New Forest theatre to open next year
A fundraising campaign has been launched for a new woodland community theatre to open in 2027.
The New Forest Open Air Theatre has the backing of such theatre luminaries as Mark Rylance, Judi Dench and Derek Jacobi and is scheduled to open for next year’s summer season.
With seating for 300 and set in the Hinton Admiral estate in Hampshire and designed by Natalie Skeete of Forest Architecture the new theatre is being built of coppice timber taken from the surrounding woodland, with a vision of producing professional outdoor theatre while supporting community participation and engagement with nature.
“Our ambition is to create a venue that delivers outstanding cultural experiences while remaining accessible, sustainable and rooted in its local landscape” said artistic director Abbey Wright. “There is such scope for telling bold and epic stories in the woods. Imagine fairies appearing from the glade and kings riding in on horseback.
“But there is also a great intimacy in the cradle of the trees and it is so moving to see the figure of a human standing next to the figure of an ancient tree searching for meaning, underneath the stars.”