SHAKESPEARE will be coming to Kew Gardens next month when Private Drama, a leading supplier of bespoke theatre and event entertainment, presents a limited season of plays in the newly refurbished 18th Century Orangery.

Exclusive performances of Shakespeare in Season, the acclaimed West End hit, The Shakespeare Revue and Theatre Set Up's The Two Gentleman of Verona will run from 13th to 18th June 2003.

The talented team of lighting, stage and sound technicians are tasked with bringing to life the first ever performances in the Orangery. The logistical challenges facing them include transforming the Orangery from its usual restaurant setting into a professionally lit staged theatre to seat 238-people, in only one and a half hours!

The line-up of cabaret-

Park walk

ENJOY the spring flowers on Richmond Park's acid grassland with the London Wildlife Trust. Members of the local group are inviting members of the public to join them at 10am on tomorrow (Saturday, May 31st) by the noticeboard in the Pen Ponds car park. For futher details, call 8979 6298.

style and traditional Shakespeare performances are set to kick-start the Summer season of visits to the gardens.

Tickets are on sale for £38.00 and include a complimentary Pimms and Strawberries reception. Gates open at 7.15pm and the programme starts at 8.00pm.

Adam Blackwood, director of Private Drama, said: We are very excited to be bringing this production, the first of its kind, to the Orangery. It will provide a rare opportunity for people to enjoy an exclusive live performance in the surrounds of these beautiful gardens in full Summer bloom without getting wet!''

The performances are as follows. The Shakespeare Revue visits on June 13th, 16th and 18th. This glittering cabaret-style musical shakes up Shakespeare with tap dances, torch songs, tuxedos, sequins and side-splitting sketches. Since its premire at the Royal Shakespeare Company and acclaimed West End run, this hilarious show has delighted audiences worldwide. Victoria Wood, Nol Coward, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, Maureen Lipman, Monty Python and Fascinating Ada are among over forty contributors to this sparkling and sophisticated revue boasting the funniest songs and sketches inspired by the Bard. The show stars the authors together with members of the original West End cast.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be performed on June 14th. This production will be performed in resplendent 18th century-style costume with music from Mozart's operas played on the harp. The international professional Shakespearean theatre company Theatre Set Up performs one of Shakespeare's best love comedies with the same minimalist set-up of cast and setting as Shakespeare's own company, The King's Men.

Shakespeare in Season, a light-hearted celebration of nature, gardens, flowers, landscape and the seasons, seen through the lens of Shakespeare's immortal language, is presented on June 15th and 17th. Featuring music by Franz Schubert, Rogers & Hart, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim, William Walton, Leonard Bernstein and Frank Loesser, together with specially commissioned songs from Dillie Keane and Olivier Award-winner George Stiles.

Booking information: Tickets for the exclusive event are only available from the Kew Box Office. Ticket price £38.00, includes a complimentary Pimms and Strawberries reception, cash bar available. Call the Shakespeare at Kew booking line: 0208 332 5616 or email shakespeare@kew.org.uk

May 30, 2003 10:30