Chester’s Grosvenor Park Theatre returns with enchanting summer season

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in Chester is poised to return this summer with two unmissable theatrical delights performed in the atmospheric theatre-in-the-round. The open-air season will run from Saturday, 1 July to Sunday, 27 August.

Shakespeare’s magical ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ will launch the Grosvenor Park programme on 1 July. The enchanting new production, directed by Elvi Piper, promises a fantastical experience filled with sprites, young lovers, and Shakespeare’s ‘rude mechanicals’. Suitable for children aged six and up, the play will transport audiences into the Bard’s whimsical tale.

Following Shakespeare’s enchanting play, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic ‘The Great Gatsby’ will make its appearance from 21 July. The adaptation by writer Deborah McAndrew and director Conrad Nelson, both of whom worked on Grosvenor Park’s successful production of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ in 2021, will immerse audiences in the glamorous world of 1920s New York high society.

Alongside these two classics, a new promenade show – ‘The Wind in the Willows’ – will delight children aged five and under and their grown-ups, continuing the tradition of family-friendly entertainment after the success of last season’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’.

The Grosvenor Park ‘village’ will also return, offering visitors more than just theatre. The popular tepee bar, seating areas, games, wood-fired pizzas, cocktails and more will contribute to the festive atmosphere. The Other Stage, located in the festival tepee, will host a range of extra events and activities throughout the park’s two-month residency, including live acoustic music, comedy, and storytelling.

“Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre is back with a bang!” said Storyhouse producer Helen Redcliffe. “We’re thrilled to be working with Deborah McAndrew and Conrad Nelson again. Their version of ‘The Great Gatsby’ will be a raucous, sparkling, sensational show. Meanwhile, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is perfect for audiences from the ages of six to 96. Elvi Piper is a brilliant talent, and I know she’s going to create an unmissable Shakespearean treat this summer.”

Tickets for the productions are priced between £25.30 and £48.50, with members receiving a discount. In a bid to promote family theatre-going, children aged 12 and under go free when accompanied by a full paying adult for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre continues to be supported by MBNA, which has sponsored the park since 2019.