The Garden Theatre Festival is back in Bath for its second year, offering a great selection of productions for the family, ranging from Slapstick Oscar Wilde to Kate Bush and The Wind in the Willows, all at the wonderful setting of The Holburne Museum. Bigger, better and with even more laughter, this year’s festival will be your chance to make fantastic memories with the ones you love in the magical gardens of the Holburne Museum. With a whole host of events from children’s theatre to late-night music events, there’s something for everyone!
Julie Madly Deeply by Sarah-Louise Young
29th July – 2pm
The hills are alive with the return of this critically acclaimed Off Broadway and West End hit.
‘Even your critic found herself, unprecedentedly, singing along. My cheeks hurt with smiling.’ **** Daily Telegraph
Adored by millions, Dame Julie Andrews is a genuine showbiz icon. This charming yet cheeky cabaret takes an engaging look at fame and fandom, through the eyes and voice of award-winning performer Sarah-Louise Young (Fascinating Aida, An Evening Without Kate Bush, La Soirée, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical).
Julie’s songs from musicals including Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady are intertwined with stories and anecdotes about Andrews’ own life, from her beginnings as a child star to the more recent challenges of losing her famous singing voice. What emerges is a delightfully funny and candid love letter to a true show business survivor.
An Evening Without Kate Bush by Sarah-Louise Young
29th July – 6pm
Enter Strange Phenomena, howl with the The Hounds Of Love and dance on the moors with Wuthering Heights. Kate’s not there, but you are. Acclaimed performer Sarah-Louise Young (Cabaret Whore, The Showstoppers, La Soiree) has teamed up with theatre maker Russell Lucas (Warped at VAULT Festival) to explore the music and mythology of one of the most influential voices in British music.
From releasing ‘Wuthering Heights’ at the age of 19 to selling out the Hammersmith Apollo nearly forty years later, Bush has always surprised and confounded her critics. Through it all her fans have stayed strong. Young invites you to celebrate her songs with this unique and mind-blowing show.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Slapstick Picnic
31st July – 6pm
Slapstick Picnic would like to cordially invite you to its summer tea party at the Holburne Museum, where marvellous feats of performance and culinary capers await. Over tea and cucumber sandwiches, we ask that you prepare to witness the impossible – the entirety of Oscar Wilde’s classic play of manners, affairs and handbags being performed by just two rather dashing entertainers.
From the creators of The HandleBards comes a fantastically wild(e) new production, ripping up the recipe book and celebrating silliness. With Slapstick Picnic, you can have your cake and eat it.
The Wind in the Willows by Calf2Cow
2nd Aug – 7pm
3rd Aug – 7pm
4th Aug – 7pm
5th Aug – 2pm
6th Aug – 2pm
6th Aug – 7pm
A summer afternoon in wild wood, while the animals sat, ate picnics and played with their friends, a mischievous ‘poop poop’ echoed in the trees. Join Mole, Ratty and Badger in a floor stomping, live music, hilarious re-telling of this woodland adventure as they save Toad and his shiny new motorcar from deep trouble.
Award-winning theatre company, Calf2Cow, brings you the outdoor theatrical experience of the summer in a retelling of Kenneth Grahame’s classic story The Wind In The Willows.
Hero & Leander, Or, I Love you, But Everything’s Under Water by Jack Dean & Company
5th Aug – 8.30pm
Six multi-instrumentalists tell an epic seaside tale through songs encompassing folk, indie, sea shanties and choral music. A story of bad rulers, worse weather, and how we keep going when everything is flipping terrible.
Two towns, one rich and one poor, stand separated by a narrow strip of ocean. When the borders close and ships stop sailing between them, two lovers are left stranded on either side. Unphased, Leander takes to swimming across the channel to meet Hero, guided by the light of the lighthouse where she lives. But the jealous and vengeful Hephaestus, carrying an ancient grudge, plots to separate them with a flood like neither town has ever seen.
We all know this will probably end badly. But just maybe, this time, it will turn out different… Written by Jack Dean.
Much Ado About Murder by Heartbreak Productions
11th Aug – 7pm
An original murder mystery will set five suspects under the spotlight, and we will depend on the audience to find answers. Who was lurking in the corridor carrying a candlestick?
When did the third gunshot go off – before or after the very silly song? And probably most importantly, why didn’t you pack a larger picnic? Answers to these and other equally important questions will only be uncovered as we make Much Ado About Murder (an original murder mystery by Heartbreak Productions, performed, as are all our shows, out of doors, so check the weather, dress appropriately, and bring a picnic).
The Rascally Dinner by LasTheatre
12th Aug – 11.30am
Cook up a stink as part of Rufus Skumskins O’Parsleys’ kitchen crew or bring a pot to bang and ward off evil cakes in this fun-filled, messy performance about food.
Chef Rufus Skumskins O’Parsley is famous for creating some of the world’s most disgusting dishes. You might know him from the award-winning children’s book The Rascally Cake, written by Jeanne Willis and Korky Paul.
Rufus went viral after baking a huge, human-eating cake from ingredients including snot, blubber and a cowpat. He only escaped being gobbled up by the gruesome gateau because he tasted awful – a result of his foul diet. For ten years now, Rufus has been on a mission to make everyone taste bad and protect them from the creature he cooked up.
Join LAStheatre for a riotous performance for humans aged 5+. No Cakes.
King Arthur By The Last Baguette theatre company
Directed by John Nicholson and written by Tiff Woodsmith.
7th Aug – 2pm
7th Aug – 7pm
A fun and farcical family adventure
Somewhere in Britain, a long time ago, a very, very, very long time ago. So long ago that nobody quite knows whether it happened or not. Or where it happened or not. A boy pulled a sword from a stone and became King. A story of the old world, with knights, wizards, mist and magic.
This fun and farcical adventure is a deliberately anarchic and anachronistic re-telling of the Arthurian Legend with live music, physical comedy and lo-fi acrobatics. And some silly jokes…
The Last Baguette makes entertaining, accessible and eccentric work for family audiences and are company in residence at Pound Arts, Corsham. The Last Baguette was formed from a shared love of theatre, bakery and humour in Paris by graduates of the Philippe Gaulier and Jacques Lecoq schools.
The Gunpowder Plot by The Three Inch Fools
10th August – 2pm
10th August – 7pm
The Three Inch Fools hit the road with a bang. Cue an explosive evening of short fuses and tall tales, as five actors try to pull off the most infamous conspiracy in history.
This summer, touring the UK, The Gunpowder Plot comes to life in a brand new, calamitous production fit for all the family. Expect uproarious intrigue, endless costume changes, and many, many false moustaches in this highly flammable historical tale.
Twelfth Night by The Three Inch Fools
9th Aug – 7pm
The Three Inch Fools are dusting down their musical instruments and hitting the road with Shakespeare’s riotous comedy, Twelfth Night.
Prepare for an evening of mischief and hilarity, as five actors present an inventive take on this rip-roaring comedy, fit for all the family. Touring the UK this summer, this Shakespearean classic will be getting the full Three Inch Fools treatment: expect fast-paced drama, endless costume changes, and much music-making along the way!
The Beast Will Rise by Philip Ridley
12th Aug – 7pm
The Beast will Rise is a collection of monologues by award-winning playwright Philip Ridley. It is powerfully haunting ‘celebration of the glittering dark’ (Arts Desk), where Chihuahuas are held ransom in an apocalyptic landscape, and a starling haunts a lover’s fever.
An evening of two monologues (Cactus and Star), written in lockdown, directed by Wiebke Green.
So take your chairs, blankets and snacks, find a spot, grab a bottle from our own outdoor garden bar, and settle in for Bath’s newest, most memorable event of the summer!