X marks the spot

The Pantaloons will be returning to Canons Ashby House to perform Robert Louis Stevensson’s swashbuckling adventure Treasure Island at the end of the month.

The fun filled adventure on the high seas combines treasure and treachery in equal measure in this open-air production.

Featuring a cast of just three actors playing all the characters - including the infamous Long John Silver - this unforgettable show from the critically-acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company will thrill adventure-seekers of all ages.

Jim Hawkins spins his yarn of plotting pirates and potty parrots as he is whisked away from his home on a voyage to an island where danger lurks around every corner and revenge comes with a capital “arr”!

The Pantaloons are known for their anarchic retellings of classic works of literature having previously put a hilarious spin on Bleak House, Sherlock Holmes, The Canterbury Tales, Grimm Fairy Tales, A Christmas Carol and many of Shakespeare’s plays.

The show’s writer and director Mark Hayward said: “We cannot wait for audiences to see our take on Treasure Island.

“We’ve got music, audience interaction, swordfights and all the mayhem you’d expect from just three actors playing twenty characters!”

The Pantaloons began life ten years ago as an open-air theatre company, busking plays for donations in parks and on the streets, where they developed an attention-grabbing, interactive and playful performance style.

“We characterise our work as post-modern folk theatre,” says Hayward. “We take well-loved tales and give them a contemporary twist, making them accessible for new audiences and showing seasoned fans something that they perhaps had not seen in them before.”

The Pantaloons have picked up plenty of loyal followers and a lot of critical acclaim and have quickly become one of the country’s most prolific touring companies - and even they’re not entirely sure how and when that happened.

“We seem to have even slipped under our own radar,” says Hayward.

The show is designed for the whole family and people can also bring along a picnic and watch the performance.

Treasure Island can be seen on Friday August 28 with the gates opening at 5.30pm. The entertainment runs from 6pm to 8pm.

Tickets for the show cost £12.50 for adults, £8 for children and £35 for a family ticket.

To book tickets call 01327 861903 or alternatively call www.thepantaloons.co.uk/shows.