The HandleBards Will Embark on Tour With A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Marking The HandleBards 10th anniversary, the hugely popular Shakespearean troupe climb back on their bikes for another epic tour to open-air theatres, castles, and gardens aplenty across the UK this summer. Humans and fairies collide, and hilarity ensues, as the sustainable ensemble travel over 1500 miles across the country by bike to present more than 100 performances of Shakespeare's most famous romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream. With set, props and costumes transported in their 100% electric support vehicle, and actors travelling solely by bike, the course of the cycling path never did run smooth.

Over the past decade, The HandleBards have travelled over 15,000 miles with 17 productions to 16 countries, performing to an estimated 150,000 audience members. By cycling their way through 10 years of touring, the theatre company have consistently proven their commitment to sustainability and healthy living, saving over 10 tonnes of carbon compared to touring in transit vans. Their company ethos is to spread environmental activism through joy, not only with their extensive touring nationally (and sometimes internationally), but also through their national schools tour and community driven work in and around Sheffield, working closely with the community anchor Heeley Trust.

Looking towards the next decade, The HandleBards will continue working with their partners such as Pashley Cycles, Electric Pedals and Studio Polpo to develop more innovative ideas to help reduce their own environmental impact and, they hope, the carbon footprint of the outdoor touring sector at large, with current ideas ranging from cycle powered batteries for powering entire productions to outdoor theatres made from living trees.

Producers and Co-founders Tom Dixon and Paul Moss said, "10 years is a wonderful milestone to reach and we honestly couldn't have done it without the support of our loyal and generous audiences and supporters. When you cycle all across the UK you meet a diverse range of generous, interesting and kind people. It reminds you that we all have a lot more in common than we think. Here's to 10 more years, 15,000 more miles and plenty more laughter and joy."

The HandleBards began with a sense of adventure, a love of Shakespeare and a nifty little pun. Since four fearless friends pedalled Twelfth Night to twenty UK venues in 2013, the company has grown to become an internationally renowned theatre company, bringing a charmingly chaotic brand of Shakespeare to audiences all over the globe. They have won the Edinburgh Fringe Sustainable Practice Award and were nominated for The Stage's inaugural Sustainability Award.

Tour Dates

22 May Oasis Farm Waterloo, London 

  18 Carlisle Ln, London SE1 7LG 

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

23 May Norwich Theatre, Norwich

  42-58 St Georges St, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 1AB 

  7.30pm | £17 - £6

24 May Northborough Manor, Peterborough

  Northborough, Peterborough, PE6 9BJ

  7pm | £20.50 - £18.50

25 May Stow Hall Gardens, King's Lynn

  Stow Hall Gardens Stow Bardolph, PE34 3HU

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

26 May Luton Hoo Estate, Luton

   Farm Rd, Luton, LU1 4LF

   7pm | £19.50 - Free

30 - 31 May Globe Neuss, Germany

  Hammer Landstraße 2, 41460 Neuss

  3pm & 8pm | Prices TBC

2 June Diss Park, Diss

  9 Park Rd, Diss, IP22 4AU

  7pm, £18.50 - Free

3 June The Charterhouse, Barbican

  Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6AH

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

6 June  Maglia Rosso, Bury St Edmunds

   Metcalfe Arms, Lawshall Rd, Hawstead, IP29 5NR

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

7 June Layer, Marney Tower, Colchester

  Layer Marney, Colchester, CO5 9US

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

8 June The Museum of the Order of St John, London

  Priory Church, Museum of the Order of St John, St John's Square, EC1V 4JJ

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

9 June Painshill, Surrey

  Portsmouth Rd, Cobham, KT11 1BE

  7pm | £18 - £14

10 June Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, Sevenoaks

  Riverhill, Sevenoaks, TN15 0RR

  5pm | £20 - Free

11 June EM Forster Theatre, Tonbridge

  Tonbridge, TN9 1JP

  7pm | £19 - Free

13 June Lewes Castle, Lewes

  169 High Street, Lewes, BN7 1YE

  7pm | £21.50

14 June Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester

  Roman Way, Chichester, PO19 3QR

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

15 June Chawton House, Alton

  Chawton, Alton, GU34 1SJ

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

16 - 17 June Furzey Gardens, Lyndhurst

   School Ln, Minstead, Lyndhurst SO43 7GL

   7pm | £17 - Free

20 June Westbury Manor Gardens, Fareham

  84 West Street, Fareham, Fareham PO16 0JJ

  7pm | £17 - £14

21 June Rockbourne Roman Villa, Fordingbridge

  Rockbourne, Fordingbridge, SP6 3PG

  7pm | £17 - £14

23 June Maumbury Rings, Dorchester

  17 Maumbury Rd, Dorchester, DT1 1QN

  7pm | Prices TBC

24 June Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis

  Church St, Lyme Regis, DT7 3QB

  7pm | £19 - £10

27 June Yeo Valley Organic Garden, Blagdon

  Unnamed Road, Blagdon, Bristol BS40 7SQ

  7pm | Prices TBC

28 June The Hall, Bradford-On-Avon

   Kingston Road, Bradford-on-Avon, BA15 1AJ

   7pm | £19.50 - Free

29 June Abbey Home Farm, Cirencester

  Burford Road, Cirencester, GL7 5HF

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

30 June - 1 July Painswick Rococo Garden, Gloucestershire 

   Gloucester Road, Painswick, Gloucestershire GL6 6TH 

   7pm | £19.50 - Free

2 July The Manor, Cheltenham

  Notgrove, Cheltenham GL54 3BS

  5pm | £19.50 - Free

8 July The Royal Over-Seas League, London 

  Over-Seas House, Park Place, St James's Street, London SW1A 1LR 

  7pm | Prices TBC

12 July Winwick Hall, Northamptonshire

  Winwick, Northamptonshire, NN6 7PD

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

13 July Guildhall Museum, Leicester

  Guildhall Ln, Leicester, LE1 5FQ

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

14 July Naseby Village Hall, Naesby

  Naseby Rd, Naseby, NN6 6DE

  7pm | £19.50.- Free

15 July Coventry Cathedral, Coventry

  Priory St, Coventry, CV1 5AB

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

16 July Moira Furnace Museum and Country Park, Swandlincote

  Furnace Lane, Moira, Swadlincote DE12 6AT

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

19 July Southwell Minster, Southwell

  Church St, Southwell, NG25 0HD

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

20 July Cromford Mills, Matlock

  Mill Rd, Cromford, Matlock DE4 3RQ

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

21 July Monkey Park, Chesterfield

  128 Chester Street, Chesterfield, S40 1DN 

  7pm | Pay What You Decide

22 July Sheffield Amphitheatre, Sheffield

  Sheffield, S2 2TN

  5pm | Pay What You Decide

23 July Wentworth Castle Gardens, Barnsley

  Park Drive, Barnsley, S75 3EN

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

25 July High Lea Park, High Peak

  St Mary's Rd, New Mills, High Peak SK22 3BW

  7pm | £31.50 - £9.50

26 July Ordsall Hall, Salford

  322 Ordsall Ln Salford M5 3AN

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

27 - 28 July Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot

   Prospero Place, Prescot, Merseyside L34 3AB

   7pm | Pay What You Decide

29 July Hoghton Tower, Preston

  Hoghton, Preston, PR5 0SH

  2pm | £19.50 - Free

30 July The Reader, Liverpool

  Calderstones Park, Calderstones Rd, Liverpool, L18 3JB

  2pm & 7pm | £18 - £11

1 August Lancaster Castle, Lancaster

  Castle Park, Lancaster, LA1 1YJ  

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

2 August Richard Whiteley Theatre, Settle

  Giggleswick School, Settle, BD24 0DE

  7pm | £19 - Free

3 August Workhouse Museum Ripon, Ripon

  Allhallowgate, Ripon, HG4 1LE

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

4 August Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire

  Near Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4ET

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

5 August Kiplin Hall and Gardens, Richmond

  Richmond, DL10 6AT

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

9 August All Saint's Church, Newcastle upon Tyne 

  West Ave, Gosforth NE3 4ES 

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

10 August Northumberlandia, Northumberland 

  Fisher Ln, Cramlington NE23 8AU 

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

11 August Hexham Abbey, Hexham 

  Beaumont St, Hexham, NE46 3NB 

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

13 August Felton Park, Northumberland 

  2 The Mill, Felton, Morpeth NE65 9HL 

  7.30pm | £16

15 August Alnmouth Friary, Northumberland 

  The Friary, Alnmouth NE66 3NJ 

  7pm | Prices TBC

16 August The Maltings, Berwick

  Eastern Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1AJ

  7pm | £12.50 - £8

17 August Pallinsburn House, Northumberland

  Cornhill-on-Tweed, TD12 4SG

  7pm | Prices TBC

18 August Floors Castle, Scotland

   Roxburgh St, Kelso, TD5 7RL

    7pm | £19.50 - Free

23 August Muckhart Nature Park, Dollar

  Muckhart Parish Church, Pool of Muckhart, Dollar FK14 7JQ 

  6pm | Prices TBC

24 August Cultybraggen Camp, Crieff

  6 Comrie Street, Crieff, PH7 4AX

  7pm | £20 - Free

25 August Hatton Castle, Blairgowrie

  Newtyle, Blairgowrie, PH12 8UN

   6.30pm | Pay What You Decide

26 August Cawdor Castle, Cawdor 

  Cawdor, Nairn, IV12 5RD 

  7pm | Prices TBC

29 August Merchant Adventurers' Hall, York 

  Fossgate, York 

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

30 August Heeley People's Park, Sheffield 

  View Rd, Heeley, Sheffield S2 3DJ 

  7pm | Pay What You Decide

31 August The Quarry Theatre, Bedford 

  26 St Peter's Street, Bedford MK40 2NN 

  7pm | £16.50 - £14.50

1 September St Paul's Walden Bury, Hertfordshire 

   St Paul's Walden, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 8BP 

   7pm | £19.50 - Free

2 September The Church Field, Witley 

  Witley, GU8 5PP 

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

3 September Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham 

   268 Waldegrave Road, Twickenham, Greater London TW1 4ST 

   7pm | £19.50 - Free

5 - 6 September Dulwich Picture Gallery,

   Gallery Road, Dulwich, London, SE21 7AD

   7pm | £19.50 - Free

7 - 8 September St Paul's Church Covent Garden

   Bedford Street, London, WC2E 9ED

   7.30pm | £19.50 - £12.50

9 September Medway Yacht Club

  Lower Upnor, Rochester ME2 4XB 

  7pm | £19.50 - Free

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