Brian Butler previews this year’s 5-month season at the Brighton Open Air Theatre, BOAT.
THE Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT) launches its fifth and biggest season of shows to run from May till September at its Dyke Road Park home.
Some 140 different performances will be given by 80 theatre and music groups from all over the UK.
Highlights include Kick in the Head who present Airlie Scott as the comedienne Joyce Grenfell (Friday, May 10), Circus Xanti and Ali Williams Productions who will stage As A Tiger In The Jungle – a performance about life, lost children and circus (from Wednesday, May 22-Saturday, May 25).
The programme has the internationally famous Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on tour with three of the Bard’s plays – The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night and Pericles (Wednesday, July 10 – Saturday, July 13) Uniquely at the start of each show the audience get to pick which of the three plays they want to see.
Other Shakespeare offerings include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Thursday, June 6-Saturday, June 8) and Romeo and Juliet (Thursday, June 13-Sunday, June 16) and an abridged version of all 37 of his plays in one session (Wednesday, June 19-Thursday, June 20).
On the solstice, classical guitarist Richard Durrant will perform Music for Midsummer, and on Wednesday, June 12, Brighton’s premier gospel choir Gospel in the Park celebrates its 19th year.
BOAT patron Simon Evans will be joined by two other stand ups to preview their Edinburgh Fringe shows.
The Who get a tribute evening with Johnny Warman’s Magic Bus Band on Saturday, July 6.
Other plays include The Legend of King Arthur (Sunday, July 21), Mary Stuart (July 17-20), Ayckbourn’s Joking Apart (Wednesday, July 31-Sunday, August 4), Wuthering Heights (Wednesday, July 24-Saturday, July 27) and Frankenstein (Tuesday, August 6).
A wide variety of music is being served up including Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf (Wednesday, August 7), Walk Like a Man – a 4 Seasons tribute (Friday, August 16), Sunday in the Park with Jazz hosted by Charlotte Glasson with Terry Pack’s Trees and Harry’s Tricks (Sunday, August 11). The Vox Beatles present Cavern to Imagine (Sunday, September 8) and the comic singing duo Going South present an event of musical frivolity (Friday, September 13).
In the open air cinema there will be screenings of Mary Poppins Returns (Saturday, September 21), and Grease (Saturday, September 21). And there’s an all-night sleep out under the stars to raise funds for the Clock Tower Sanctuary (Saturday, September 28). The season ends on Sunday, September 29 with an End of Summer Party by the Brighton Beach Boys.
Full programme and to book online, click here:
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