Shakespeare at the Castle

Where better to enjoy an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, than in the spectacular gardens at Berkeley Castle?

For one night only The Lord Chamberlain’s Men make a welcome return to Berkeley Castle for an evening performance on Sunday 5^th June 2011.

Their performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Shakespeare’s most popular and hilarious comedy, the magical feast – will take place in the evening on the Lower Lawn of the Castle Gardens, adjacent to the Lily Pond.

This is a magical setting for outdoor theatre, nestled in a secluded corner of the grounds, in the shadow of the stunning Norman Castle that has been the home of the Berkeley’s for nearly 1,000 years.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men is an all male open air theatre company built upon the same principles that Shakespeare himself followed: to present bold, clear and dynamic productions that excite and engage the audience. The unique mixture of location, climate and performance makes the relationship between the actors, the text and the audience a truly thrilling event.

Mark Puddle, the company’s founder and creative director, says:

“For this year we decided to go all out and do a raucous, no holds-barred comedy, so A Midsummer Night’s Dream was the natural choice, as it delivers in spades everything we and our audiences want to make a fantastic summer evening.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a play that has delighted audiences for almost 400 years and is regarded by many to be Shakespeare’s funniest and most popular play. Acting as an antithesis to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, this tale of young love, magic and amateur dramatics guarantees a rollercoaster journey with a happy and theatrical ending.

The gates open at 5.00pm, the audience are invited to bring their own picnic to have before the performance, which starts at 6.00pm.

Tickets are available from the Castle Shop – 01453 512992/ 801332, Adults £13.50, Seniors £12, Children £8.50 and Family tickets £36.

Classic Car Show in the Castle Meadow

Bank Holiday Monday 30th May 2011, 10.00am – 4.30pm

The Classic Car Show returns to the Meadow at Berkeley Castle on Bank Holiday Monday 30^th May. The Classic Car Show at Berkeley has now been running for 14 years and has gone from strength to strength. The event started as an antique and collectors fair, with only a few classic cars and it has now grown into one of the largest Classic Car shows in the area with hundreds of Classic Cars on display.

In addition to the Classic Cars there is also Auto Jumble and the Antique and Collectors Fair.

Antique Valuations by Philip Tauberheim of Wotton Auction Rooms are also available between 2.00-4.00pm 

The show opens at 10.00am and tickets are available on the gate for £5.00 (children under 16 are FREE, when accompanied by an adult).

Access to the Castle grounds will be free of charge from the event, usual admission charges into the Castle will apply.

For more information about the show contact Rafael Fairs on 01454 202638 or by e-mail rafaelfairs@aol.com or visit their website www.berkeleyclassiccarshow.com.

Maggini Players at Berkeley Castle

Sunday 22^nd May 2011, 7.00pm (reception from 6.30pm)

Spring Evening Concert in the Great Hall with the Maggini Players

The Berkeley family open their ancestral home for an evening concert on Sunday 22 May at 7.00pm in the magnificent Great Hall at Berkeley Castle, with a wine reception in the Long Drawing Room at 6.30pm – a glorious setting for the spring evening concert. 

The concert will feature some of the most beautiful music every written for combinations of flute, harp and strings, the composers being Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Debussy.  Of note, the concert will feature a quintet arrangement for flute, harp and string trio of Mozart’s great Flute & Harp Concerto K299 (arr. Derek Smith). 

The players include three of the four members of the internationally renowned Maggini Quartet: David Angel (violin), Martin Outram (viola) and Michal Kaznowski (cello), together with flautist Sarah Newbold and harpist Katherine Thomas who both have very well-established solo and orchestral careers.

Tickets: £27 from the ESO Box Office 01386 791044 (inc wine).  Booking recommended in order to avoid disappointment.