Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin of Open Bar Theatre on bringing Shakespeare to Pub Gardens
Our latest guests on our Runn Radio show were Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin, Artistic Directors of Open Bar Theatre. This summer they are taking two of the bard’s finest works on a tour of Fullers pub gardens, come rain or shine.
We chat about the originals of the company, why pub gardens are actually the perfect place to perform Shakespeare, and how they cope with the variables of the British summer weather! We also discuss why their casting process allows them to cast their net wider and hopefully results in a greater diversity of actors than would be the case if they followed more normal processes.
Twelfth Night
(3 July –24 August)
With four actors, original songs, and a modern aesthetic. Audiences can expect tomfoolery, disguises and audience interaction as shipwrecked twins Viola and Sebastian negotiate tricky love triangles in the classic farceof mistaken identity.
Romeo and Juliet
24 July –15 September
Open Bar Theatre up the comedy and take out some of the dignity that the two houses are alike in, and take over Fullers’ bigger gardens. With original songsand Elizabethan costumes, young love, passion and sword fighting takes place across a two-storey rig
All dates can be found on Fullers website here.
About Open Bar Theatre
Open Bar Theatre was formed in 2016 by Nicky Diss and Vicky Gaskin to produce Shakespeare for Fuller’s pub gardens. It’s a female-led company creating theatre which is accessible to everyone. The company adopts a lively, informal style for its performances, which fits perfectly with the relaxed setting of a picturesque pub garden.
You can find a full list of dates for both shows here.
