50 years of Stamford Shakespeare is celebrated at Tolethorpe Hall

Throughout summer, the company are performing Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Merchant of Venice and Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The School for Scandal.

Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor features the hilarious antics of the roguish Sir John Falstaff as he plots to seduce two ‘merry wives’.

This production is set in 1947, a time of austerity and optimism, when women are finding a new role in post-war Britain and musicians at the Garter Inn are playing 40s’ jazz.

The Merchant of Venice is a remarkable play, with its explorations of prejudice, love, justice, and the power of money.

At the heart of the story stands Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, one of Shakespeare’s greatest and most complex characters.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s classic comedy The School for Scandal sparkles with wit, verbal brilliance and an intricate plot exposing the lives and loves of fashionable London society. Can anyone escape the outrageous gossip of, amongst others, the aptly named Benjamin Backbite, Lady Sneerwell, Mrs Candour and Snake?

The season runs from June 12 to September 18, kicking off with The Merchant of Venice. There are performance dates in June, July and August.

The School for Scandal opens on June 19 with performance dates in June, July and August.

The Merry Wives of Windsor opens on July 10 with dates in July and August.

Tickets cost £11 to £19 and are available from Box office: 01780 756133

Last summer, more than 34,000 people experienced the magic of a visit to this unique venue. Enjoy a picnic in the beautiful grounds, then take your seat, protected from summer showers, and see a stage like no other.

This year, the company is celebrating its golden anniversary.

Work currently taking place includes an exciting revamp of the bar, restaurant and orangery which will celebrate the past 50 years.

There will be costume and photo displays, exhibitions of the company’s history and much more. Incredibly, the 2018 season has seen ticket sales hit one million since the company began performing at Tolethorpe Hall.