Presented by Mark Farrelly

Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for 12+

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Written by Mark Farrelly, with Simon Cartwright as Frankie Howerd and Mark Farrelly as Dennis Heymer. Directed by Joe Harmston.

Frankie Howerd was one of Britain’s most loved comedians for half a century. But he had a secret. And the secret’s name was Dennis.

This hugely acclaimed play by Mark Farrelly (Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope, Jarman) takes you to the heart of Frankie and Dennis' clandestine relationship, which lasted from the 1950s until Frankie’s death in 1992. It also affords a glorious opportunity to encounter Frankie in full-flight stand up mode.

Packed with laughter, but unafraid of truth, Howerd’s End portrays two humans' journey through closeness, love, grief and all the other things that make life worth living. Come and say farewell to a legend… and learn the art of letting go.

★★★★★ "Simply tremendous entertainment" London Living Large

★★★★ "Painfully moving" Libby Purves, Theatre Cat

★★★★ "Deeply moving" Sardines Magazine

★★★★ "Hugely entertaining" ReviewsGate

★★★★ "Sublime" The Reviews Hub

★★★★ "Don't lose your chance to see Howerd's End if it comes your way" British Theatre Guide

★★★★ "Heartfelt, funny and with an inspiring message" North West End

★★★★ "Fascinating insight into the life and times of a leading comedy figure" London Theatre

Pre-order a theatre picnic!

Local supper club Husk offers freshly prepared gourmet picnic suppers delivered to the picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by Strange Fascination Theatre

Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for 5+

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Strange Fascination Theatre return to open air performance with their new adaption of The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Celebrating ten years of making theatre in East Anglia, Strange Fascination Theatre are director and writer Simon Michael-Morgan and designer and producer Daisy Plackett. They are a professional duo who have previously brought their adaptions of Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book and the award-nominated Treasure Island to thousands of audience members.

Based on the original novel, this latest show is an exciting and adventurous family story told with original hand made puppets, costumes and music.

Professor Challenger and his band of adventurers explore a forgotten realm of South America, and encounter danger, wonder and dinosaurs! But what is waiting for them?

“We can’t wait to bring our latest show to audiences in East Anglia. We have a great audience base and amazing venues on our tour; this summer is going to be a blast!” Simon.

Presented by IK Productions

Running time: 2 hours, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Escape under the sea with IKP’s The Little Mermaid on an exciting new adventure! From the team who brought you Hercules (4* The Stage), Beauty and the Beast, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (4* The Stage), come along for a huge European adventure to find freedom, truth and love! This brand new family show is great for all ages from tiny tots to big kids, so hop aboard and sail the sea with The Little Mermaid!

Presented by This Is My Theatre

Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Written by Edith Nesbit

Adapted by Ethan Taylor

Directed by Chloe Bond  

Music by Simon Stallard

The five children - Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their baby brother, known as the Lamb - are playing in a gravel pit one morning when they uncover a rather grumpy and sometimes tricky Psammead, a sand-fairy with the ability to grant wishes. Join them on their adventures as they learn what it is to be careful what you wish for!

Based on the classic children's novel by Edith Nesbit - with live music and puppetry throughout - children and adults alike will love this ever-popular story reimagined for the stage.

Critics have said of our previous shows:

Grapevine Live

“Warm and welcoming, clever and creative – a wonderful afternoon of entertainment!” (The Wind in the Willows)

Visit Dean Wye 

“A fun-filled family adventure, thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable!” (Treasure Island)

Presented by This Is My Theatre

Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Written by William Shakespeare

Adapted and directed by Sarah Slator  

Music by Simon Stallard

“I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream,

past the wit of man to say what dream it was.”

The woods outside Athens are busy this night. Four young Athenian lovers are lost. Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairy-folk, are quarrelling whilst a group of craftsmen (who also happen to be some not-so-very-talented actors) are meeting in secret to rehearse their play.

With its many parts, Shakespeare's story of love, mistaken identity and magic has remained popular with audiences across the world. Our critically acclaimed production returns this Summer to delight audiences again!

Of previous shows:

Visit Brighton

“Shakespeare would have envisioned his play to be enjoyed exactly this way!”

Binge Fringe 

“A must-see for theatre fans and an education in how to make Shakespeare relevant again!”

Delicious picnics delivered

Local supper club Husk offers freshly prepared gourmet picnic suppers delivered to the picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by This Is My Theatre

Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Written by William Shakespeare

Adapted and directed by Sarah Slator  

Music by Simon Stallard

“I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream,

past the wit of man to say what dream it was.”

The woods outside Athens are busy this night. Four young Athenian lovers are lost. Oberon and Titania, the king and queen of the fairy-folk, are quarrelling whilst a group of craftsmen (who also happen to be some not-so-very-talented actors) are meeting in secret to rehearse their play.

With its many parts, Shakespeare's story of love, mistaken identity and magic has remained popular with audiences across the world. Our critically acclaimed production returns this Summer to delight audiences again!

Of previous shows:

Visit Brighton

“Shakespeare would have envisioned his play to be enjoyed exactly this way!”

Binge Fringe 

“A must-see for theatre fans and an education in how to make Shakespeare relevant again!”

Delicious picnics delivered

Local supper club Husk offers freshly prepared gourmet picnic suppers delivered to the picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by Rah Rah Theatre Company

Running time: 1 hour

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Bring along your favourite bear and join us on a fun, exciting adventure to get to the picnic on time! The show incorporates puppets, well-known songs and dancing, together with important educational areas such as numbers, colours and shapes. Aimed at children aged from two to six years old.

This much-loved children’s show is in its 12th year of touring and we are excited to have the chance for Rah Rah Theatre Company to visit Thorington Theatre with the production.

Click here to view the show reel.

Presented by Al Fresco Theatre

Running time: 2 hours, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Following the success of Summertime Cinders, Robin Hood and Snow White, Al Fresco Theatre are excited to return to Thorington again this year with their fabulous pantomime production of Sleeping Beauty.

Packed full of songs, dances, fabulous costumes, a ridiculously funny script and some very subtle panto innuendo, there's something for the whole family in this magical extravaganza of a show!

Will Annie the Nanny and Polly-Esther the Jester manage to keep Princess Rose Safe? Why is Fairy Carabosse in such a horrible mood? And will Prince Vince arrive in time to save the day? Come and cheer for the good and boo at the bad with Alfresco Theatre this summer!

Presented by Al Fresco Theatre

Running time: 2 hours, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Following the success of Summertime Cinders, Robin Hood and Snow White, Al Fresco Theatre are excited to return to Thorington again this year with their fabulous pantomime production of Sleeping Beauty.

Packed full of songs, dances, fabulous costumes, a ridiculously funny script and some very subtle panto innuendo, there's something for the whole family in this magical extravaganza of a show!

Will Annie the Nanny and Polly-Esther the Jester manage to keep Princess Rose Safe? Why is Fairy Carabosse in such a horrible mood? And will Prince Vince arrive in time to save the day? Come and cheer for the good and boo at the bad with Alfresco Theatre this summer!

Presented by Pantaloons

Running time: 2 hours, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Join utter legends Robin, Marian and the Merry Men in Sherwood Forest for a hilariously adventurous take on the timeless tales of everyone's favourite archer.

Pernicious Prince John and the shifty Sheriff of Nottingham have hatched a plan to put a stop to Robin Hood's charitable crime spree once and for all. Can they outwit the outlaw? Or will Robin hit the target once again?

Find out in the critically-acclaimed Pantaloons' innovative take on the myth featuring live music and audience interaction.

Prepare to have your blocks busted, your rips roared and your swashes well-and-truly buckled!

Presented by Sedos

Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

White. A blank page or canvas. The challenge: bring order to the whole.

Through design. Composition. Tension. Balance. Light. And harmony.

In 1883 immersed in his studio, eccentric artist, George, attempts to capture the characters he sees around him through pointed spots of colour, much to the bemusement of local critics.

100 years later history repeats itself when his great-grandson, George, reveals his latest work, Chromoloume #7, to mixed reviews.

Is his career finished? Or can his beloved muse, Dot, bring him to life as he did her?

Inspired by the little-known life of Georges Seurat and his pioneering painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Sunday In The Park With George explores love, loss, and what it means to sacrifice oneself for art.

Direct from their London run, leading amateur company Sedos presents Sondheim’s Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece in this stunning outdoor setting. With a cast, choir and orchestra of over 50 performers, we are sure this is one not to be missed.

Presented by Folksy Theatre

Running time: 1 hour, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Angelica Sprocket lives next door. Her overcoat has pockets galore! And you'll never guess what's in them...Prepare to be surprised, thrilled and tickled pink by Angelica Sprocket's never-ending pockets, and the marvellous things she keeps in them. Filled with Folksy’s touch of live music, puppetry, audience interaction and madness! This fun-filled show is the perfect treat for the whole family!

Presented by Festival Players

Running time: 2 hours minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Shakespeare’s last, and great, play is a triumphant compilation of intrigue, magic, and humour. Prospero, an exiled Duke with supernatural powers, creates a great storm which sees his enemies shipwrecked on his island. Magic abounds, plots are exposed, and a colourful array of characters gain their deserts. Fascinating entertainment.

Book your picnic!

Local Supper Club, Husk, offers delicious, gourmet picnic suppers delivered to the picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by The Plandits

Running time: 2 hours, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for 6+

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Join Mary, Colin and Dickon as they tell you the story of their favourite place in the world - The Secret Garden.

A brand new re-imagining of the classic Frances Hodgson Burnett book brought to you by The Plandits. Suitable for anyone aged 6+ who loves literature and the great outdoors, this heartfelt, energetic show is full of original music, puppetry, interaction and laughs.

As the three characters discover the transforming power of being active, the magic of nature and the joy of play, we’re sure you’ll leave this performance with a renewed enthusiasm for the world around you!

Presented by Sedos

Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

White. A blank page or canvas. The challenge: bring order to the whole.

Through design. Composition. Tension. Balance. Light. And harmony.

In 1883 immersed in his studio, eccentric artist, George, attempts to capture the characters he sees around him through pointed spots of colour, much to the bemusement of local critics.

100 years later history repeats itself when his great-grandson, George, reveals his latest work, Chromoloume #7, to mixed reviews.

Is his career finished? Or can his beloved muse, Dot, bring him to life as he did her?

Inspired by the little-known life of Georges Seurat and his pioneering painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Sunday In The Park With George explores love, loss, and what it means to sacrifice oneself for art.

Direct from their London run, leading amateur company Sedos presents Sondheim’s Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece in this stunning outdoor setting. With a cast, choir and orchestra of over 50 performers, we are sure this is one not to be missed.

Book a picnic!

Local Supper Club, Husk, offers delicious picnic suppers delivered to our picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by Tethered Wits

Running time: 1 hour, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

Tethered Wits invites you to embark on a magical journey filled with fun, music, and heartwarming moments. Get ready to be transported to the enchanting world of Edith Nesbit's timeless masterpiece, "The Railway Children"!

Meet the Waterbury children: Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis. They are ordinary children living in an ordinary house, until one day, a mysterious event changes their lives forever. Forced to move to the countryside with their mother, they discover a world filled with adventure, friendship, and the heartwarming power of family.

The Waterburys live near a bustling railway, where every passing locomotive brings new mysteries, friendships, and discoveries. Our young heroes find themselves in the midst of a true adventure...

Presented by The Duke’s Theatre Co

Running time: 2 hours minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

“…look into happiness through another man’s eyes!” The ancient Forest of Arden serves as the backdrop for Shakespeare’s most famous and quotable comedy. When Rosalind is banished from Duke Ferdinand’s court, new identities are explored with hilarious consequences. Music, mayhem and madness thrill as we are shown that “all the world’s a stage”.

Back for a fourth summer season, The Duke’s Theatre Company follow their acclaimed tours of Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night with As You Like It. Robert Shaw Cameron (Coronation Street, Birmingham Rep, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Chester Story House) directs this brand-new production that will visit 50 of the UK’s most magical venues including The Minack, Wilton’s Music Hall and Hever Castle.

This As You Like It will live on in your memory “forever and a day”.

***** “TDTC sets a new standard for open air theatre” – BBC Radio Wiltshire

***** “The humour, (especially the humour) is impeccably presented” – Hastings Independent

Pre-order a picnic!

Local Supper Club, Husk, offers gourmet picnic boxes delivered to our picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by Facsimile Productions

Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for 12+

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

“I’ll be revenged on the whole pack of you!” 

Set one year after the events of Shakespeare’s classic comedy Twelfth Night, this original sequel imagines what happens when Malvolio makes good on his threat and comes back to take his revenge. 

Part comedy, part revenger’s tragedy and written in authentic Shakespearean verse, this production will draw on British Touring Shakespeare’s 25 years of experience delighting audiences around the world with their fresh take on open air theatre to deliver something exciting and new that outdoor Shakespeare audiences will love.

By Andrew Hobbs and SP Howarth

Photograph by Tom Godber

“In an ideal world, Shakespeare probably IS better when performed outdoors. And in an ideal world it would always be performed by British Touring Shakespeare.” – Dave Evans, Remote Goat

“At long last, a company that does Shakespeare – and indeed theatre – the way it should be done...This is drama at its most human, that speaks to the gods.” – Nick Awde, The Stage

Gourmet picnics delivered

Local Supper Club, Husk, offers gourmet picnic boxes delivered to our picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by Facsimile Productions

Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for ages 13+

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

When the police investigation into the brutal murder of Sir Danvers Carew fails to yield anything other than the name of a suspect who seems to have disappeared, his daughter Cordelia joins forces with her late father’s lawyer Gabriel Utterson to try and uncover the truth. But where is the sinister Edward Hyde and what is his connection to Utterson’s friend Dr Henry Jekyll?

The team behind last year’s acclaimed production of The Hound Of The Baskervilles return with a brand new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic masterpiece. Having delighted audiences around the world with their fresh, energetic and accessible take on open air theatre since 1999, British Touring Shakespeare are thrilled to return to Thorington with their innovative version of this classic tale.

By Andrew and David Hobbs

Based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson

Photograph by Tom Godber

Press for The Hound Of The Baskervilles:

“The British Touring Shakespeare team have captured the intrigue and the mystery you would expect from a Sherlock Holmes story and made for a most entertaining evening – the game is very much afoot!” – Everything Theatre

“This is a cracking production of a great story, adapted with care and performed with fun and flair.” – Theatre Plays UK

Picnics

Why not enjoy the finest picnic whilst at the Theatre? Local supper club, Husk, offers gourmet picnic boxes delivered to our picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by Wayfarer Productions

Running time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Suitable for 12+

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

From the producers of Mr Darwin’s Tree and Fire From Heaven comes a brand new play by Murray Watts and performed by Andrew Harrison.

Henri Nouen (1932 - 1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest, psychologist, and professor who reached the heights of academic success at Yale and Harvard before abandoning everything to join the community of L’Arche, Daybreak in Toronto.

He became part of a life-sharing movement, seeking to make known the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities, exploring their unique talents and creating a welcoming home of friendship and belonging.

To some Henri Nouen put his brilliant career into reverse, risking the loss of reputation, to others his life was a prophetic challenge to church and society.

The Beloved Son is a moving solo performance, exploring hope and longing, family dynamics, sexual and emotional crisis, and the profound insights of a man who became one of the greatest spiritual writers of the 20th century.

Picnics

Why not enjoy a delicious picnic whilst at the Theatre? Local supper club, Husk, offers gourmet picnic boxes delivered to our picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.

Presented by Animal Madness

Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

If you love animals, then you are going to love this show. A show dedicated to and celebrating all creatures great and small. The only show around where you get to see life-sized crocodiles, sloths, reindeer, dinosaurs, penguins, orangutans and maybe even a spraying skunk bursting out onto the stage right before your very eyes.

This heart-warming show, packed full of music, comedy and amazing animal effects, is suited to all ages from toddlers to grown-ups.

Book your family in and come and have a roarsome time.

The perfect family show for all ages to enjoy. However, don’t just take our word for it, here is what some of the reviews from our last tour said:

Presented by Animal Madness

Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

If you love animals, then you are going to love this show. A show dedicated to and celebrating all creatures great and small. The only show around where you get to see life-sized crocodiles, sloths, reindeer, dinosaurs, penguins, orangutans and maybe even a spraying skunk bursting out onto the stage right before your very eyes.

This heart-warming show, packed full of music, comedy and amazing animal effects, is suited to all ages from toddlers to grown-ups.

Book your family in and come and have a roarsome time.

The perfect family show for all ages to enjoy. However, don’t just take our word for it, here is what some of the reviews from our last tour said:

Presented by This Is My Theatre

Running time: 1 hour 50 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.

Suitable for all

charity. comedy. family. live music. opera. play. poetry. storytelling.

“There’s no place like home!” 

When Dorothy Gale is carried from her home in Kansas by a cyclone she finds herself in the magical land of Oz. There she must journey to the Emerald City to meet with the great Wizard and, with the help of the friends she meets along the way, defeat the Wicked Witch of the West.

Based on the original novel by L. Frank Baum, children and adults alike will love this ever-popular story reimagined for the stage.

Written by Sarah Slator

Directed by Chloe Bond

Music by Simon Stallard

Of previous shows:

Grapevine Live

“Warm and welcoming, clever and creative – a wonderful afternoon of entertainment!” (The Wind in the Willows)

Visit Dean Wye 

“A fun-filled family adventure, thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable!” (Treasure Island)

Picnics

Why not enjoy a delectable picnic whilst at the Theatre? Local supper club, Husk, offers gourmet picnic boxes delivered to our picnic field one hour before your show. More information and ordering here.