Internationally acclaimed theatre company come to Devon

British Touring Shakespeare are delighted to come to two beautiful Devon venues: Blackberry Farm near Holsworthy with their hilarious new production of the Shakespeare comedy The Merry Wives Of Windsor; and The Plough Arts Centre at Lapford Mill near Crediton with a brand new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic horror tale Dracula.

The Merry Wives Of Windsor is a hilarious romp which sees the women of Windsor gain the upper hand in a bawdy battle of the sexes with the drunken knight Sir John Falstaff. This classic farce is guaranteed to make for an unforgettable afternoon of laughter enjoying outdoor theatre at its very best.

Artistic Director Andrew Hobbs, originally from the West Country, explains this year’s choice of Shakespeare play: “There are certain Shakespeare comedies which are done every year as outdoor productions, and while we love doing those too it is also very important to us to give our audiences the opportunity to see some of the hidden gems in the canon  that they might not have seen before. Merry Wives is all about women taking back control, which is a theme that definitely resonates in today’s world. It’s also just such a fun play from start to finish which is what we all need right now.”

Following on from the success of last year’s sold out adaptation of The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Hobbs has also once again teamed up with his father the award winning historian and writer David Hobbs MBE to create a spine chilling new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. With fans around the world celebrating the 125th anniversary of the original publication of that great horror novel, there has never been a better time to bring this seminal vampire tale to the stage.

David Hobbs MBE said: “Bram Stoker's novel is not only a thrilling story, it is a classic example of English literature and it was a pleasure to help draw out the essential elements into a format that can be put before an audience. I hope that everyone will enjoy watching the story unfold as much as I enjoyed helping to adapt it.”

Actress Jenny Trapp, who has recently toured some of the country's largest venues working with Britain's Got Talent judge David Walliams, appears as gothic heroine Mina Harker. She said: “Over the course of my career I’ve been fortunate to appear in some of the biggest arena shows but there is nothing like the excitement of sharing such a fresh interpretation of this classic tale with the audience in beautiful open air venues.”

In 2020, British Touring Shakespeare were the first theatre company to stage live performances during the recovery from the pandemic at socially distanced outdoor venues around the UK with their outstanding tour of The Two Gentlemen Of Verona. In 2021 they continued to spearhead the return of live entertainment for communities around the country with their acclaimed tour of Twelfth Night and The Hound Of The Baskervilles. This year British Touring Shakespeare once again ensure that the magic of open air theatre is a British tradition that people can continue to enjoy.

Tickets for the performance of Dracula at The Plough Arts Centre, Lapford Mill, Creditonon Saturday 30th July can be found athttps://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk/event/dracula-bram-stoker-adapted-stage-and-directed-andrew-hobbs

Tickets for the performance of Merry Wives of Windsor at Blackberry Farm, Milton Damerel, Holsworthy on Friday 29th July can be found at

https://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk/event/merry-wives-windsor-william-shakespeare-0