Description:

England’s leading museum of historic buildings and traditional rural life is pleased to welcome back ‘The Company’ this summer with its own special brand of roving musical theatre. The Company will present ‘And That Will Never Be’ by Suzi Hopkins, a site-specific theatre trail taking place in and around the historic buildings in the Museum’s beautiful downland setting.

Performances run from 31st July – 2nd August, and from 8th – 9th August 2009, with both daytime and twilight presentations. The audience is invited to follow the characters in a journey across two centuries, accompanied by traditional English Folk songs and some larger than life characters, promenading in and out of the Museum’s historic houses and beautiful grounds. The audience will suffer the hardship, the smoke and the treadmill of the character’s lives - luckily they can go home at the end! The production lasts about one and a half hours and is suitable for children aged 7 and above.

The Company last came to the Museum in 2007 with a specially commissioned piece by Poems and Puddings, West Sussex County Council’s rural arts programme for new writing and literature, and the success of that visit prompted this return. With generous help from Awards for All, visitors will be able to enjoy this adapted piece written specifically for the Museum in its wonderful historic setting.

Performance dates and times are as follows: Friday 31 July at 7pm (Twilight Performance); Saturday 1 August at 2.30pm, and 7pm (Twilight Performance); Sunday 2
August at 11.30am and 2.30pm; Saturday 8 August at 2.30pm, and 7pm (Twilight Performance); and Sunday 9 August at 11.30am and 2.30pm. Tickets for all performances may be booked by visiting or calling the Museum Shop, on 01243 811020. Prices are adults £8.95; children £4.70; over 60s £7.95; family £24.25. Entry for Twilight Performances is from 6pm, and daytime performances include entry to the Museum and all its exhibits.