A relaxing summer evening can be enjoyed by all when Summer Sounds returns to Strawberry Hill House. From the shade of the 18th-century villa to the sunshine of the Grade II historic gardens, roll out the picnic blanket for days to remember of musical and theatrical fun.
Summer will be in full swing when The Polka Dots kick off 2024´s Summer Sounds season. On Sunday 9 June visitors will be toe-tapping to an assortment of 1940s swing and 1950s Rockabilly, from classic covers to original new tunes, for three hours of dance routines and sassy voices in the early evening sun (4pm-7.30pm).
Sunday 14 July sees music, manic costume changes, and mistaken identity when Shakespeare´s The Comedy of Errors comes to Strawberry Hill. Performed by the internationally renowned Shakespeare troupe the HandleBards, this fast, funny and fearless take on Elizabethan farce is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, early bird tickets are already sold out, so don’t make an Elizabethan error and miss out.
And on Sunday 25 August all the spiritual, bluesy, jazzy, Cajun sounds of New Orleans are given a UK modern twist with The Swing Ninjas, a four-piece who put big grooves centre stage. Guaranteed to get you off the picnic blanket for some Dixieland dance moves during the 4pm-7pm concert.
Ranging from Pimms, prosecco and ice cream, Strawberry Hill’s Garden Café has you covered for all your picnic needs. Or if you want to come fully prepared, take advantage of a special summer offer by pre-ordering a Roots & Berries picnic hamper.
Whatever takes your fancy on the long summer evenings, Strawberry Hill House will have something for everyone, from toe-tapping swing music to farcical Shakespearean verse, and a celebration of a once-in-a-decade exhibition.
The Polka Dots: Sunday 9 June
Time: 4pm – 7.30pm (Gate opens at 3.45pm, with the performance starting at 4.45pm)
Back by popular demand, this year’s Summer Sounds kicks off with a band who incapsulate the fun of Summer: The Polka Dots. Whether it’s 1940s Swing or 1950s Rockabilly, The Polka Dots are guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser, bringing glamour, fun and energy to every performance.
Strawberry Hill House Summer Concert: Tuesday 2 July
Time: 7:15pm – 9.30pm
As Sir Karl Jenkins, one of the world’s most performed composers, celebrates his 80th birthday with a major UK tour, we are offering as a tribute this performance of his masterpiece, ‘the Armed Man’. Enjoy a concert in the impressive Waldegrave Drawing Room after a summer evening drink in the Garden
Handlebards – The Comedy of Errors: Sunday 14 July
Time: 5pm – 7pm
Join the troupe for a bicycle-powered production of Shakespeare’s ‘The Comedy of Errors’ like you’ve never seen before. When two sets of estranged twins are brought together on the same island, this classic comedy takes hold, with mistaken identity, music and manic costume changes a plenty.
The Swing Ninjas: Sunday 25 August
Time: 4pm – 7.30pm (Gate opens at 3.45pm, with the performance starting at 4.45pm)
Drawing on elements of New Orleans swing, spirituals, blues, cajun and jazz, all influenced by the UK new swing movement, The Swing Ninjas are a band you will want to dance to. Any live show is high energy, full of humour, passion and grooves that guarantee dancing across the ages.
