Hall theatre alfresco in 2014

Last summer, total attendance of over 2,000 led to a record donation of £4,800 to the Lytham Hall Appeal fund.

The attendance of 610 for Illyria’s production of The Mikado was the largest of 50 open air dates at outdoor venues throughout the country.

Chapterhouse Theatre Company launches the new season, and its summer tour, at popular venue Lytham Hall, Lytham, on Friday, June 13.

The company will present Richard Main’s production of Jane Austen’s first novel, Sense and Sensibility, adapted for the stage by Laura Turner.

Red Rose theatre goers will welcome the return of Illyria to Lytham Hall after three successful shows last summer, with director Oliver Gray’s production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth at 6pm on Sunday, July 6.

Gray is looking forward to Lytham Hall once again.

“We love the enthusiasm of our followers on the Lancashire coast”, he said. “News of Shakespeare on an early Sunday summer evening is meeting with much approval.”

On Tuesday, July 15, the Hall hosts one of the first performances of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance by Illyria.

To complete the programme is another family treat, as Illyria returns on Bank Holiday Sunday, August 24 at 4pm with the Roald Dahl children’s favourite George’s Marvellous Medicine.

Julian Wilde, who organised the season of plays, is delighted with the variety of the 2014 programme.

“The balance in summer’s programme will have a strong appeal.

“It’s both unusual and excellent to have an outdoor production of Macbeth and an honour that Chapterhouse has chosen Lytham Hall for the opening night of Sense and Sensibility.”

Details of tickets, prices and sales points are expected towards the end of January.