Outdoor Theatre: The Last Post and Suitcase Stories

Gemma Gibb, Associate Editor

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Outdoor Theatre – The Last Post and Suitcase Stories

16-18 September 2016

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Image courtesy of Ramsbottom Festival
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Catch two of the best new outdoor theatre shows for families currently touring the UK at Ramsbottom Festival this year.

We can’t wait to step into Mobile Sorting Office 451, the glorious set for Kilter Theatre’s The Last Post which is full to the brim with thousands of items of real post, stationery, letter writing paraphernalia and vintage details from when snail mail used to be the order of the day.  An audience of 18 at a time meet Verity, the spirited heiress of an international pen-pal agency and Red, a redundant Post-Master for an enthralling tale of lost post and people.

The Last Post is a truly original and playful experience with funny, warm and subtle messages for us all on the value of slow and more thoughtful communication.  We love that after the show kids can write and post letters to friends and family in a real post box or join Kilter’s Friends for Pens penpal agency and write to new buddies across the country.

The Chaplinesque Suitcase Stories from Taking Flight Theatre also offers an out of the ordinary performance which challenges you to wake the actors from their lethargy by choosing a vintage suitcase containing props and costume. The contents are released, characters created and high jinks begin.

Where to go near Outdoor Theatre: The Last Post and Suitcase Stories

Bar or Pub
The Eagle and Child

The Eagle and Child in Ramsbottom does what good pubs do best, and more.

Bury
Restaurant
Colleen’s Ramsbottom

Colleen’s is a casual dining neighbourhood restaurant in the heart of Ramsbottom serving seasonal dishes.

Restaurant
Levanter Fine Foods

Helmed by chef-owners Fiona and Joe Botham, this tapas restaurant in Ramsbottom serves exclusively Spanish drinks and some of the best small plates going.

The Happy Belly sausages ramsbottom market
Shopping Centre
Ramsbottom Food and Craft Markets

Now ten years old, this double market combines a farmers’ market and a craft fair and provides the perfect excuse to visit the picturesque town of Ramsbottom, which nestles in the Lancashire foothills to the north of Manchester.

Manchester
Event venue
Burrs Country Park

Burrs Country Park lies on the River Irwell covering an area of 36 hectares of scenic countryside, one mile northwest of Bury town centre.

Museum
The Whitaker

The award-winning Whitaker Gallery & Museum is a multi-purpose venue which celebrates the area’s varied and amazing heritage whilst providing a dynamic, challenging and diverse programme of events, exhibitions and education-based activities.

Bury
Gallery
Bury Art Shop

Bury Art Shop is a local gem filled with original artworks, crafts and homewares, championing the work of local artists and makers at the heart of Bury’s growing Culture Quarter.

bury market
Manchester
Event venue
Bury Market

Over the past thirty years, retail giants have developed in the vicinity, yet Bury Market remains the undisputed champion of the North, attracting thousands of visitors every week.

Manchester
Restaurant
Listo Burrito

Listo Burrito on Manchester’s Oxford Street tempts busy diners with fresh ingredients and a modestly priced menu.

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