Booking for 2023 events at the Minack Theatre opens on 24 January, promising a season packed with drama, music and fun.
Fans of Cornwall’s former flagship theatre company, Kneehigh, will welcome the return of Kneehigh founder Mike Shepherd with Calvino Nights, a mischievous, tale of feast, fire and fiasco, which premiered at the Minack in 2022. Later in the year, o-Region will stage a revival of the acclaimed Kneehigh production of Jim Dodge’s Fup, a hilarious, heart-warming tale of a grandaddy, his grandson and an ass-kicking duck, featuring many of the original cast.
The Minack is the perfect setting for epic drama, and this summer includes plenty of it. One highlight of the season will be the stage adaptation of Louis de Bernière’s best-selling novel of love and war, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, presented by Shattered Windscreen. And at the other end of the scale, the season opens in March with the Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary, based on the iconic novel by Gustave Flaubert, lovingly derailed by John Nicholson and presented by four actors and more than a little cheeky irreverence, in a co-production by the Minack and Ha-Hum-Ah Theatre.
Shakespeare is always popular at the Minack, and this year there’s even more choice, with productions of Twelfth Night by Cornish theatre company Illyria, and the complex tragi-comedy Measure for Measure presented by Moving Stories, plus two comic shows inspired by the Bard – Shake It Up, created by the improvised Shakespeare theatre company, and One Man and his Cow, Living Spit’s hilarious riff on King Lear, featuring a multitude of agricultural antics. There’ll also be a new storytelling show on a Shakespearean theme for young children and families, The Scottish Play, opening in July.
The Minack always includes plenty of events for children and families, and this year there’s a brand-new show for the Easter holidays, Giants, a riotous reimagining of the legend of Cormoran, the terrible giant of St Michael’s Mount, packed full of songs and fun.
Lovers of musical theatre will enjoy plenty of choice from classics such as Evita (Helston Theatre Company) and The Threepenny Opera (OVO), to West End sensation Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (British Theatre Academy) and much more.
Zoë Curnow, Executive Director of the Minack, is looking forward to the coming year. “Enjoying outdoor theatre is a special part of the summer for both local people and many visitors to Cornwall. We’re thrilled at the season we’ve put together this year, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy. 2023 is going to be challenging for everyone including our visitors. Making live theatre affordable is important to us, so most events include at least 80 tickets at £10 (£5 for under 16s). The Minack is often seen as a great tourist attraction, but we’re also a local theatre, bringing great shows to West Cornwall, so this year we’re creating some special offers for local residents, to help more of our neighbours to enjoy the Minack on a regular basis.”
Booking for most 2023 events at the Minack opens Monday 24 January. The Minack is a very popular attraction and venue. Advance booking for events, visits and tours is essential in school holidays and advisable at all other times.
For information on future performances at the Minack visit www.minack.com.
