 917
Taming of the Shrew (The Clumber Players)
Tickets 01909 731 778
Wed 2 Sat 5 July, 7.30pm
Wed: Adult £6, conc £4
Thurs Sat: Adult £8
East of England
Oxburgh Hall, Garden & Estate,Norfolk – Step back in time through the magnificent Tudor gatehouse capture a glimpse of the sometimes dangerous times that encapsulated the Tudor period.
01366 328 258
The Pied Piper (Openwide)
Fri 22 August, 6.00pm
£7 Adult, £5 Child, £20 Family
Henry V (Heartbreak)
Fri 18 July, 7.30pm
£10 Adult, £8 Child
Ickworth House, Park & Gardens This eccentric house is dominated by the eyecatching central Rotunda which was built by the equally eccentric 4th Earl of Bristol, who dreamed of creating an Italianate palace within an English landscape
01284 769 505
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (Theatre Works)
Fri 18 July, 7.00pm
£16 Adult, £9 Child
North West
Dunham Massey,Cheshire A graceful Georgian mansion which will captivate with tales of family scandal and romance in the sumptuously decorated hall. The garden also has a story to tell as its bursting with native favourites and exotic treasures.
0161 941 1025
The Town Mouse & the Country Mouse (Openwide)
Sat 30 August, 4.30pm
£6 Adult, £4 Child
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Heartbreak)
Sat 21 June, 7.00pm
£13.50 Adult, £9 Child
Lyme Park The mile long drive to Lyme Park creates a sense of anticipation , which the house more than lives up to. The setting for the BBCs 1995 production of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice the house resembles a fabulous Italianate palace. Equally stunning are the grounds with the opulent Victorian garden complete with its sunken parterre and the Edwardian rose garden, not to mention the lake which just happens to be where Darcy and Elizabeth met
01260 276 165
The Merry Wives of Windsor (Illyria)
Fri 6 June, 7.00pm
£16 Adult, £8 Child, £45 Family
Northern Ireland
Castle Ward, Co. Down Dramatically located overlooking Strangford Lough is the quirky mid Georgian mansion, Castle Ward. An architectural curiosity, it is built inside and out in the distinctly different styles of classical and gothic.
0284 488 1204
The Secret Garden (Fly on the Wall)
Sat 5 July, 7.30pm
£12 Adult, £8 Child, £35 Family
Mount Stewart House, Co. Down- The exotic luxuriance of these celebrated gardens, created in the 1920s by Edith, Lady Londonderry, has helped to make this property one of the Trusts most popular with all the family. Nominated as a World Heritage site, this impressive landscaped garden boasts spectacular views across Strangford Lough from the romantically idyllic Temple of the Winds.
028 4278 8387
King Arthur (Chapterhouse)
Sat 5 July,7.30pm
£12 Adult, £8 Child, £35 Family
South East
Bodiam Castle, East Sussex One of the most famous and evocative castles in Britain, Bodiam was built in 1385. The exterior remains virtually complete to this day and the dramatic sight of the ramparts rising from the moat is a sight not to be missed.
0871 527 1886
Treasure Island (Quantum)
Sat 12 July, 6.30pm
£15 Adult, £8 Child
Ightham Mote, Kent- Set in a Kentish sunken valley, Ightham Mote is a rare example of a moated medieval manor with many treasures to discover the most quirky being the Grade I listed dog kennel which resides in the recently re-cobbled courtyard.
0871 527 1886
The Hound of the Baskervilles (Illyria)
Sun 27 July, 7.30pm
£15 Adult, £8 Child
Nymans Garden- One of the great gardens of the Sussex Weald, Nymans is internationally known for its beauty, atmopshere and collection of rare and important plants. The views over the Sussex countryside are simply breathtaking and make this garden a must for a visit.
0871 527 1886
Much Ado About Nothing (LCM)
Sat 5 July, 7.30pm
£15 Adult, £8 Child
Polesden Lacey This superb Regency house was remodelled in the early 1900d by the well known Edwardian hostess, the Hon. Mrs Ronald Greville and offers visitors a glimpse into the era of her celebrated house parties. The grounds include a beautiful walled rose garden and landscape walks for the whole family to enjoy.
0871 527 1886
Polesden Lacey Festival. Shakespeare’s “Antony & Cleopatra” (Polesden Lacey Players)
Thur 10 Sat 12 July, 7.30pm
£10 Grass Seats, £20 Covered, £ 35 Premium
Thames & Solent
Cliveden ,Buckinghamshire- With magnificent views across the River Thames, Cliveden was the glittering hub of society as the home of Waldorf and Nancy Astor in the early part of the 20th century, and later infamously associated with the Profumo Affair. The spectacular estate also boasts a gorgeous parterre and a series of formal gardens.
0871 527 1887
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Heartbreak)
Sat 5 July, 7.30pm
£16
Mottisfont Abbey Garden- Mottisfonts famous walled garden houses the National Collection of Old- Fashioned Roses which are a pleasure to visit at any time of year.
Mottisfont, nr Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 0LP
0871 527 1887
Peter Pan (Heartbreak)
30 August, 6.00pm
£12 Adult, £8 Child, £32 Family
Wales
Erddig,Wrexham One of the most fascinating houses in Britain, not least because of the unusually close relationship which existed between the family of the house and the servants
01978 355 314
Pinocchio (Illyria)
Fri 22 August, 2.30pm, 7.30pm
£12.50 Adult, £7 Child, £32 Family
Powis Castle & Garden, Powys- This medieval castle rises dramatically above a celebrated and world famous garden. Laid out under the influence of Italian and French styles the graden has retained its original lead statues, an orangery and an aviary on the terraces
01938 551929
Charley’s Aunt (Heartbreak)
Fri 11 July, 7.30pm
£13 Adult, £9 Child
Wessex
Corfe Castle,Dorset- This thousand year old castle is an iconic survivor of the English Civil War. Corfe is one of Britains most majestic ruins and boasts breathtaking views and several walks steeped in history
0871 527 1885
Pinocchio (Illyria)
Tue 26 August, 7.30pm
£14 Adult, £8 Child
Peter Pan (Heartbreak)
Thur 21 August, 7.30pm
£14 Adult, £8 Child
Kingston Lacy ,Dorset Home of the Bankes family for more than 300 years, this striking 17th century house is well known for its lavish interiors, including the dramatic Spanish room, complete with gilded leather walls. The interior collections are matched by the eclectic experience offered by the gardens, from the formal lawns to the restored Japanese Tea garden.
0871 527 1885
Much Ado About Nothing (LCM)
Thur14 August, 7.30pm
£14 Adult, £7.50 Child
Brownsea Island A peaceful island of woodland, wetland and heath, Brownsea is dramatically located in Poole Harbour and offers stunning views across Studland, Old Harry Rocks and the Purbeck Hills. This unspoilt setting offers an escape to the noise and stresses of modern life.
01202 251 987
The Merchant of Venice (Brownsea Open Air Theatre)
Wed 23, Fri 25, Mon 28, Wed 30 July, 7.30pm
£17.50
Yorkshire & the North East
Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal Water Garden, North Yorkshire – Set in the beautiful Skell Valley, this World Heritage site offers a Cistercian abbey, elegant Georgian water garden and medieval deer park. Lose yourself in the passages, staircases and towers of the largest monastic ruins in the country.
01670 773 939
Peter Pan (Heartbreak)
Wed 30 July, 6.30pm
Normal Admission Charge Apply
See Country Life’s National Trust issue out April 3, 2008
