Marking The HandleBards 10th anniversary, the hugely popular Shakespearean troupe climb back on their bikes for another epic tour to open-air theatres, castles, and gardens aplenty across the UK this summer. Humans and fairies collide, and hilarity ensues, as the sustainable ensemble travel over 1500 miles across the country by bike to present more than 100 performances of Shakespeare’s most famous romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With set, props and costumes transported in their 100% electric support vehicle, and actors travelling solely by bike, the course of the cycling path never did run smooth.
Over the past decade, The HandleBards have travelled over 15,000 miles with 17 productions to 16 countries, performing to an estimated 150,000 audience members. By cycling their way through 10 years of touring, the theatre company have consistently proven their commitment to sustainability and healthy living, saving over 10 tonnes of carbon compared to touring in transit vans. Their company ethos is to spread environmental activism through joy, not only with their extensive touring nationally (and sometimes internationally), but also through their national schools tour and community driven work in and around Sheffield, working closely with the community anchor Heeley Trust.
Looking towards the next decade, The HandleBards will continue working with their partners such as Pashley Cycles, Electric Pedals and Studio Polpo to develop more innovative ideas to help reduce their own environmental impact and, they hope, the carbon footprint of the outdoor touring sector at large, with current ideas ranging from cycle powered batteries for powering entire productions to outdoor theatres made from living trees.
Producers and Co-founders Tom Dixon and Paul Moss said, “10 years is a wonderful milestone to reach and we honestly couldn’t have done it without the support of our loyal and generous audiences and supporters. When you cycle all across the UK you meet a diverse range of generous, interesting and kind people. It reminds you that we all have a lot more in common than we think. Here’s to 10 more years, 15,000 more miles and plenty more laughter and joy.”
The HandleBards began with a sense of adventure, a love of Shakespeare and a nifty little pun. Since four fearless friends pedalled Twelfth Night to twenty UK venues in 2013, the company has grown to become an internationally renowned theatre company, bringing a charmingly chaotic brand of Shakespeare to audiences all over the globe. They have won the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award and were nominated for The Stage’s inaugural Sustainability Award.
Running Time: 2 hours (inc interval) | Suitable for ages 8+
Directed by Nel Crouch Written by William Shakespeare
Cast
George Attwell-Gerhards, Alex Crook, Meredith Lewis, Jenny Smith
22 May – 9 September
Tickets from www.handlebards.com/tickets
22 May Oasis Farm Waterloo, London
18 Carlisle Ln, London SE1 7LG
7pm | £19.50 – Free
23 May Norwich Theatre, Norwich
42-58 St Georges St, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 1AB
7.30pm | £17 - £6
24 May Northborough Manor, Peterborough
Northborough, Peterborough, PE6 9BJ
7pm | £20.50 - £18.50
25 May Stow Hall Gardens, King’s Lynn
Stow Hall Gardens Stow Bardolph, PE34 3HU
7pm | £19.50 – Free
26 May Luton Hoo Estate, Luton
Farm Rd, Luton, LU1 4LF
7pm | £19.50 – Free
30 - 31 May Globe Neuss, Germany
Hammer Landstraße 2, 41460 Neuss
3pm & 8pm | Prices TBC
2 June Diss Park, Diss
9 Park Rd, Diss, IP22 4AU
7pm, £18.50 – Free
3 June The Charterhouse, Barbican
Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6AH
7pm | £19.50 – Free
6 June Maglia Rosso, Bury St Edmunds
Metcalfe Arms, Lawshall Rd, Hawstead, IP29 5NR
7pm | £19.50 – Free
7 June Layer, Marney Tower, Colchester
Layer Marney, Colchester, CO5 9US
7pm | £19.50 – Free
8 June The Museum of the Order of St John, London
Priory Church, Museum of the Order of St John, St John's Square, EC1V 4JJ
7pm | £19.50 – Free
9 June Painshill, Surrey
Portsmouth Rd, Cobham, KT11 1BE
7pm | £18 - £14
10 June Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, Sevenoaks
Riverhill, Sevenoaks, TN15 0RR
5pm | £20 – Free
11 June EM Forster Theatre, Tonbridge
Tonbridge, TN9 1JP
7pm | £19 – Free
13 June Lewes Castle, Lewes
169 High Street, Lewes, BN7 1YE
7pm | £21.50
14 June Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester
Roman Way, Chichester, PO19 3QR
7pm | £19.50 – Free
15 June Chawton House, Alton
Chawton, Alton, GU34 1SJ
7pm | £19.50 – Free
16 - 17 June Furzey Gardens, Lyndhurst
School Ln, Minstead, Lyndhurst SO43 7GL
7pm | £17 – Free
20 June Westbury Manor Gardens, Fareham
84 West Street, Fareham, Fareham PO16 0JJ
7pm | £17 - £14
21 June Rockbourne Roman Villa, Fordingbridge
Rockbourne, Fordingbridge, SP6 3PG
7pm | £17 - £14
23 June Maumbury Rings, Dorchester
17 Maumbury Rd, Dorchester, DT1 1QN
7pm | Prices TBC
24 June Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
Church St, Lyme Regis, DT7 3QB
7pm | £19 - £10
27 June Yeo Valley Organic Garden, Blagdon
Unnamed Road, Blagdon, Bristol BS40 7SQ
7pm | Prices TBC
28 June The Hall, Bradford-On-Avon
Kingston Road, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1AJ
7pm | £19.50 – Free
29 June Abbey Home Farm, Cirencester
Burford Road, Cirencester, GL7 5HF
7pm | £19.50 – Free
30 June - 1 July Painswick Rococo Garden, Gloucestershire
Gloucester Road, Painswick, Gloucestershire GL6 6TH
7pm | £19.50 – Free
2 July The Manor, Cheltenham
Notgrove, Cheltenham GL54 3BS
5pm | £19.50 – Free
8 July The Royal Over-Seas League, London
Over-Seas House, Park Place, St James’s Street, London SW1A 1LR
7pm | Prices TBC
12 July Winwick Hall, Northamptonshire
Winwick, Northamptonshire, NN6 7PD
7pm | £19.50 – Free
13 July Guildhall Museum, Leicester
Guildhall Ln, Leicester, LE1 5FQ
7pm | £19.50 – Free
14 July Naseby Village Hall, Naesby
Naseby Rd, Naseby, NN6 6DE
7pm | £19.50.- Free
15 July Coventry Cathedral, Coventry
Priory St, Coventry, CV1 5AB
7pm | £19.50 – Free
16 July Moira Furnace Museum and Country Park, Swandlincote
Furnace Lane, Moira, Swadlincote DE12 6AT
7pm | £19.50 - Free
19 July Southwell Minster, Southwell
Church St, Southwell, NG25 0HD
7pm | £19.50 - Free
20 July Cromford Mills, Matlock
Mill Rd, Cromford, Matlock DE4 3RQ
7pm | £19.50 – Free
21 July Monkey Park, Chesterfield
128 Chester Street, Chesterfield, S40 1DN
7pm | Pay What You Decide
22 July Sheffield Amphitheatre, Sheffield
Sheffield, S2 2TN
5pm | Pay What You Decide
23 July Wentworth Castle Gardens, Barnsley
Park Drive, Barnsley, S75 3EN
7pm | £19.50 – Free
25 July High Lea Park, High Peak
St Mary's Rd, New Mills, High Peak SK22 3BW
7pm | £31.50 - £9.50
26 July Ordsall Hall, Salford
322 Ordsall Ln Salford M5 3AN
7pm | £19.50 – Free
27 - 28 July Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot
Prospero Place, Prescot, Merseyside L34 3AB
7pm | Pay What You Decide
29 July Hoghton Tower, Preston
Hoghton, Preston, PR5 0SH
2pm | £19.50 – Free
30 July The Reader, Liverpool
Calderstones Park, Calderstones Rd, Liverpool, L18 3JB
2pm & 7pm | £18 - £11
1 August Lancaster Castle, Lancaster
Castle Park, Lancaster, LA1 1YJ
7pm | £19.50 – Free
2 August Richard Whiteley Theatre, Settle
Giggleswick School, Settle, BD24 0DE
7pm | £19 – Free
3 August Workhouse Museum Ripon, Ripon
Allhallowgate, Ripon, HG4 1LE
7pm | £19.50 - Free
4 August Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire
Near Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4ET
7pm | £19.50 – Free
5 August Kiplin Hall and Gardens, Richmond
Richmond, DL10 6AT
7pm | £19.50 – Free
9 August All Saint’s Church, Newcastle upon Tyne
West Ave, Gosforth NE3 4ES
7pm | £19.50 – Free
10 August Northumberlandia, Northumberland
Fisher Ln, Cramlington NE23 8AU
7pm | £19.50 – Free
11 August Hexham Abbey, Hexham
Beaumont St, Hexham, NE46 3NB
7pm | £19.50 – Free
13 August Felton Park, Northumberland
2 The Mill, Felton, Morpeth NE65 9HL
7.30pm | £16
15 August Alnmouth Friary, Northumberland
The Friary, Alnmouth NE66 3NJ
7pm | Prices TBC
16 August The Maltings, Berwick
Eastern Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1AJ
7pm | £12.50 - £8
17 August Pallinsburn House, Northumberland
Cornhill-on-Tweed, TD12 4SG
7pm | Prices TBC
18 August Floors Castle, Scotland
Roxburgh St, Kelso, TD5 7RL
7pm | £19.50 – Free
23 August Muckhart Nature Park, Dollar
Muckhart Parish Church, Pool of Muckhart, Dollar FK14 7JQ
6pm | Prices TBC
24 August Cultybraggen Camp, Crieff
6 Comrie Street, Crieff, PH7 4AX
7pm | £20 – Free
25 August Hatton Castle, Blairgowrie
Newtyle, Blairgowrie, PH12 8UN
6.30pm | Pay What You Decide
26 August Cawdor Castle, Cawdor
Cawdor, Nairn, IV12 5RD
7pm | Prices TBC
29 August Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, York
Fossgate, York
7pm | £19.50 – Free
30 August Heeley People’s Park, Sheffield
View Rd, Heeley, Sheffield S2 3DJ
7pm | Pay What You Decide
31 August The Quarry Theatre, Bedford
26 St Peter’s Street, Bedford MK40 2NN
7pm | £16.50 - £14.50
1 September St Paul’s Walden Bury, Hertfordshire
St Paul’s Walden, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 8BP
7pm | £19.50 – Free
2 September The Church Field, Witley
Witley, GU8 5PP
7pm | £19.50 – Free
3 September Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham
268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, Greater London TW1 4ST
7pm | £19.50 – Free
5 - 6 September Dulwich Picture Gallery,
Gallery Road, Dulwich, London, SE21 7AD
7pm | £19.50 – Free
7 – 8 September St Paul’s Church Covent Garden
Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ED
7.30pm | £19.50 - £12.50
9 September Medway Yacht Club
Lower Upnor, Rochester ME2 4XB
7pm | £19.50 - Free
Supported by Pashley Cycle and funded by ACE
