Tolethorpe Hall: The Bard and Bennett at their best

This summer, the Company has taken pride in showcasing four outstanding plays, and for the remainder of the run (ends August 26), there are still two fantastic shows left to see, both of which have been receiving amazing feedback so far.

William Shakespeare’s As You Like It

Forced into exile in the enchanting Forest of Arden, two lovers, Rosalind and Orlando, become entangled in a beguiling game of love, desire and mistaken identities.

Rarely performed in his lifetime, this play has become one of Shakespeare’s most accessible and enjoyable comedies.

In a reimagination inspired by the Summer of Love, As You Like It blends a feisty cross-dressing heroine with a wisecracking fool, melodic songs, questionable poetry and laughs aplenty.

Will love conquer all, or is it merely a summer madness?

Alan Bennett’s The Lady In The Van

Blending poignancy and hilarity in equal measure, The Lady in the Van is based on the mostly true story of playwright Alan Bennett’s encounters with Miss Mary Shepherd, a crabby and eccentric homeless woman whom he befriended in the 1970s.

Bennett kindly told Miss Shepherd she could park her Bedford van in the driveway of his Camden home “for three months”. She ended up staying 15 years.

Wonderfully bittersweet, this play was a resounding success for Maggie Smith on both stage and screen.

Booking information: Tickets £18 - £22 from the box office on 01780 917240 or online at www.tolethorpe.co.uk

Nestled within the grounds of historic Tolethorpe Hall, just two miles from Stamford, lies the theatre that enchanted over 32,000 visitors last summer. Enjoy a picnic in the glorious grounds, then take your seat, protected from summer showers, and see a stage like no other. Alternatively, The Bistro offers an informal pre-theatre dining option with enticing set menu offers starting from £23.99, as well as light bites and simple meals.

•Last week was the 30th anniversary of the auditorium being officially opened by Sam Wanamaker, acclaimed Hollywood actor and director and father of Zoe Wanamaker.

The Stamford Shakespeare Company, founded in 1968 by RADA graduate Jean Harley, produced plays in the Monastery Garden of Stamford’s historic George Hotel until 1977 when Tolethorpe Hall was acquired. With a natural amphitheatre in the grounds, it was an excellent fit for the Company’s open-air Shakespeare productions.

Concrete steps were laid, turning a natural bank of grass and weeds into a raked auditorium. A canvas canopy to protect the auditorium from summer showers was purchased together with 382 plastic chairs.

In 1993, the steel frame and the canopy – a high tensile fabric made of PVC-coated, reinforced polyester and designed to withstand winds of up to 100mph – was erected.

Three extra rows of 50 seats each were added and seating increased from 450 to 600.