Summer at the Mansion House

Summer is well and truly upon us and here at The Reader Organisation we're making the most of it with a season of exciting activity planned at Calderstones Mansion House.

Shakespeare's Globe production of King Lear

The highlight will undoubtedly be the grand reopening of the Mansion House Garden Theatre as Shakespeare's Globe brings their touring production of King Lear to the outdoor stage on Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th August, 7.30pm. Starring Joseph Marcell (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air) and Rawiri Paratene (Whale Rider), the production was originally performed at the Globe Theatre in London and has since been touring Europe to critical acclaim.

Closed for the past 30 years, The Garden Theatre holds wonderful memories for many people in Liverpool and beyond, and one of the most popular suggestions at our Calderstones Open Days in April was to bring theatre back to the park. We're thrilled to be able to do this with one of Shakespeare's greatest plays and some of the world's finest performers.

Tickets cost £20/£15 are available from the Globe Box Office website or by calling 020 7401 9919. Find out more here.

Following the Shakespearean visit, the Mansion House garden will be the venue for the Calderstones Summer Fair on Saturday 31st August, a community celebration and fundraising event from 11am-5pm. Attractions will include crafts, stalls, a Harry Potter fancy dress competition, a poetry photo booth, live music and much more!

We're keen for the local community to get involved, so if anyone would like to perform at or contribute to the fair, whether by donating books and other items for bric-a-brac, supplying homemade jam to sell, or entertaining the crowd, please get in touch and let us know: sophiepovey@thereader.org.uk.

Weekly shared reading groups are running in the Mansion House for both adults and children. Children under 5 and their parents or carers are welcome to join the Teddy Bear’s Picnic every Thursday afternoon on the front lawn, 1.30-2.30pm, whilst their older siblings can get crafty with stories and games at Caldies Creatives on Saturday mornings, 10-11.30am.  Find out more.

Other summer activities include a course on ‘Reading Paradise Lost’ with The Reader Organisation’s Director Jane Davis on Saturday 7th September - book your place here.

We're very excited that the first stage of the Mansion House's regeneration into the International Centre for Reading and Wellbeing is underway and the building is becoming a hub of activity once more.

Our vision for Calderstones is a place where everyone can come together and connect, so we're hoping as many of you as possible can join us at our summer events. To find out more about our plans for Calderstones and how you can get involved, visit the 'Connect at Calderstones' page on our website.