Theatres heading outdoors for performances
With theatres still closed due to the pandemic a host of outdoor performances are being planned for a park next month.
Telford & Wrekin Council has joined together with The Place, to put on a summer programme of outdoor live family theatre performances in the Town Park.
The events will take place at the Stirchley Chimney in the park and at the teenage amphitheatre.
Councillor Eileen Callear, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Leisure, Libraries and Culture, said they were excited about being able to provide some entertainment for local residents.
She said: “It is a shame that events like the carnival and the balloon fiesta could not take place as planned. However we are delighted that we are able to put on a programme of entertainment for all the family during the summer holidays.
“I hope people will bring a cushion and come along and enjoy these excellent shows which take place in unique outdoor settings.
“We would like to reassure all customers that all these events will take place under strict government recommended social distancing guidelines.”
The run of performances starts with Tales From The Trees by the Squashbox Theatre Company on Saturday, August 8.
Tales From The Trees is a tangle of puppetry, storytelling, live music and comedy with a theme that embraces natural history, folklore and ecology.
The show features Craig, the friendly forest ranger and tree expert and is suitable for children aged five and over.
Performances will be at 1pm and 3pm at the Stirchley Chimney in Telford Town Park. Tickets will be £30.
The Stirchley Chimney will also be the venue for Fantastic Family Funnies on Sunday, August 9.
It is a family stand up comedy show featuring comedians James Cook, Jay Foreman and host Cerys Nelmes. It starts at 1pm, is suitable for children aged six and over and tickets are again £30.
The third outdoor show of the summer season takes place on Thursday, August 20, when the popular Wind In The Willows story by Kenneth Grahame, adapted by Oliver Gray takes place at the Teenage Amphitheatre.
The audience can join Mole, Rat and Badger and of course Toad for the show which is recommended for children aged five and over, and their families
Show times are 1pm and 3pm. Tickets are £30.
The fourth show takes place on Saturday, August 22, when Hotbuckle Productions perform Emotion On The Oceans.
This show is at 2pm in the Telford Town Park Teenage Amphitheatre. The audience can watch Captain Crossbones and Jolly Roger embarking on a journey of discovery in order to finf ways of coping with some of the "big feelings" they are having.
The show is suitable for all primary school aged children and tickets are £30.
The Teenage Amphitheatre in Telford Town Park is also the venue on Sunday, August 23, for popular pantomime performer and author Ian Billings who will do a double act with illustrator, poet and writer Chris White.
They are performing as The Line Kings – a crazy kids’ poetry and cartoon show stuffed with “bags of gags, tons of puns and oodles of doodles, reams of rhymes, gallons of giggles and sacks of silliness.”
It features stories and poetry performed and brought to life with live illustrations. Show times are 12pm, 1.30pm and 3pm and tickets are £12.
The final show of the season is a specially adapted performance of Alice in Lockdown.
It takes place on Thursday, August 27, at 2pm at the Stirchley Chimney in Telford Town Park. Tickets are £30.
The council said that to ensure everyone is accommodated with appropriate social distancing, each booking will be allocated a space with a two metre boundary.
The £30 family group ticket accommodates a maximum of six people, and groups must be limited to no more than two households.
Tickets are available online only and can be booked at www.theplacetelford.com
