Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre Unveils 2022 Summer Season

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre will return this summer with three fantastic full-length productions coming to the biggest open-air theatre in the north. The open-air season will run from Friday, 1 July to Bank Holiday Monday, 29 August.

Tickets go on general sale to Storyhouse Members on Thursday, 24 March and on general sale 8 April.

Shakespeare's exquisite story of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, will launch the Grosvenor Park programme on 1 July.

The new production will be directed by John Young, who led the popular Merry Wives of Windsor last year. This new staging of one of literature's greatest love stories will be set in late 1950s Italy and will feature songs specially composed by Chester band Me + Deboe.

It will be followed by Louisa May Alcott's classic tale Little Women, brought to the stage in a new adaptation by Anne Odeke and with the action transported from Civil War America to Britain at the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.

The play, which opens on 8 July, will be directed by Natasha Rickman who returns after directing critically acclaimed, Antigone at Storyhouse last autumn.

And the programme is completed with a revival of the hugely popular children's favourite Stig of the Dump which entranced young theatregoers and their adults when it was performed at Grosvenor Park in 2016.

The adaptation by Jessica Swale will be directed by Harry Jardine will see both Stig and Barney being played by deaf actors, and have an integrated BSL signer as part of every show.

Stig of the Dump opens on 22 July, and all three productions will then play in repertory until 29 August.

Meanwhile Jess Curtis returns to the park as designer of all three show.

Along with the return of full-length performances, the Grosvenor Park 'village' will also return with an expanded version of the popular tepee bar, al fresco seating areas, games for kids, and an extended food and beverage offer - supplied almost exclusively by local suppliers. Plus, 'Twelfth Slice' wood fired pizzas and more.

And this year visitors will notice more of a festival feel with a host of extra events and activities being organised as part of the two-month park residency.

Local employer MBNA are sponsoring the 2022 season for the 3rd consecutive year.

Andrew Bentley CEO Storyhouse says: "We've been really proud to continue offering live performance to our loyal Grosvenor Park audiences during the pandemic. But it's really exciting to finally be able to announce that Grosvenor Park is back with full-length shows including intervals, full lighting and a full company of talented actor-musicians waiting to entertain.

"We've got three amazing shows for 2022 - and while they're all different there are themes of belonging, home, acceptance, discovery and finding your tribe which link them all.

"And along with the main shows, we're planning a programme of additional events which together we hope will add to a real festival feel for what I know is going to be fantastic summer in the park."

Children aged 12 and under go free when accompanied by a full paying adult.

Tickets on sale to storyhouse members from 24 March - 7 April, join now at storyhouse.com

For more details and to book visit www.grosvenorparkopenairtheatre.co.uk/

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