Music, theatre and all that jazz

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Press release issued: 20 July 2009

Bristol University’s Botanic Garden will have a feast of sounds this week with evenings of classical music, Shakespeare and jazz.

For the first time at the garden, the Bristol Millennium Orchestra will perform many popular classics during a special programme arranged by this well-known 50 strong orchestra. The concert will take place on Wednesday 22 July from 7 pm. Tickets are priced at adults £9, children free.

On Friday 24 July, Chapterhouse Theatre Company will celebrate its 10th year of touring open-air theatre with a production of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Tickets, for an evening of flitting fairies, forest bound lovers and raucous tradesmen, cost adults £12, students and children £8, families [2 adults and 2 children] £35. The production starts at 7 pm.

Finally, on Saturday 25 July the Blue Note Jazz Band, fronted by Hannah Wedlock, will play during the evening and there will be a plant auction, bar and raffle. The music starts at 7 pm with a tour of the garden highlighting the latest plantings, the Giant Amazon Water Lily and Sacred Lotus collection at 4.30 pm. Tickets are priced at adults £9, children free.

Proceeds from this event will go towards the Friends of the Botanic Garden, a registered charity set up to support the Botanic Garden and its work.

Nick Wray, Botanic Garden Curator, said: “We look forward to welcoming everyone to a week of music and theatre.

“As those who have attended before will know, the show goes on rain or shine, so bring some friends, a cushion, a picnic and umbrella if wet.”

All three music and theatre events will be held at Churchill Hall gardens, Stoke Park Road, opposite the Botanic Garden. There will be a bar and tickets will be available on the door.

Cheques should be made payable to ‘University of Bristol’ and sent to the Botanic Garden marked ‘tickets’ with a SAE. Address for tickets is: University of Bristol Botanic Garden, Hollybush Lane, Stoke Bishop, Bristol BS9 1JB. To order tickets by telephone, call the hotline on 0117 331 4905.

Further information

The Bristol Millennium Orchestra will perform on Wednesday 22 July at 7 pm.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream presented by Chapterhouse Theatre Company will take place on Friday 24 July at 7 pm.

The Summer Jazz Evening will take place on Saturday, July 25. The garden will be open from 4 pm, with the tour of the garden taking place at 4.30 pm. The jazz evening will start at 7 pm and finish at 9.30 pm.

The University of Bristol Botanic Garden at The Holmes is open to the public 10 am to 4.30 pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. The Garden will also be open on Saturday's throughout July and August. Admission to the Garden is £3.50 adults; £1 children aged 5-16; (children under-5 free); £8 family ticket. Entrance to the Garden is free to members of the Friends of the Botanic Garden Association and University of Bristol staff and students. Disabled access and toilet facilities are available.

Directions to The Holmes From the city centre go to the top of Whiteladies Road, at the junction and traffic lights go straight ahead across Durdham Down towards Stoke Bishop. At the traffic lights go straight ahead and take the first turning on the right into Stoke Park Road, The Holmes is 150 m on the right.

Members of the public wishing to support the work of the Botanic Garden should join the Friends of the Garden. For more information go to www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/BotanicGardens/friends/who.htm or write to Susan Redfern, The Membership Secretary, 24 Dublin Crescent, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4NA.

Please contact Joanne Fryer for further information.