There’s plenty of things you can do in the park as a kid – mostly involving jumping around, kicking something or crying and running home because your tea is ready and you still want to stay out. As an adult however it has mostly been reduced to walking a dog while it decides where to have a poo, or sitting in the sun with a can of cider and destroying the grass with a disposable BBQ and half-cooked sausages.
Not any more though! Outdoor theatre experts Heartbreak Productions are heading to Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens in Didsbury over the next few weeks with their productions of David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy and Bill Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
On top of this they will also be returning to Manchester at the end of August for a further 3 productions; The Secret Garden, Northanger Abbey and Murder on the Terrace.
Written by wide-faced funny man David Walliams, Billionaire Boy is a children’s book and considering 1. I don’t have any of my own, and 2. I hate anyone under the age of 18, I’m not entirely sure what it’s all about. A quick Google search tells me that it’s about a billionaire’s boy. Obviously. One who doesn’t want people to know he’s rich because he’s lonely and wants friends.
Even Walliams himself has thoroughly enjoyed Heartbreak’s adaptations of his work, and with a story that is “a charming tale of love, loss, and friendship that is both hilarious and poignant” it looks set to be an amazing spectacle for all the family.
Next up at the beginning of July is The Taming of the Shrew, William Shakespeare’s 1594 blockbuster comedy featuring an electric battle of the sexes, as Petruchio attempts to marry Kate in this tale of mismatched and combative couples.
Unless you studied it at school it’s probably unlikely that you have a clue what The Taming of the Shrew is about, and considering I did Macbeth and The Tempest – I just had to make that previous bit up. If it’s wrong I’m sorry – but it gives me even more reason to cruise on down to Fletcher Moss to check it out – Shakespeare’s comedies are usually perfect for live theatre; with plenty of audience interaction, slapstick and most important – laughs.
With The Secret Garden (a girl discovers that her mum is Charlie Dimmock), Northanger Abbey (Jane Austen & stately homes) and Murder on the Terrace (Theatre meets Agatha Christie) coming back at the end of August there’s more to choose from if you find yourself busy over the next couple of weeks.
Check out Heartbreak’s website for more accurate information on up-coming productions around the country:
Billionaire Boy
Friday 23nd June at 6.30pm
Saturday 24rd June at 2.00pm and 6.30pm
Sunday 25th June at 5.00pm
The Taming of the Shrew
Friday 30th June at 7.30pm
Saturday 1st July at 2.00pm and 7.30pm
Sunday 2nd July at 5.00pm
The Secret Garden
Friday 18th August at 6:30pm
Saturday 19th August at 2:00pm and 6:30pm
Sunday 20th August at 5:00pm
Murder on the Terrace
Wednesday 23rd August at 7.30pm
Thursday 24th August at 7.30pm
Northanger Abbey
Friday 25th August at 7.30pm
Saturday 26th August at 2.00pm and 7.30pm
Sunday 28th August at 5.00pm
