Preview: Plays in the Parks Season

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A whole new realm of adventure awaits North East audiences this summer.

Romeo & Juliet

14^th – 17^th July 2016 at 7pm Roker Park, Sunderland

9^th – 10^th August 2016 at 7pm Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

George and the Dragon

30^th July 2016 at 5pm, 31^st July 2016 at 11am, 2pm & 5:30pm Mowbray Park, Sunderland

6^th – 11^th August at 12pm & 2pm Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

The Taming of the Shew

25^th – 28^th August 2016 at 6:30pm Barnes Park, Sunderland

The multi-award nominated Theatre Space North East CIC are returning with the biggest season of events in the company’s history, as their unique brand of outdoor storytelling returns to Sunderland’s Parks and for the first time, the magnificent grounds of Alnwick Castle in 2016.

The Plays in the Parks season has been delighting Sunderland audiences of all ages for the past 4 years, with innovative and immersive open air performances which put spectators right in the heart of the action. Now, for the first time, the hugely successful Sunderland performances will be joined by a series of shows, performed in the shadow of one of the North’s most iconic landmarks.

Throughout the summer months, specially crafted productions of some of the world’s greatest stories will bring the magnificent landscapes of the North East to life, as our talented band of roving storytellers take audiences on totally unique ‘expeditions’ through Sunderland’s parks and the grounds of the Castle. As the action, drama and romance unfolds all around you, at each turn, you’ll be plunged straight into the heart of each production – being led along a whimsical path by the expedition team.

Photo: Durham Photography

Theatre Space has always prided itself on introducing new audiences to Shakespeare’s work through accessible and immersive performances. In his 400th year, TSNE are delighted to be producing two of William Shakespeare’s

most iconic works, in a year of celebration of The Bard’s timeless storytelling.

Photo: Durham Photography

Kicking off the summer season with the greatest love story of them all – Romeo and Juliet will transport audiences in Sunderland and Alnwick into the middle a fierce battle between two warring families, as two starcrossed lovers attempt to navigate the turmoil surrounding them. Perhaps one of Shakespeare’s most well known works, our all new promenade performance of Romeo and Juliet, which has been specially designed for both Sunderland’s Roker Park and the imposing grounds of Alnwick Castle comes complete with all of the romance and tragedy audiences have come to expect from this classic story of forbidden love.

Photo: Durham Photography

At the height of the Summer Holidays, brave adventurers have the chance to don their finest suit of armor in a terribly silly expedition fit for big and little knights alike. George and the Dragon – a new twist on the timeless tale has been specially commissioned and written for the Summer Season by Sunderland writer David Farn. The people of England have long feared the stories of a terrible, fearsome dragon, but before they can be rid of that, our hero George has the small matter of the Rampaging Raven and the Mighty Magnetron to deal with. Grab your sword and join us on a fantastical, daring and noble quest. Into a world of mythical beasts, feisty princesses and the odd fire-breathing dragon thrown in for good measure. George and co. will be crusading through Mowbray Park and Alnwick Castle in July.

Photo: Durham Photography

Bringing another summer in Sunderland’s parks to a close in August will be our second Shakespearean masterpiece, The Taming of the Shew. For this hilarious reinvention of this classic comedy, we return to where it all started in Barnes Park. Bianca is not short of suitors, she even quite likes one of them. But she can not marry until her older, grumpier and more wilful sister, Katherine, has. A dilemma which cannot be gotten around. That is, until Petruchio arrives, keen to wed anything with a purse. This uproariously funny, fast-paced jaunt through this Shakespearean classic brings to a close another unforgettable season of outdoor adventures.

Theatre Space is the multi-award nominated community interest company, dedicated to bringing theatre ‘outsideof the theatre’ with site specific performances, geared especially towards the local communities for the North East.The company is a familiar fixture in schools and community groups throughout the region, providing cutting edge theatre in education services and is a major supporter of the Sunderland 2021 City of Culture bid. The company is currently renovating a crumbling industrial unit in Sunderland’s historic east end into a cultural hub for artists and creatives, complete with state of the art rehearsal space and majority funded by the incredible generosity of crowdfunding supporters. The space is due to open later this year and is being renovated using a considerable amount of recycled and reclaimed material and will be the result of hundreds of volunteer hours.

Performance Schedule

Romeo & Juliet

14^th – 17^th July 2016 at 7pm Roker Park, Sunderland

9^th – 10^th August 2016 at 7pm Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

George and the Dragon

30^th July 2016 at 5pm, 31^st July 2016 at 11am, 2pm & 5:30pm Mowbray Park, Sunderland

6^th – 11^th August at 12pm & 2pm Alnwick Castle, Northumberland

The Taming of the Shew

25^th – 28^th August 2016 at 6:30pm Barnes Park, Sunderland

Tickets:

• There are no tickets or pre-booking for the Sunderland Plays in the Parks performances, would-be adventurers

simply turn up at the Expedition Outposts for each performance, before the expedition team lead you through the grounds.

• Tickets for Romeo and Juliet will be available via the Alnwick Castle ticketing system on their website. Performances of George and the Dragon at Alnwick Castle are included with the General Admission to the Castle.

• Since launch, TSNE has been committed to providing accessible performances to the communities of the North East and we are delighted once again to provide our theatrical adventures for FREE in 2016. All they ask is for a

donation towards the production costs and actors fees at the end of the performance, which this year is a suggested

optional donation of £10 per person.