Outdoor Theatre and Cinema return in July

Published: 3 February 2022

The ever-popular Outdoor Theatre and Cinema season will be returning to the picturesque surroundings of Markeaton Park in July 2022.

Derby LIVE and Derby Parks will be bringing audiences a double bill of Shakespeare from Oddsocks Theatre and Derby Shakespeare Company, two great interactive performances perfect for children with Babbling Vagabonds and Pop Up Theatre, and showings of award-winning films.

Held in the Craft Village, the season will kick off with Children’s Pop-up Theatre Fairy Tales on Saturday 2 July and Sunday 3 July at 11:30am and 1pm. Let our fairy, alongside a few of her puppet friends, bring to life tales full of forests, castles, Princes, Princesses, adventures, romance, magic, witches, wizards, and maybe even the odd dragon! Journey deep into the woods to visit Little Red's grandma, join Jack on his adventures in the sky, and find out if Rapunzel will ever escape her tower!

This wonderful show is something the whole family can enjoy together, combining great storytelling with the magic of puppetry. There's a mixture of old and new fairy and folktales to listen to and the show also includes a fully interactive story and a 15 minute 'meet the puppets' session to close. Tickets are available for £4.50 full price, £3.50 concessions and babes in arms are free.

Outdoor theatre favourites, Derby-based Oddsocks Theatre, bring you a new adaptation of Hamlet the Comedy (7+) for this summer! The play finds the eponymous royal student returning home for the summer holidays to find something rotten in the state of Denmark and it’s more than just the bag of dirty washing! Mum’s married Uncle Claudius and Dad’s dishing the dirt from his grave – it’s enough to make a teenager mad! Things will never be the same again in the Hamlet household...

Shakespeare’s famous tragedy will be performed as you’ve never seen before with lots of laughs, music and memorable moments. The production will be at Markeaton Park between Thursday 14 and Saturday 16 July at 7pm, with tickets available for £17, concessions £15.

After a great Christmas run at Derby Market Place, join the fabulous funsters Babbling Vagabonds once again this summer with a wild walk full of adventure for all the family. Will our hero find her way, remember where she was going and what for? If your air-ship crashed and you were lost at sea what would you do? Watch out as colourful characters, wonderful creatures and quirky machines bring this story to life at every turn.

Don’t get left behind as the Babblers weave their way through Markeaton Park telling a story of wonder, magic and excitement. Wild Walk - Adventure Shack will be showing from Wednesday 20 to Sunday 24 July, with tickets available for £9, under 3’s free.

Local Amateur theatre company, Derby Shakespeare Theatre Company will also be at Markeaton Park Craft Village between Thursday 21 and Saturday 23 July with their production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. Sir John Falstaff is always short of cash, but he’s got a cunning plan to get back in funds. All he has to do is seduce the wives of two wealthy citizens. But he’s bitten off more than he bargained for and double crossings, disguises, and a basket full of dirty laundry are at the ready, as the witty wives determine to teach the knight a lesson he won’t forget. Tickets are available for £13.

Markeaton Park Outdoor Cinema returns as part of the season in 2022, with more fantastic showings, starting with The Full Monty (15+) on Friday 29 July at 9pm. A runaway success when it was first released, The Full Monty retains a place in the hearts of British filmgoers and is the ultimate feelgood film.

Get ready to sing your heart out on Saturday 30 July at 9pm when Mamma Mia (PG) hits the big screen. Follow Sophie’s quest to find her father before her wedding day, which is accompanied, naturally, by ABBA’s biggest hits.

On Sunday 31 July at 9pm it’s time to put on your leather jackets and join us for Grease (PG). Sandy and Danny fell in love over the Summer. Then at the beginning of the new High School year they unexpectedly realise they are at the same school. Will they rekindle their romance? Tickets for all the outdoor cinema events are £14.

Bring your chair, pack up a picnic full of delicious treats and grab your nearest and dearest to enjoy this years Outdoor Theatre and Cinema and we’ll do the rest. Don’t forget your cosiest blanket! It wouldn’t be an Outdoor Theatre and Cinema season without the on-site catering from the Orangery, which will stay open until 8pm for evening theatre show goers and serve speciality coffees, infusions and cakes/ice creams and cold drinks. During the outdoor cinema shows in the courtyard there will also be wood fired pizza between 7pm and 9pm and a bar selling beers, cider, wines & soft drinks.

Tickets for the outdoor theatre and cinema season can be purchased:

• by contacting  the Sales and Information Centre on 01332 255800
• online at derbylive.co.uk
• or in person at the Sales and Information Centre Riverside Chambers, Full Street, Derby, DE1 2FP.

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