LAKE DISTRICT CHARITY CELEBRATES SUMMER WITH NOT ONE –

BUT TWO OUTDOOR THEATRE PERFORMANCES!

Friends of the Calvert Trust (Lake District) are inviting locals and visitors alike to join in with a variety of lively events this summer to help support their work of making outdoor adventure accessible to all.

First and up comes outdoor theatre in a glorious setting! Back for 2025, the hugely talented outdoor theatre group Illyria will perform Jane Austen’s classic, Pride and Prejudice on Tuesday 8 July at 7pm in the grounds of the beautiful Lingholm Estate. Sprawling, shady grounds in which to enjoy this quintessentially English classic in the open air.

With her tongue firmly in her cheek, Jane Austen tells us “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Mrs Bennet certainly thinks so. So when Mr Bingley – single, young, handsome, and with £5000 a year – moves into nearby Netherfield Park, she devotes all her energy to contriving for Jane, the eldest of her five daughters, to meet him during rural Hertfordshire’s whirlwind of social balls. But even Mrs Bennet draws the line at Mr Bingley’s disdainful friend Mr Darcy despite his whopping £10,000 a year. Thank heavens Lizzy, her second daughter, finds him detestable too! Or does she…? Can she see beyond his pride – and could he overcome her prejudice – to consider a possible future together?

Following seven sell-out seasons of this sparkling adaptation, award-winning Illyria returns to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday in style. Bring a picnic (dress for the weather!) and enjoy her at her vibrant, forthright and funny best! Tickets cost £20 and can be booked here, the show lasts approximately 2 hours 20 minutes (including interval) and is suitable for all ages

Following this, on Wednesday 27 August at 5.30pm, this talented theatre company return to the beautiful grounds of Lowther Castle for their annual, family performance. This year in the company of Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad as they perform Kenneth Grahame’s much loved The Wind in the Willows.

Timid Mole yearns to explore the wide world. Gruff old Badger enjoys peace and quiet. Rat likes summer picnics and just messing about in boats. Their idyllic lives on the Riverbank are turned upside down when Toad announces his latest in a long line of extravagant obsessions: a gypsy caravan. Generous Toad. Exciting Toad. Only-A-Tiny-Bit-Boastful Toad. The Riverbankers console themselves with the fact that he cannot possibly get any worse – until, bewitched by the roar of a motor-car and the screech of burning tyres, he does. The other animals resolve to save him from himself – but can they teach him even a jot of restraint AND help him evict the opportunistic stoats and weasels who have taken over his ancestral pile?

Multiple award-winning Illyria celebrates Kenneth Grahame’s timeless tale of friendship, laughter, the longing for home and the lure of adventure.

Tickets start from £10 and can be booked here. The show lasts 1 hour 40 mins (including interval) and is suitable for ages 5+ (younger children also welcome). As ever, bring a picnic and dress for the weather! 

Hannah Richardson, Chair of the Friends of the Calvert Trust (Lake District) commented:

"We really hope to see you at one or both of our performances in aid of Friends of the Calvert Trust. We have a number of wonderful, generous sponsors, including the fabulous venues hosting us, who cover the cost of putting on these performances. This means that your support through buying tickets contributes directly to the Lake District Calvert Trust, enabling people with disabilities to access our beautiful Lake District countryside and enjoy adventurous activities. Please book now and join us!"

For Pride and Prejudice, the Lingholm Kitchen will be open for refreshments. For The Wind in the Willows, the cafe at Lowther will be open and theatre tickets include entrance to the Castle and Gardens for the day of the performance. For more information on the work of the Lake District Calvert Trust, visit www.calvertlakes.org.uk