Open Bar Theatre Performs Three Classics

Continuing their partnership with Fuller's pubs, 2023 will see Open Bar Theatre tour Sense and Sensibility followed by two Shakespeare plays to pub gardens up and down the UK, bringing classics back to the people. Updating the satire in the plays to suit modern day, and performing with a physical, high energy style and a dash of audience participation, Open Bar Theatre perform for today's groundlings, those who want to sit back with a big glass of something cold and be entertained.

With an in-house casting process that focuses on inclusivity and representation, the shows' casts include an often untapped mine of talented un-agented actors, performers who have not taken the traditional drama school route into the profession and actors from working class backgrounds. In contrast to pre-conceived notions of classical theatre casting, actors will perform outside of their 'usual roles', and the show's cast is as varied as the audience, with past performers including Nathaniel Curtis as Romeo.

The first in their season is Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (10 May – 10 June). With a cast of four playing 17 characters (plus intervention from the audience), it follows the three Dashwood sisters as they suddenly lose their father, their home and financial security. Battling to establish themselves in the world and with a cheeky nod to the contradictions of 19th Century society, they fall madly in love, suffer heartbreak, and find themselves at the centre of plenty of gossip.

Next up is Twelfth Night (3 July – 24 August) with four actors, original songs, and a modern aesthetic. Audiences can expect tomfoolery, disguises and audience interaction as shipwrecked twins Viola and Sebastian negotiate tricky love triangles in the classic farce of mistaken identity.

And finally, in Romeo and Juliet (24 July – 15 September), Open Bar Theatre up the comedy and take out some of the dignity that the two houses are alike in, and take over Fullers' bigger gardens. With original songs and Elizabethan costumes, young love, passion and sword fighting takes place across a two-storey rig.

Later in the year, the company will also be staging A Christmas Carol.

Co-Artistic Directors Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin said, “Bringing classic texts to life for an unconventional audience in unusual settings has always been our forte. Before we started making theatre for Fullers, we brought lively theatrical adaptations to libraries throughout London with our sister company Open Book Theatre. Just as we did with libraries, we found theatre and pub gardens is a perfect combination and in Fullers we have found a supportive and enthusiastic partner who see our productions as the cherry on the cake of their punter's experience.”

 

Open Bar Theatre was formed in 2016 by Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin to produce Shakespeare for Fuller's pub gardens. It's a female-led company creating theatre which is accessible to everyone. The company adopts a lively, informal style for its performances, which fits perfectly with the relaxed setting of a picturesque pub garden.

Show information and listings

Sense and Sensibility

Company information

Directed and adapted by Nicky Diss                

Produced by Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin         Assistant Produced by Sarah Gain

Music by David Knight                                      Movement direction by Vicky Gaskin 

Costume design by Grace Kelly Miller

Cast

Laura Cooper-Jones, Darrel Bailey, Thomas Judd, Grace Kelly Miller

Listings information

10 May – 10 June

7.30pm | £18, £15 (concs)

https://www.fullers.co.uk/event-finder/sense-and-sensibility

10 May                                   The Rose and Crown, London

                                                Church Place, St. Mary's Road, Ealing, London, W5 4HN          

11 May                                   The Mayfly, Stockbridge, Hampshire

Stockbridge, Fullerton, Nr. Stockbridge, Hampshire, SO20 6AX

12 May                                   The Calleva Arms, Hampshire

Little London Road, The Common, Silchester, Hampshire, RG7 

13 May                                   The King & Queen, Surrey

34 High Street, Caterham on the Hill, Surrey, CR3 5UA

15 May                                  The George IV, London

185 High Road, Chiswick, London, W4 2DR

 

16 May                                   The Ship Inn, Havant, Hampshire

                                                Langstone Road, Langstone, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1RD

17 May                                   The Turk's Head, Middlesex

                                                28 Winchester Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 1LF

18 May                                   The Old Hatchet, Berkshire

Hatchet Lane, Cranbourne, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 2EE

19 May                                   The Links Tavern, Hampshire

Portsmouth Road, Liphook, Hampshire, GU30 7EF

21 May                                   The Fox & Pelican, Surrey

Hindhead, Headley Road, Grayshott, Hindhead, Surrey, GU26 6LG

22 May                                   The Prince Albert, Middlesex

30 Hampton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW2 5QB

23 May                                   The Hare & Hounds, Middlesex

Wyke Green, Osterley, Middlesex, TW7 5PR

24 May                                   The Anglers, Middlesex

3 Broom Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 9NR

25 May                                   The White Buck, Hampshire

Bisterne Close, Burley, Hampshire, BH24 4AZ

 

26 May                                   The Mill at Elstead, Surrey

Godalming, Farnham Road, Elstead, Surrey, GU8 6LE

30 May                                   The Boater, Somerset

9 Argyle Street, Bath, Somerset, BA2 4BQ

31 May                                   The Windmill Inn, Somerset

58 Nore Rd, Portishead, Somerset, BS20 6JZ

 

1 June                                    The Vansittart, Windsor

                                                105 Vansittart Road, Windsor SL4 5DD

2 June                                    The Hampshire Hog, Hampshire

London Road, Clanfield, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 0QD

5 June                                    The King's Head, Hampshire

The Square, Wickham, Fareham, Hampshire, PO17 5JN

6 June                                    The Jolly Farmer, Hampshire

Alton, Binsted Road, Blacknest, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 4QD

7 June                                    The Castle, Harrow

30 West Street, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 3EF

8 June                                    The Duke of Kent, London

Scotch Common, Ealing, London, W13 8DL

9 June                                    The Bear of Burton, Dorset

15-17 Salisbury Road, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 7JG

10 June                                  The Bell Inn, Surrey

Outwood Lane, Outwood, Surrey, RH1 5PN

Twelfth Night

Company information

Directed by Nicky Diss             

Produced by Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin         Assistant Produced by Sarah Gain

Music by David Knight                                      Movement direction by Vicky Gaskin 

Costume design by Grace Kelly Miller

Cast

Ben Galpin, Shadia King, Caroline O'Mahoney, Hannah-Marie Pryal

Listings information

3 July – 24 August

7.30pm | £18, £15 (concs)

www.fullers.co.uk/event-finder/shakespeare-in-the-garden

3 July                                      The Prince Albert, Twickenham

                                                30 Hampton Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 5QB

4 – 5 July                               The George IV, London

185 High Road, Chiswick, London, W4 2DR

6 July                                      The Vansittart Arms, Windsor

105 Vansittart Road, Windsor SL4 5DD

8 July                                      The Gun, London

27 Coldharbour, Docklands, London, E14 9NS

11 July                                    Bel & The Dragon, Reading

                                                Blakes Lock, Gas Works Road, RG1 3EQ

 

12 July                                   The Jolly Farmer, Hampshire

Alton, Binsted Road, Blacknest, Alton,Hampshire, GU34 4QD

 

13 July                                   The Red Lion, London

13 St Mary's Rd London W5 5RA

 

14 July                                   The Chairmakers, Hampshire

Worlds End, Hambledon, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO7 4QX

 

16 July                                   The Prince Blucher, Twickenham

124 The Green, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW2 5AD

 

18 - 19 July                           The Castle, Harrow

30 West Street, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 3EF

20 July                                   The Ship Inn, Havant, Hampshire

                                                Langstone Road, Langstone, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 1RD

22 July                                   The Hind's Head, Berkshire

Wasing Lane, Aldermaston, Berkshire, RG7 4LX

23 July                                   The Bear of Rodborough, Gloucester

                                                Rodborough Common, Stroud, GL5 3DE

 

24 July                                   The Ivy House Buckinghamshire

London Road, Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, HP8 4RS

26 July                                   The Bridge Tavern, Hampshire

54 East Street, Old Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 2JJ

27 July                                   The Cromwell Arms, Hampshire

23 Mainstone, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 8HG

28 July                                   The Cams Mill, Hampshire

Cams Hall Estate, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 8AA

29 July                                   The Bell Inn, Surrey

Outwood Lane, Outwood, Surrey, RH1 5PN

31 July   - 1 Aug                  The Bear Of Burton, Dorset

15-17 Salisbury Road, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 7JG

2 Aug                                      The Fox & Hounds, Hampshire

Lyndhurst, 22 High Street, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7BG

 

3 Aug                                      The Chineham Arms, Hampshire

Ajax Close, Chineham, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 8XA

5 Aug                                      The King & Queen, Surrey

34 High Street, Caterham On The Hill, Surrey, CR3 5UA

7 Aug                                      Bel & The Dragon, Reading

                                                Blakes Lock, Gas Works Road, RG1 3EQ

8 Aug                                      The Plough Inn, London

297 Northfield Avenue, Ealing, London, W5 4XB

9 Aug                                      The Links Tavern, Hampshire

Portsmouth Road, Liphook, Hampshire, GU30 7EF

10 Aug                                    The Turk's Head, Twickenham

28 Winchester Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 1LF

13 Aug                                    The Talkhouse, Oxfordshire

Wheatley Road, Stanton St. John, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX33 1EX

                                                5pm

14 - 15 Aug                            The Windmill Inn, Somerset

58 Nore Rd, Portishead, Somerset, BS20 6JZ

16 Aug                                    The Bay Tree, Oxfordshire

                                                Sheep Street, OX18 4LW

17 Aug                                    The Bull Inn, Berkshire

High Street, Sonning-On-Thames, Berkshire, RG4 6UP

19 Aug                                    The Plough, Norwood Green

                                                10 Tentelow Ln, Southall UB2 4LG

22 Aug                                    The Cross Keys, Buckinghamshire

                                                40 High St, Great Missenden HP16 0AU

23 Aug                                    The Hampshire Hog, Hampshire

London Road, Clanfield, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 0QD

24 Aug                                    The Le De Spencers, High Wycombe

The Common, Downley, High Wycombe HP13 5YQ

 

25 Aug                                    The Red Lion, West Sussex

The Green, Fernhurst, Haslemere, West Sussex, GU27 3HY

Romeo and Juliet

Company information

Directed by Nicky Diss             

Produced by Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin         Assistant Produced by Sarah Gain

Music by David Knight                                      Movement direction by Vicky Gaskin 

Costume design by Grace Kelly Miller

Cast

Thomas Delacourt, Princess Donnough, Vicky Gaskin, Thomas Judd, Dewi Mutiara Sarginson, Harriet Sharmini Smithers

Listings information

24 July – 3 September

7.30pm | £18, £15 (concs)

www.fullers.co.uk/event-finder/shakespeare-in-the-garden

24 – 25 July                          The Pilot, London

68 River Way, Greenwich, London, SE10 0BE

26 July                                   The Mayfly, Stockbridge, Hampshire

Stockbridge, Fullerton, Nr. Stockbridge, Hampshire, SO20 6AX

28 July                                   The Oak, Buckinghamshire

                                                119 Green End Street, Aston Clinton, Aylesbury

29 July                                   The Bell, Bedfordshire

Station Road, Stanbridge, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 9JF

1 Aug                                      The King's Head, Hampshire

The Square, Wickham, Fareham, Hampshire, PO17 5JN

2 Aug                                      The Frog & Wicket, Hampshire

The Green, Eversley Cross, Eversley, Hampshire, RG27 0NS

3 – 4 Aug                               The Mill At Elstead, Surrey

Godalming, Farnham Road, Elstead, Surrey,GU8 6LE

5 Aug                                      The Bear & Ragged Staff, Hampshire

Stoneymarsh, Michelmersh, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 0LB

8 – 9 Aug                               The Calleva Arms, Hampshire

Little London Road, The Common, Silchester, Hampshire, RG7 

10 Aug                                    The Kingswood Arms, Surrey

Waterhouse Lane, Kingswood, Banstead, Surrey, KT20 6EB

11 Aug                                    The Rose and Crown, London

                                                Church Place, St. Mary's Road, Ealing, London, W5 4HN

12 Aug                                    The Holly Bush, St Albans

                                                Potterscrouch Lane, St Albans AL2 3NN

14 Aug                                    The Red Lion, Charlton

Charlton Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 0BG

15 Aug                                    The New Forest, Hampshire

Lyndhurst Road, Ashurst, Hampshire, SO40 7AA

16 - 17 Aug                            The White Buck, Hampshire

Bisterne Close, Burley, Hampshire, BH24 4AZ

18 Aug                                    The Rising Sun, Hampshire

                                                Iping Road, Milland, Liphook GU30 7NA

21 Aug                                    The Maypole, Hampshire

                                                9 Havant Island, Hayling Island PO110PS

22 Aug                                    The King Charles, Hampshire

6 Lovedon Lane, Kings Worthy, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 7NU

23 - 24 Aug                            The Anglers, Teddington

3 Broom Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 9NR

26 Aug                                    The Fox & Pelican, Surrey

Hindhead, Headley Road, Grayshott, Hindhead, Surrey, GU26 6LG

27 Aug                                    The Manor House, Gloucestershire

                                                High Street, Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 0LJ

28 Aug                                    The Hare & Hounds, Gloucestershire

                                                Bath Road, Westonbirt, Tetbury GL8 8QL

29 Aug                                    Bel & The Dragon, Reading

                                                Blakes Lock, Gas Works Road, RG1 3EQ

30 Aug                                    The Hare & Hounds, Middlesex

Wyke Green, Osterley, Middlesex, TW7 5PR

2 Sept                                    The Fisherman's Haunt, Dorset

Salisbury Road, Winkton, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 7AS

3 – 4 Sept                              The Alice Lisle, Hampshire

Rockford Green, Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 3NA

5 Sept                                    The Links Tavern, Hampshire

Portsmouth Road, Liphook, Hampshire, GU30 7EF

6 Sept                                    The King & Queen, Surrey

34 High Street, Caterham on the Hill, Surrey, CR3 5UA

8 Sept                                    The Boater, Somerset

9 Argyle Street, Bath, Somerset, BA2 4BQ

9 Sept                                    The Cambridge Arms, Bristol

Coldharbour Road, Redland, Bristol, BS6 7JS

10 Sept                                  The Bear of Rodborough, Gloucester

                                                Rodborough Common, Stroud, GL5 3DE

12 Sept                                  The Old Hatchet, Berkshire

Hatchet Lane, Cranbourne, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 2EE

14 – 15 Sept                         The Duke of Kent, London

Scotch Common, Ealing, London, W13 8DL