The theatre’s first production will begin performances on the 17th July.
It has been announced that a new open air theatre is set to open this summer, based at the Mayfield Lavender in Surrey. Formed of 250 seats, this new theatre has been co-founded by director Joe McNeice (producer/director of ‘DIVA: Live From Hell!)’ and Mayfield owner Brendan Maye.
The inaugural production of the theatre’s first Summer season will be a production of Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun which will begin performances on the 17th July. It will feature direction and choreography by Simon Hardwick (‘My Fair Lady’).
Meanwhile, the launch of the theatre will see the completion of a £2m+ investment into the Epsom site which also includes a coffee bar, shop, and a full service glasshouse restaurant due to open alongside the theatre this summer.
“This will be more than just a visit to a theatre,” Joe McNeice said, “Audiences will be able dine in our glass house restaurant underneath Mediterranean citrus trees, or grab a picnic to enjoy among the blossoming rows of lavender as the sun begins to set, before taking their seats in our covered auditorium to watch a show under the stars. We think it’s going to be a truly special experience.”
Lavender Theatre Artistic Director Joe McNeice worked behind the scenes at London’s ‘Immersive Great Gatsby’, and was Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Visitor Services Manager until 2022, after graduating from the University of York in 2018.
Talking about Annie Get Your Gun, Simon Hardwick said: “The show will be a rip-roaring staging of the well known Broadway musical in a very raw and kinetic production that evokes the energy of Buffalo Bill’s original touring celebrations of the Wild West. The Lavender Theatre will be a dream destination; an environment in which to enjoy a West End-standard production under a hazy summer sky.”
The theatre is privately funded and managed by Lavender Productions Ltd. and will produce its own shows with plans to see the summer season expand year on year with diverse and engaging programming.
For more information and to book tickets visit: https://lavendertheatre.com/