Pedalling from venue to venue with all of their set, props and costumes on the back of their bikes, the HandleBards are a four-strong troupe of actors who are spending the summer bringing environmentally sustainable Shakespeare to venues across the UK.

Join the troupe at Wharton Park for a fantastically funny bicycle-powered production of Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’.

What’s the play about? Well – Rosalind and her cousin Celia flee to the Forest of Arden, where they bump into Rosalind’s love interest Orlando. However, Rosalind is disguised as a young man. Cue some local Shepherds getting involved and the stage is set for a wild ride of wooing, hilarious mistaken identity and the odd wrestling match.

This is an outdoor production, so please bring a chair or blanket to sit on, a picnic to dig into, and dress for the weather!

Praise for previous HandleBards performances…

★★★★★ – “Explodes with energy and is a genuine treat from start to finish.” – The Stage

★★★★★ – “Five stars just don’t seem enough…” – The Sunderland Echo

Notes on Performance

Doors open at 5:30pm, so bring a picnic and come and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Seating isn’t provided by the venue so please make sure to bring your own – chairs, picnics, blankets and any other low-backed accessories are welcome.

In case of rain, please don’t bring umbrellas as they block sight-lines for other audience members. Ponchos and raincoats are just as fetching, so please wear these instead.

This is an outdoors performance and surfaces may be uneven, please see the below accessibility notes from the venue – if you have any access related questions ahead of the performance please get in touch!

Wharton Park is built on a hill and access for many visitors may be a problem. We have improved access to the park where possible but this is a difficult site due to the steep inclines around the park.

Heritage Centre and viewing area access:

From the car park located at the top of Framwellgate Peth you can access the Heritage Centre with ease and use our disabled viewing area to look down on the Amphitheatre and over the park and city.

Amphitheatre and lower levels of the park access:

Should you wish to access the Amphitheatre and lower level of the park such as the Community Garden area, we would advise you to use the North Road ramped access point. Using this entrance will still involve an incline however this is far less steep than accessing via the upper car park.

Important Ticket Conditions – Please Read

Tickets will also be available to purchase on the day at the venue for £21 each, subject to availability. If the show sells out in advance then tickets may not be available on the door so early booking is encouraged!

You can bring your tickets digitally, on a phone or tablet, so save the trees and please don’t print them.

Description supplied by the event organiser.