Illyria present an outdoor staging of Shakespeare's comedy concerning four pairs of soulmates who meet in the Forest of Arden. One pair leap straight into bed. Another pair are dumbstruck by each other’s beauty and pledge their undying troth. The third pair torment each other: he showers chaste love upon her which she haughtily rejects - yet secretly she enjoys the flattery. The fourth pair go further still, playfully blurring their roles and identities to such an extent that flirting becomes more pain than pleasure, and Love itself is pushed to the limit of its endurance - and beyond.

The production is performed by a five-strong cast of classically trained professional actors.  

About Illyria

For over thirty years, Illyria has stayed true to its original mission: to tour outstandingly enjoyable and original outdoor theatre, and to make it available for everyone. The Company has done this by offering as varied a programme as possible, touring all over the world, creating shows that remain true to the authors’ intentions without being slavishly reverential, and by striving to keep ticket prices affordable.

Illyria has also spent decades campaigning for fairer working conditions in the arts, wholeheartedly supporting and working with Equity (the actors’ union), adopting their Charter for Outdoor Theatre and taking the best possible care of artists. 

The Company has given more performances to more people across a wider area than any other outdoor touring company in the UK. Enjoying theatre together under the sun or the stars is a great unifying experience - old or young, rich or poor, audience or performer, the sky above our heads is the same for us all.