ALL for one and one for all is the cry ringing across Williamson Park as a new era swings into action for The Dukes award-winning promenades.

For the first time, the Lancaster theatre’s new forward-thinking artistic director, Sarah Punshon, will be taking the reins and has chosen a fresh adaptation of The Three Musketeers for her Dukes en plein air debut.

"The Dukes park show is an extraordinary tradition: more than 30 years of making memories for generations of families," said Sarah. "I'm excited to be able to put my own twist on such a unique format."

The Three Musketeers will be performed around the picturesque panoramas of Lancaster’s popular park until August 18.

The brand new adaptation of French author Alexandre Dumas' classic novel written in 1844 has been penned by the Olivier Award nominated playwright Hattie Naylor and will feature Lucy Parkinson - aka renowned drag king, LoUis CYfer - as D'Artagnan.

Hattie is making her Dukes debut as a playwright and has written for many outdoor productions. She has extensive writing experience for theatre, radio and film and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre.

"D'Artagnan is told she can’t fulfil her life's ambition to become a musketeer because she's a girl, so she sets out to prove everyone wrong,” added Sarah. "In 2018, the centenary of women's emancipation, it feels right to give this classic tale a feminist twist."

The audience will join D'Artagnan as she teams up with the legendary swordsmen, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, in a death-defying royal a regal quest to save the life of a loving queen.

Appropriately, female fight directors Ruth Cooper-Brown and Rachel Bown-Williams of Rc-Annie will choreograph the swashbuckling manoeuvres.

As they meander with the performers from one magical park location to another, the audience follows in the footsteps of more than half a million people who The Dukes have entertained in the open air since 1987, making their promenade walkabout theatre season the biggest in the UK.

In 2016, the innovative Lancaster theatre's production of The Hobbit won the UK Theatre Award for best show for children and young people.

All of the cast are making their Dukes park show debuts though four have previously appeared at the theatre: Delme Thomas was an audience favourite when he played the Genie in the theatre’s recent Christmas production of Aladdin. Also returning to Lancaster is Manchester-based Nisa Cole who appeared in Sabbat and the Christmas production of Treasure Island, both in 2012.

Helen Katamba, who is Lancaster-based, was seen in One Book, One Pen at The Dukes in April and Christopher Bianchi appeared in Waiting For Godot which toured to The Dukes last year and also appeared in The Dukes productions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Charlotte’s Web in 2006.

The cast will perform alongside a community company which, for the first time, will feature performers of all ages, some of who appeared in

The Dukes production of Blackout last autumn.

Director Sarah joined The Dukes in late spring 2017 taking over from previous artistic director, Joe Sumsion; she took charge of its artistic programme from 2018.

She trained as a director at the RSAMD (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) and on the Channel 4 Theatre Directors Scheme at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Her extensive and impressive CV of theatre directing includes new writing and contemporary classics for the Watermill Theatre, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Salisbury Playhouse, Theatre by the Lake and the New Vic Theatre, among others.

"It's been a brilliant process so far, taking on my first ever park show, and we've been quite lucky with the weather - which I hope bodes well for the run," continued Sarah.

"It's such a funny, energetic show, I'm so looking forward to the audience joining us - with a show like this, they're a vital part of the action. "I'm dying to know how people will react, particularly families. There's nothing more exciting than an audience full of kids."

Performances for The Three Musketeers start at 7.15pm (excluding some Sundays and Mondays).

For further information telephone The Dukes box office on 01524-598500 or visit www.dukes-lancaster.org.