Open-air theatre returns to Leamington

Murder on the Terrace is among the shows coming to Jephson Gardens

Outdoor theatre returns to Jephson Gardens in Leamington this month when Heartbreak Productions begins its national tour in the town.

The Leamington-based will be touring five new productions throughout the UK with over 225 performances to more than 90 venues.

And each one has its premier in Leamington’s Jephson Gardens from Wednesday May 31.

The shows include a brand-new adaptation of David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy, a fresh and quirky interpretation of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and a unique perspective on Shakespeare’s unconventional love story The Taming of the Shrew.

Completing the line-up are the family-favourite The Secret Garden and their original murder-mystery spoof, Murder on the Terrace.

Heartbreak has now been touring shows for over 25 years but this is the first time it has taken so many productions out at one time.

Executive director Maddy Kerr said: “It’s a really exciting but hectic time for us.

“By doing such a mix of shows ensures that there’s something for everyone, so audiences of all ages and tastes can get involved and experience outdoor theatre.

“And obviously it makes it very special for us that we’re able to debut them all here in Leamington.”

Heartbreak Productions is renowned for its unique style and tours each production with a small but multi-talented cast of actors auditioned at the company’s local headquarters in Leamington but drawn from across the country.

Billionaire Boy is the third adaptation of a David Walliams’ novel Heartbreak have undertaken having already gained success in previous years with national tours of Mr Stink and Ratburger.

Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is a newly-commissioned adaptation by Dani Carbery, while David Kerby-Kendall’s murder mystery spoof Murder on the Terrace returns. Heartbreak is revisiting its own production of The Secret Garden, adapted from the novel by Frances HodgsonBurnett.

The final addition to the tour is The Taming of the Shrew. Heartbreak will stamp its style on this Shakespeare classic about a controversial yet tender tale of love.

The season begins with Billionaire Boy at Jephson Gardens on Wednesday May 31. See www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk for full details.