Heartbreak Productions and Illyria Theatre are back this summer at Hanbury Hall with four fun-filled outdoor shows.

The theatre companies will be performing productions of Awful Auntie, Peter Pan, Jane Eyre, and The Pirates of Penzance.

Visitors are advised to pack a blanket or chair to sit on, weather-appropriate gear, and a picnic if ythey wish. The Stables Café will be open before the performance begins and during the interval.

David Walliams' Awful Auntie - Saturday 16 July, 7pm

The new playground at the Saxby Hall Orphanage is finally complete, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you. The orphanage was founded by Stella Saxby, who some of you may remember. Her parents were killed in a car crash in 1933, leaving her an orphan, all alone with her Awful Auntie. And when we say awful, we mean awful. Aunt Alberta and her best friend Wagner, a vicious Bavarian owl, tried everything they could to torment Stella into signing over the deed to Saxby Hall. But Stella, with the help of her friend Soot, fought off Aunt Alberta, saved Saxby Hall, and gifted the beautiful Saxby Hall to be used as an orphanage.

Awful Auntie by David Walliams, adapted for outdoor theatre by Heartbreak Productions, is a truly thrilling tale. Owls, ghosts, chases, escapes, motorcycle rides, and tiddlywinks all fill Stella’s days as she evades her menacing Aunt and saves the family home. So, please join us at the dedication of the new playground at Saxby Hall and hear how it all came about. Make sure you bring a blanket or chair to sit on, weather-appropriate gear, and a picnic, as the tale could take some time to tell, and storytelling can be hungry work!

Book your tickets.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie - Friday 29 July, 7pm

Wendy Darling is certain she saw the face of a boy at her bedroom window 3 floors up – yet no-one believes her. So who can blame her when she agrees to fly away to the idyllic Neverland with him? But is Neverland as perfect as it seems? Or will the evil Captain Hook and his band of pirates kill Peter and rule over it themselves?

Peter Pan was first performed by Illyria in 1997. It has been performed outdoors many times since by many different companies. But Illyria’s 2022 production will be the first to feature REAL flying!

Running time (approx): 1hr 40mins (including 20 minute interval). Suitable for: all ages 5+.

Book your tickets.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – Saturday 13 August, 7pm

Heartbreak is delighted to present this original outdoor theatre adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic, Jane Eyre. Using the backdrop of a carnival, we follow our favourite Victorian heroine through her many ordeals. Watch her escape from her aunt’s house, her school, the fire, the moors, and finally find safety with her true love, Mr Rochester.

So step right up, ladies and gents, to Heartbreak Productions’ Carnival Spectacular - complete with astounding acrobats, jaw-dropping jugglers. And don't forget our very special guest - the death-defying escape artist Jane Eyre. Watch her wriggle out of five different tight corners, including everyone’s greatest fear – fire! Harrowing at times and heart-warming at others, this romantic tale is best enjoyed at one of our gorgeous outdoor venues, with a picnic, of course.

Book your tickets.

The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert & Sullivan – Saturday 20 August, 7pm

Frederick, apprenticed to the Pirates since a child, learns that he was born in a leap year on 29th February, and that he is contracted to the Pirate King until his 21st BIRTHDAY, not his 21st year. With only the inept Penzance constabulary to protect him, how will he resist being forced to endure a life of crime until he is 84 - and will his sweetheart, Mabel, wait for him that long?

Performed by a 6-strong cast of actor/singers with specially orchestrated jauntily-nautical accompaniment, The Pirates of Penzance gets the complete Illyria treatment. Despite the reduction in scale not a single word from WS Gilbert's libretto is cut, nor a single note or harmony from Sir Arthur Sullivan's score unsung.

With hilarious melodrama, sharp satire and glittering wit, The Pirates of Penzance is as fresh as if it had been written today. It is packed-full of memorable songs such as To be a Pirate King!, Modern Major General and A Policeman's Lot is Not a Happy One.

Running time (approx): 2hrs 10mins (including 20 minute interval)

Book your tickets.