AS I write, the only chance to see live theatre in Britain this summer is out of doors. The famous Minack Theatre in Cornwall is staging a revival of Marie Jones’s Stones In His Pockets, plus Willy Russell’s Educating Rita with Stephen Tompkinson; the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park is presenting a concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar and the Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in Chester is producing The Comedy of Errors.
These are a cheering reminder of the vital part alfresco theatre has always played in the British summer—and not only in Britain.
The Tempest ended with Ariel speeding across the surface of a lake to vanish in a shower of sparks
Theatre has a sustained outdoor history that starts with the day-long rituals that took place in Athens in the 5th century BC, embraces the 14th-century Mystery Plays that toured the streets and squares of Europe and includes the free performances of Shakespeare that take place under the night sky in New York’s Central Park.
Looking back, I’m also struck by how many of my own formative experiences, either as participant or spectator, took place in the great outdoors. In the summer of 1953, I took part in a Coronation Pageant in the grounds of Warwick Castle. Each local town supplied a relevant royal episode: one of them, if memory serves, somewhat incredibly showing Elizabeth I being introduced to a young William Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon. My own modest role involved shouting huzzahs as Queen Victoria arrived in a barouche to bestow a royal charter on Leamington Spa.
Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin August 12, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin August 12, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
