Live theatre under the open skies of Bedford
The Place Theatre is thrilled to launch its summer outdoor performance season at The Place Outdoors. A space usually used as an overflow car park has been lovingly transformed by our volunteers into an open-air performance space. This year, we are welcoming four theatre companies bringing stories for all ages: pirates and sea shanties, a steampunk wonderland, Shakespeare in the open air, and a Viking saga with a familiar ring to it.
Swan Theatre Company — Treasure Island
23–27 June
The season kicks off with Swan Theatre Company’s action-packed, comic and thoroughly family-friendly take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure, complete with a rousing smattering of sea shanties. Our story begins in the Tavern, where we meet young Jim Hawkins — and follows him from a fateful brawl and an unexpected inheritance (one mysterious map left by the scurrilous Billy Bones) all the way to the high seas aboard the good ship Hispaniola. The crew is a mighty strange mix of sailors, including Barbeque, a one-legged man. Billy Bones warned Jim: beware the One-legged Man. But is Barbeque — and his parrot — really as harmless as he seems.
Standing in the Wings — Alice’s Adventures
16–19 July
Take a tumble down the rabbit hole this summer with Standing in the Wings’ enchanting open-air family show, Alice’s Adventures — inspired by the beloved tales of Lewis Carroll and reimagined through a dazzling steampunk lens. Join Alice as she navigates a whimsical world of wonder, accompanied by an original score from local composer Rob Parker. With eccentric characters, playful storytelling, top hats, goggles, and clockwork magic, this lively outdoor production promises an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages.
Folksy Theatre — A Midsummer Night’s Dream
15 August
Love, laughter, and a little bit of lunacy arrive at The Place Outdoors this August as Folksy Theatre present their breathtaking open-air production of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy. In the heart of an enchanted forest, four young lovers flee the constraints of society and stumble into a realm of mischievous fairies, feuding royalty, and a troupe of would-be actors with considerably more enthusiasm than talent. What follows is a wild night of mistaken identities, magical transformations, and love gone deliciously wrong — brought to life with Folksy’s signature blend of live music, frantic multi-rolling and irresistible audience interaction.
Quill and Inkling — The Cursed Ring: A Viking Saga
21 August
The season closes with a mythic epic from Quill and Inkling. It began with the forging of the great ring — crafted from Rhinegold, beautiful and powerful, until it fell into the hands of men whose lust for power and riches proved to be their undoing. A tale of heroes, Dwarves, Dragons and the Gods; of love, justice, desire, and villainous treachery.