Cheltenham Open-Air Theatre Festival

Cheltenham’s ever-popular Open-Air Theatre Festival at the Bacon Theatre will be returning this summer for more alfresco stage entertainment and cinema under the stars.

The Tuckwell Amphitheatre at Cheltenham’s Bacon Theatre will be playing host to the Open-Air Theatre Festival once again in 2012, giving music lovers, drama fans, film buffs and families the perfect opportunity to pack deck chairs and picnics for a host of must-see events.

Celebrating its ninth birthday, organisers say audiences can expect another compelling mix of laid-back music, sophisticated Shakespeare, alfresco cinema, quirky theatre productions and local drama under the stars between Sunday 22 July and Saturday 4 August 2012.

Set in an idyllic spot, The Open-Air Theatre Festival will once again be catering to an eclectic range of audiences all hoping for a fantastic evening of entertainment on a balmy summer’s evening.

London Calling: A Capital Celebration

Sunday 22 July 2012 at 7.30pm

Launching the festival fortnight will be local talent Philomusica, a mixed choir of around 100 members aged 8 to 80.

The choir will be celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the landmark London Olympics 2012, with a miscellany of music reflecting our capital city. Tickets cost £4 to £8.

Grease

Tuesday 24 July 2012 at 9.15pm

The first in the cinema under the stars series, re-live the magic of Rydell High with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in Grease, the original high school musical.

With little need of an introduction, sing along with favourites including ‘Summer Nights’, ‘Greased Lightning’ and ‘You’re the One That I Want’ and pack a picnic for what promises to be a popular event. Tickets cost £5 to £6.

Henry V

Wednesday 25 July 2012 at 7.30pm

Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Henry V, tells the gripping tale of an inexperienced king who leads a small and weakened army into battle against the might of the French battalions, performed by Illyria.

Organisers describe the play as ‘brimming with excitement, romance and a surprising amount of comedy,’ staged with inspiration by mediaeval touring troupes. Tickets cost £11 to £13.

The Pickwick Papers

Thursday 26 July 2012 at 7.30pm

In this year of Charles Dickens’ bicentenary, Jenny Wren Productions will be performing an action-packed adaptation of his first novel, The Pickwick Papers.

‘Expect fights, chases, elopements and even, if you’re not careful, a prison stay,’ organisers warn. Tickets cost £8 to £11.

Twelfth Night

Saturday 28 July 2012 at 7.30pm

Shakespeare’s lively tale spans a love triangle, a drunken Knight, a foppish Lord and a wily Jester, as well as ‘much confusion and hilarity’, according to organisers.

Presented in the Festival Player’s inimitable style, Tuckwell audiences can also expect some new compositions from Johnny Coppin. Tickets cost £11 to £13.

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark

Sunday 29 July 2012 at 5pm

Based on the classic children’s book by Jill Tomlinson, this funny, gentle and reassuring tale is written especially for small people aged three to seven, incorporating live music, puppetry and storytelling.

A new generation of theatre-goers will be joining Plop, the baby barn owl, as he journeys into the night-time world of campfires, fireworks, starry nights and moonlit adventures. Tickets cost £7 to £10.

My Week With Marilyn

Tuesday 31 July 2012 at 9.15pm

The second cinema under the stars screening is set in the summer of 1956, when Colin Clark finds himself as a lowly assistant on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl with Marilyn Monroe and Sir Lawrence Olivier.

When Marilyn’s new husband, Arthur Miller, leaves the country, Colin introduces her to some of the pleasures of British life. Tickets cost £5 to £6.

The Importance of Being Earnest

Wednesday 1 August 2012 at 7.30pm

Following on from the success of The Pantaloons’ astonishing performance of The Canterbury Tales last year, Oscar Wilde’s comic masterpiece gets the full treatment in 2012.

Described as an anarchic take on the classic comedy of manners, expect brilliant performances and vibrant staging. Tickets cost £11 to £13.

Railway Children

Friday 3 August 2012 at 7pm

Expect a tender rendition of a classic story the whole family can enjoy, and join Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis as their gentle Edwardian lifestyle is turned upside down.

Described as a play ‘wrapped in a blanket of nostalgia,’ Heartbreak’s award-winning adaptation includes inspirational storytelling and uplifting music. Tickets cost £11 to £13.

Jazz on a Summer’s Evening

Saturday 4 August 2012 at 7.30pm

Closing the Open-Air Theatre Festival 2012 will be the ever-popular Cheltenham performer Peter Gill plus friends, for another fantastic helping of cool jazz for a balmy summer’s evening.

Performing jazz, blues and boogie woogie, the concert will finish with a bang with a spectacular fireworks finale and is expected to sell-out smartish. Tickets cost £15.

Book Open-Air Theatre Festival tickets directly through ticketweb.co.uk.