PLAYWRIGHT Alan Ayckbourn will be premiering his 88th play Welcome to the Family at The Old Laundry in Bowness from May 12-27.
The Olivier and Tony Award-winner will direct the comedy and collaborator Roger Glossop is designing the set for the 250-seat in-the-round performance.
Welcome to the Family is set in a not-too-distant future where Josh is keen to introduce his fiancée Sara to his parents – Lord and Lady Meizner, despite them being dead.
Josh's Uncle Lance gifts him a time machine to revisit his parents but all is not as it seems as family secrets are spilt in this comedy production.
Other upcoming productions include an adaptation of Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons' Winter Holiday on March 4 and 5.
Peter McQueen’s one-man show Old Herbaceous (Friday March 10) is a humorous yet touching portrayal of a legendary head gardener’s passion for plants.
Liz Grand takes the role of Clementine Churchill in Mrs Churchill – My Life with Winston (Thursday 23 March).
Comedian Brendan Murphy will take audiences through the storyline of the entire 144-episode run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer from the perspective of Spike in Buffy - Revamped (Friday 7 April).
Comedy and current affairs presenter Clive Anderson, the host of makes his debut at the Old Laundry as part of his first-ever solo tour, Me, Macbeth and I (Friday 21 April).
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The theatre will also host Carlisle band Hardwicke Circus on Saturday, March 11. They will be followed by folk duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman (Saturday 22 April) and Sad Café (Saturday 23 Sept).
Already booked in for later in the year (Friday 17 November) are Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri bringing an acoustic journey of their songs, including hits “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and “I Got The Music In Me”.
The musical extravaganza Happy Birthday Peter Rabbit returns to the Theatre from 1 July – 3 September. In this show, families immerse themselves in the world of Beatrix Potter and an interactive theatrical adventure celebrating Peter’s birthday with favourite characters Benjamin Bunny and Jemima Puddle-duck. This magical production features handcrafted puppets and original songs. Ticket packages are available which include Afternoon Tea and a chance to meet Peter Rabbit himself.
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