It’s official! We’ve nudged into summer, and as we’ve now spent around a fortnight enjoying beautiful sunny days and balmy nights, we think it’s fair to say summer 2013’s shaping up rather well.
So we feel like it’s OK to get increasingly excited about open air theatre – there’s actually a pretty good chance it won’t pour down! We’re used to festivals popping up here, there and everywhere over the summer months, but open air theatres are little harder to come by so we’re thrilled to hear the Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre season has come around again. (If you know of any great examples of open air theatre then please let us know on Facebook and Twitter).
If you’re a stranger to the North West then Grosvenor Park is a real beauty spot in the historical city of Chester that successfully pulls in thousands of avid theatre fans throughout the summer months.
Kicking off on the 5th of July and running until the 25th of August, the theatre will stage 3 plays this year, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (5th July-25th August), Othello (August 2nd-23rd) and Cyrano de Bergerac (July 12th-August 25th). All of the plays are produced by ‘Chester Performs’ and the theme aims to be slightly different to previous years with a more tragic play (Othello) replacing some of Shakespeare’s lighter ‘rom-com’ offerings.
The semi-circle shaped theatre has partially covered seating (as can be seen above) but with the surrounding thicket of trees and the open air design, Grosvenor Park claims that the shows are made even better by dramatic weather! We certainly imagine it would keep the actors on their toes…
The best thing about the Grosvenor Open Air Theatre however is the experience as a whole, not just the fantastic selection of plays and performers. The theatre is very family-friendly with reduced rates for under 16s and students and free entry for children under 12. There’s also a completely relaxed theme and theatre-goers can enjoy picnics and drinks whilst watching the acts.
As enjoyable as grand theatres can be, sometimes just allowing the performance to sing in a natural setting can lead to the best shows, but that isn’t to say some sophisticated stage lighting hasn’t been used to create a magical performance. High positioned spots are used to illuminate the actors and highlight the surrounding trees for a powerful finish- just take a look at the image to see how effective the spots are in this setting. For decorative purposes, strings of bulbs also decorate the canopy over the seating area – a beautiful effect when watching by twilight.
If you’d like to visit Grosvenor Open Air Theatre this summer then visit their site for play synopses and bookings, oh and check out their gallery before you leave too, it’s bound to inspire!
If you’re looking to create a stage or performance space with a difference, then get in touch with the stage and studio installation specialists at PG Stage. We offer a range of services including bespoke solutions- so however unique your idea – don’t be shy!