Outdoor productions in the picturesque surroundings of The Bishop’s Palace in Wells are always a highlight of the summer season and, with this summer’s tickets now on sale, there’s a choice of outdoor theatre, opera and family friendly performances this year.
Held on the South Lawn, with a backdrop of the 13th century ruins of the Great Hall, it’s the perfect combination for a memorable night out.
This year’s programme kicks off in June with the return of Opera Brava to the site. They’ll be following last year’s triumphant performances with two popular operas: La Bohème (30th June) described as one of the most romantic opera’s ever written, follows four struggling bohemians as one frosty Christmas Eve changes their worlds. And La Traviata (1st July), a romantic tragedy follows the love of Violetta and Alfredo which challenges the hypocrisy of upper-class fashionable society.
We’ll be bringing back the 80’s to the Palace on 20th July with New Amen Corner who’ll be encouraging everyone to grab their spandex and Rubiks Cubes for a trip back in time for a night of non-stop retro anthems. It’s a guaranteed night of floor filling classics from the first song until the last.
On 23rd July the ever-popular Lord Chamberlain’s Men will perform the timeless and classic love story, Romeo and Juliet. This great play will be presented as Shakespeare first saw it, in the open air, with an all-male cast and Elizabethan costumes, music and dance.
Palace favourites The Pantaloons will visit the Palace on 3rd August when they will be bringing their vibrant sense of fun to an hilarious yet faithful new adaptation of Jane Austen’s satirical story ‘Emma’. Then follow them down the rabbit hole on 9th August for an hilarious take on Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical novel ‘Alice in Wonderland’.
To finish the season, Pinch Punch will be welcoming guests aboard their exciting show, Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit, on 18th and 19th August. Through audience suggestions and stories, a cast of four suspects boarding a train will be created, though not everyone will survive the journey. Thankfully, onboard is a world-famous detective, ready to jump to action and solve the case. Who is the murderer? Can the detective solve the case before the killer strikes again? That depends entirely on the audience.
All theatre productions begin at 6:30pm (Opera Brava at 7pm) and audiences are invited to bring a picnic blanket or low-backed seating along with their own picnic and drinks. The performances will take place regardless of the weather, so do dress appropriately!