From timeless children’s classics to anarchic Oscar Wilde adaptations, Greater Manchester’s picturesque parks and gardens invite audiences to grab a fold-out chair and settle in with a pile of snacks to enjoy some of the best theatre in the country amongst breathtaking outdoor scenery, promising a quintessential English summer experience for guests of all ages.
Promising ‘laughter, thrills and a touch of mischief’, Hobgoblin theatre company transforms Longford Park into the enchanting Sherwood Forest for a unique adventure with Robin Hood and his band of merry yet hapless outlaws.
Featuring rousing songs, audience participation and fast-paced fun, Hobgoblin’s three actors lead a lively, engaging and accessible show which follows the mischievous archer as he attempts to outwit the nefarious Sheriff of Nottingham while stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
Promising a gripping, tempestuous tale of love, betrayal and the sinister machinations of power, Storyhouse Theatre’s vividly absorbing take on Martin Scorsese’s seminal film transforms Grosvenor Park into the streets of New York’s most notorious neighbourhood, where two ill-fated lovers defy their feuding families amidst the growing chaos of insidious politics and deadly organised crime.
On Thu 1 Jun, Quantum invites guests to grab a picnic blanket, assemble their favourite snacks and pack both suncream and raincoats for an evening of fever-pitch drama and thrilling mystery with their adaptation of Dickens’ beloved novel at Quarry Bank.
From misty Kent marshlands to smog-filled London alleys, the enduring family story follows young orphan Pip, a blacksmith’s apprentice who comes into a substantial fortune bestowed by an unknown benefactor and infiltrates the city’s high society on a journey of destiny, intrigue, tragedy and unrequited love.
On Sat 10 Aug, Chapterhouse Theatre Company presents a wondrous one-off adaptation of the generationally adored Disney classic in the grounds of Quarry Bank.
When an egotistical young prince is cursed to live as a hulking, hideous beast, his only hope is a pure-hearted damsel in search of a rose.
Perfect for the whole family, Beauty and the Beast is an unmissable outdoor theatre experience featuring original music alongside timeless songs from the movie score.
Babies under 12 months go free.
Staged in the heart of Sale’s hidden botanical gem, Angelica Sprocket’s Pockets promises a fabulously entertaining afternoon of family-friendly excitement, as Folksy Theatre bring Quentin Blake’s wonderfully over-prepared Angelica Sprocket and her magical never-ending coat pockets to life with heaps of live music, puppetry, audience interaction and more.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Tue 2 Jul 2024
Oscar Wilde’s comic masterwork heads outdoors with The Pantaloons’ wickedly off-beat adaptation of the definitive comedy of manners at Ordsall Hall.
Packed with Wilde’s inimitable witticisms and uproarious plot twists, the delightfully chaotic interpretation adds original music and side-splitting physical theatre to the story of hilarious romantic deception, as best friends Jack and Algy attempt to maintain their fictitious alter-egos to win the hearts of Cecily and Gwendolyn.