(The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle, Illyria)
The final show at Knebworth House’s Garden Theatre for the 2018 season will not disappoint. Award winning outdoor theatre company Illyria will be returning on 9th August, bringing their fabulous production of Hugh Lofting’s “The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle”, the same team who brought you two spectacular shows in 2017 including a life-size T-Rex in “The Lost World”. This show is suitable for cheeky monkeys aged 5+. Tickets are available now at www.knebworthhouse.com.
The Garden Theatre at Knebworth House has been exceptional this year. In June, the audience was mesmerised by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men’s authentic performance of Shakespeare’s late, great gem “The Tempest”.
Following on from this masterpiece, The “Adventures of Doctor Dolittle” is a funny, much-loved and exciting adventure, with a strong message about responsibility towards animals and the environment. When Doctor John Dolittle of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh is taught how to talk to animals by his wise old parrot Polynesia, news of his skills spreads far and wide. Soon animals across the world send messages asking for his help and so he buys a leaky old ship and, together with his trusty pet-crew of Jip the dog, Chee-Chee the monkey, Dab-Dab the Duck and permanently hungry Gub-Gub the pig, sets forth on a mission to heal illness, spread compassion and gain a greater understanding of the animal kingdom.
Now in its 27th year, Illyria has delighted audiences across the length and breadth of the UK, and in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, the United States and Canada performing some of the most well-loved productions on offer. The company has won four international “Best Performance” awards and attracted numerous “5-star” and “Critics’ Choice” reviews for the lively clarity of its approach to Shakespeare’s plays, the high quality of its family shows and the refreshingly quirky originality of its English classics adaptations and Gilbert & Sullivan musicals.
“Illyria has given more performances to more people across a wider area than any other open-air touring theatre company, proudly maintaining professional Equity-compliant productions for over a quarter of a century. We’re really pleased to be performing at Knebworth House and can’t wait see how the audience reacts!” says Artistic Director Oliver Gray.