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Rupert Penry-Jones Opens New Amphitheatre in South Downs

11/05/2012

Rupert Penry-Jones

Rupert Penry-Jones, star of BBC’s hit series Spooks and Silk and ITV’s Whitechapel, officially opened a new open-air theatre, nestling the South Downs. The local actor gave details of the first season of the new Petersfield Shakespeare Festival.

It’s not often that diggers have to move 5000 tones of soil before a theatre production can take to the stage, but that’s exactly the preparation required for Petersfield’s Shakespeare Festival this summer.

The new venue has been created in the heart of the South Downs National Park, an amphitheatre sat in the Hampshire countryside.

On its open air stage in July will be two production by a 25 strong cast of professional nd local actors – "Much Ado About Nothing” and "Twelfth Night.”

Jay Green, the Festival Director, knows a thing or two about staging Shakespeare in the great outdoors. He used to manage the famous Open Air Theatre in London’s Regents Park. Speaking before the amphitheatre was officially unveiled, Jay said, ‘we’re delighted to have the support of Bedales Schools in opening this wonderful new venue. It’s a beautiful setting in which to stage two of Shakespeare’s greatest and best-known comedies. We have an excellent and experienced cast and it’s our hpe that as many people as possible can come and enjoy high quality theatre productions in such an atmospheric location.”

Tickets will be priced at £10 per person (£8 concessions) and at £12 on Friday and Saturday nights. 

Doors open at 6pm

Tickets can be booked at www.petersfieldshakespearefestival.co.uk or by phone at 01730 711599 or in person at One Tree Books Petersfield

See more photos from the opening on our Facebook page