A COMPANY of actors are heading to Northwich with a performance of a play heralded as 'one of the most fantastic romantic comedies of all time'.

The award-winning Lord Chamberlain's Men are making a welcome return to Arley Hall on August 28 with a much-anticipated production of Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' in the walled garden.

The touring company prides itself on performing the bard's plays as they would have been seen 400 years ago – out in the open air with a rare all-male cast and traditional costumes.

Peter Stickney, associate producer of 'Twelfth Night', said: "This is one of the most fantastic romantic comedies of all time.

"It's a tangled rom com with the added element that there is a boy playing a girl and then in the play she dresses as a boy.

"There's another boy in a dress falling in love with a boy playing a girl dressed as a boy, it's fantastic with those extra layers and the audience are in on all these things."

'Twelfth Night' is the story of twins who are washed up on the coast of magical Illyria and get caught up in a chaotic and comic tale of tangled love stories and mistaken identity.

But audiences need not fear utter bewilderment as they will be guided through the complex web by a masterful team who have no trouble bringing the 17th century drama to life.

"We really pride ourselves on presenting Shakespeare traditionally but the other side of that is that it's not a museum piece," Peter said.

"Our watchwords are clarity and bold story telling and some of the best feedback we have had is 'I've seen lots of Shakespeare and didn't understand it but I understood every single word of that' or young families saying it was their child's first Shakespeare and they were hooked for two hours straight through when they don't normally sit still in the theatre.

"I was taught Shakespeare really badly at school so know people can be put off it – I can understand people's reluctance but come and see one of our shows where it isn't scary and is very accessible.

"A lot of the problem is that people read Shakespeare as opposed to hearing it out loud.

"You marry that together with the beautiful grounds of Arley Hall, a bottle of Prosecco, pork pie and some sunshine and you've got a perfect evening."

Shelagh Bebington, commercial manager at Arley Hall, said the company's annual performance had become a well-established date in the Cheshire calendar.

"Audiences grow every year as word gets around about the quality of the performances," she said.

"We've always been entertained by the productions and I am certain this year will be no different."

Gates open at 6.30pm and the two-hour performance starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets for adults are £14.50 in advance or £16.50 on the night.

Tickets for children aged from five to 16 are £10.

Picnics are welcome but people are advised to bring a rug or low backed seating.

For more information or to book ring 01565 777353 (ext 20)

Twelfth Night tour facts and figures

  • Run is from June 9 to September 20
  • Covers 8,000 miles
  • Actors put on 85 performances at 72 venues
  • Seven actors perform 15 parts
  • 2,500 actors applied for parts and were whittled down to seven in a two month process