Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre promises a Wilde and wonderful 2024

The programme for the 2024 Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre season has been revealed – and for the first time, there is no Shakespeare in the summer of shows.

Instead, audiences at the popular Chester open-air performances will be invited to plunge into the electrifying 19th Century world of The Gangs of New York and revel in the witticisms of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.

And for youngsters and their families, there will be a chance to follow the yellow brick road in a walkabout theatre experience of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Award-winning Liverpool playwright Kieran Lynn is adapting American journalist and writer Herbert Asbury’s 1928 novel, set in Manhattan’s infamous Five Points where rival Irish and American gangs rule.

Ambitious Irish immigrant John Morrissey rises as a formidable gang leader and politician, and clashes with American gangster Bill Poole in a bloody and dangerous power struggle. But amid the lawlessness and violence, two star-crossed lovers defy their feuding families.

The Gangs of New York, directed by John Young, will open on July 19 and run until August 31.

Meanwhile The Importance of Being Earnest runs at the open-air theatre-in-the-round from August 9 to September 1.

The production, directed by Natasha Rickman who returns to Grosvenor Park after Little Women two years ago, promises a delightful dive into Wilde’s world of comedy and charming chaos. To miss it would be a misfortune.

And The Wonderful Wizard of Oz takes place from July 27 to August 22.

Helen Redcliffe, head of producing at Storyhouse which runs the Grosvenor Park season, said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing classic writing back to GPOAT this summer with Oscar Wilde’s comedy The Importance of Being Earnest - we know our GPOAT comedy fans will love this show, it will be raucous, joyful, over the top and laugh out loud funny!

“We’re pairing this with new writing in The Gangs of New York, which we’ve created after the success of The Great Gatsby last summer, were our audiences were thrilled by an epic, emotional, daring story of an American Dream.

“Meanwhile The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will be our delightful family show perfect for families whose kids want to get up close to the storytelling and characters! We’re also really, really excited that we have captioning for every show, making the open-air theatre more accessible.

“It’s going to be a summer of drama, music, love, betrayal, surprises and of course joy – all staged under starry evening skies or balmy afternoon sunshine. Just gorgeous.”

More details on all the productions and tickets HERE