The award-winning Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival will be returning this summer, bringing outdoor theatre back to South Wales.
The Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival began life in 1983 with its first production, William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale performed at Dyffryn Gardens, the Festivals home until 1995. The Festival moved to the Museum of Welsh Life, St. Fagans in 1996 and following the start of their recent re-development found a new home, thanks to assistance from Cardiff Council in 2013, in Cardiff’s, Sophia Gardens.
Since the festival’s debut, a family show was added in 1988, a musical in 1993 and in 2012, a Light Entertainment category. Staged by Cardiff’s Everyman Theatre attracts over 14,000 visitors a year. And caters to a wide demographic of all ages.
Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival To Tour For First Time
The 2021 open-air festival will for the first time, go on tour performing at Insole Court in Llandaff, Cardiff, and Tredegar House, in Newport. Presentations will include Richard III by William Shakespeare, E Nesbit’s The Railway Children and The Rose and Crown by JB Priestley as well as Everyman Youth Theatre present Henry V by William Shakespeare.
The 2021 Festival will follow current Welsh Government regulations and have measures in place to keep casts, crew and audiences safe, including reduced audience numbers to enable social distancing.
Everyman Theatre are able to stage this year’s Festival thanks to the ongoing support of members and audiences as well as funding by the Third Sector Resilience Fund for Wales Phase 2 Scheme, administered by the WCVA.
Peter Harding-Roberts, Festival Chair, said ‘I am absolutely delighted that Everyman Theatre’s Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival is back, and that we are leading the way in bringing live theatre back to Wales. We are thrilled to be able to welcome audiences back to our performances, and whilst we have made some changes to help them go ahead, we’re excited to have the opportunity this year to take the festival on tour before we hopefully return to our performance space in central Cardiff next summer.’
Everyman Theatre’s Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival 2021 Tour Details
Richard III by William Shakespeare
Directed by David Mercatali
Shakespeare’s greatest villain is unleashed in a story of cunning plot and brutal murder. In his determination to right wrongs and take what is rightfully his, Richard of Gloucester, charms, schemes and murders his way to the throne on his way to becoming one of the most famous kings: Richard III. But who will come out on top in the end: our dastardly king or his many enemies?
- Insole Court 6th July – 9th July, 12th July – 17th July at 8pm
- Tredegar House 19th July – 24th July at 8pm
- Tickets £15 (no concession tickets available)
E Nesbit’s The Railway Children adapted for the stage by Mike Kenny
Directed by Simon H West
When Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis move to rural Yorkshire with their mother following the imprisonment of their father, they leave a comfortable, safe existence to discover a world that is insecure and hard, but one filled with love, resilience and humanity. And always running through that world is the railway, in particular the 9.15 to London…
- Insole Court 6th July – 9th July, 12th July – 17th July at 6pm
- Tredegar House 19th July – 24th July at 6pm
- Tickets £12 (£10 for children under 11 only)
The Rose and Crown by JB Priestley
Directed by Wayne Vincent
The setting is the public bar of The Rose and Crown. Into the bar comes an assortment of working-class characters who, with one notable exception, are fed up with life. Their conversations are interrupted by the arrival of a Stranger. Suddenly everyone finds they’ve a reason to live.
Set in post war austerity of 1946, the modern day relevance of the Rose and Crown may surprise you. Stranger things have happened.
- Insole Court 11th and 18th July, 2pm
- Tickets £10 (no concession tickets available)
Everyman Youth Theatre present Henry V by William Shakespeare
Directed by Sarah Bawler
- Insole Court Sunday 11 July, 8pm
- Tredegar House Sunday 25 July, 8pm
- Tickets £10 (no concession tickets available)
- Tickets can be booked by visiting Everyman Theatre’s Cardiff Open Air Theatre Festival website (www.cardiffopenairtheatrefestival.co.uk), or by calling 0333 666 3366.