Theatre at the Bowl season continues to welcome back audiences

South Swindon Parish Council launched a brand-new season of outdoor theatre experiences for the summer as part of their new event - Theatre at the Bowl – which started on Saturday 10 July and runs until Friday 20 August, from within Town Gardens Bowl.

The season is hosting a variety of professional touring theatre companies from across the UK, looking to inspire and entertain audiences of all ages, through a range of outdoor productions.

Opening night saw almost 150 visitors enjoy an evening a classic comic play from BlackBox Theatre, with their outdoor adaptation of Blithe Spirit.

Saturday 17 July welcomed Last Baguette Theatre Company for their outdoor adaptation of King Arthur, which provided farcical, family fun for almost 250 visitors across two performances.

Cllr Neil Hopkins of South Swindon Parish Council said, “We’ve loved welcoming the community back into Town Gardens Bowl for a summer full of outdoor theatre experiences for all the family.

This Bowl was designed by Swindon’s Borough Architect Alfred Ridout and constructed by Swindon Borough Council in 1936. It’s one of very few still standing in the world and the only one we know of in this particular Art Deco style in the UK - and it’s 85 years old this year! This series of theatre events is a first step to getting people back into the Bowl and using it again - we still have plenty of performances lined up this summer, so please do join us.”

Theatre at the Bowl continues with a firm favourite on 30 July, as audiences are invited to get their glad rags on for an outdoor adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with Heartbreak Productions and the Nick Carraway jazz quartet. This evening of jazz with a true Heartbreak Productions twist is the perfect way to mark 100 years since prohibition, from 7:30pm, for ages 9+.

An afternoon of enchanting storytelling full of family fun, magic, puppetry, and music is guaranteed on Saturday 31 July, as Heartbreak Productions invite you to Wonder with Grimm, where Rumpelstiltskin is a tech wizard who, instead of spinning straw into gold, manipulates algorithms for followers on “chit chat”. Rapunzel cuts off her own hair and ties it to the bed to climb out of her tower - no prince necessary. The final fairy tale is an original penned by Heartbreak’s “Find Your Voice” contest winner, Kasper, a year 4 student from Leamington Spa. His story “Sin Der Fella” is an original take on Cinderella. Performed in the round, at 3pm, for ages 6+.

Thursday 19 & Friday 20 August will be packed with live music, uproarious comedy and heartbreak, as The Duke's Theatre Company delivers the classical text of Romeo & Juliet with modern clarity and relevance. This is a story as current and relatable today as it was when it was first performed over 400 years ago. Be prepared to fall in love all over again, from 7pm daily, for ages 6+!

Town Gardens Café are also onsite for each performance offering a selection of drinks, snacks, ice-cream, prosecco, G&T and more, as well as picnic boxes which you can pre-book, via the booking site below.

Theatre at the Bowl runs until Friday 20 August.

For more information and to book tickets, picnic boxes and more, visit www.theatreatthebowl.co.uk.

You can also stay up to date across Theatre at the Bowl and other events and initiatives by following @SouthSwindonParish on Facebook.