Hammersmith's Summer Festival Begins Today

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Catch The Beasts, first of four free Theatre in the Square productions

Hammersmith's Summer Festival 2014, promising two months of free music, theatre, sports and family fun in Lyric Square, begins this week with the first of four weeks of Theatre in the Square presented by the Lyric Hammersmith.

In its Theatre in the Square programme, the Lyric Hammersmith once again brings captivating theatre to outdoor audiences with the generous support of HammersmithLondon. In partnership with Greenwich+Docklands International Festival, Watford Palace Theatre and Latitude, the Lyric’s programme of shows invites passers-by to stop and enjoy free theatre in Lyric Square.

Four of the country’s most exciting emerging theatre companies have been commissioned to make work specifically for outdoor audiences and will present their shows over the next four weeks. Here is the programme:

The Beasts by Bucket Club

Tuesday May 27 and Wednesday 28

The Royal Society of Beastologists is on the hunt for a fearsome, never-before-seen beast. They’ve already photographed the Loch Ness Monster, the Beast of Bodmin and the elusive Essex Lion.

But will this final mystery prove too much? In a world of disbelievers, you are invited to join in the search. Bucket Club explore theatrical form and storytelling with live music to create shows that are exciting and above all, playful.

Tuesday: 12noon - 3pm and 5 - 7pm and Wednesday: 12noon - 3pm

PERFORMANCE TIMES: 12pm, 1pm, 2pm then 5pm and 6pm

Find out more at Bucket Club

The Itinerant Music Hall by Flipping the Bird

Tuesday June 3 and Wednesday 4

Roll up! Roll up! Gather round The Itinerant Music Hall. They are the world’s smallest (and only) travelling music hall outfit: an upright honky-tonk piano and a tumble down stage, strapped onto a bicycle. A blend of storytelling, cabaret, improvisation and high-jinks vaudeville. A collaborative company, Flipping the Bird include music as a vital part of their storytelling and make work that is vivid, playful, subversive and entertaining.

Tuesday: 12noon - 3pm and 5 - 7pm and Wednesday: 12noon - 3pm

PERFORMANCE TIMES: 12pm, 1pm, 2pm then 5pm and 6pm

Find out more at Flipping the Bird

Made Up Stories From My Unmade Bed by Page One Theatre

Tuesday June 10 and Wednesday 11

It’s time to wake up – but one girl doesn’t want to. She’d rather stay snuggled under the covers until her dreams escape her head and become adventures around her bed. Pillows become clouds and beds are boats as the sheets billow above, inviting you into a world of colour, puppets, feathers and fun. This charming new show is a visual treat from Page One Theatre who create original, vibrant stories for families.

Tuesday: 12noon - 3pm and 5 - 7pm and Wednesday: 12noon - 3pm

PERFORMANCE TIMES: 12pm, 1pm, 2pm then 5pm and 6pm

Find out more at Page One Theatre

Full Stop by Light the Fuse

Tuesday 17 – Wednesday 18 June

This is the bus shelter where anything can happen. In an explosion of physicality, humour and excitement Full Stop brings a bus shelter to life with romance, adventure and surprises. Waiting for a bus has never been so much fun. Light The Fuse charge everyday spaces and traditional stories with explosive visual and physical elements to surprise and captivate audiences of all ages.

Tuesday: 12noon - 3pm and 5 - 7pm and Wednesday: 12noon - 3pm

PERFORMANCE TIMES: 12pm, 1pm, 2pm then 5pm and 6pm

Find out more at Light the Fuse on Facebook

Theatre in the Square will be followed by a chance to follow tennis action from Wimbledon on big screens from June 23 to the Men's and Ladies' Finals on July 5 and 6.

There will also be live coverage on the big screens of the Tour de France and Picnics in the Square with Albert and Friends Circus on July 8, 9, 15 and 16. On July 15 there will be a treat for opera fans with a chance to watch the Royal Opera House's La boheme live.

April 18, 2014