News: Jai McDowall, Lucy O’Byrne, Adam Bayjou and more announced for Barnfest

A host of performers have been announced for 2021 Barnfest Summer Festival, including Jai McDowall, Lucy O’Byrne and Adam Bayjou and many more.

The Barn Theatre’s summer set of shows will run from 10 to 29 August at The Pavilion, located next to the venue in the grounds of the newly opened Ingleside House, plus a two-day residency from 21 to 22 August at Manor House at Notgrove Estate, in association with Scoot Theatre.

Shows at The Pavilion include improvisational comedy troupe Spontaneous Players with their improvised comedies Spontaneous Potter Kidz: The Unofficial Improvised Parody at 3pm and Spontaneous Sherlock at 8pm from 10 to 12 August.

To coincide with 50 years of Mr Benn on screen, Storystock are bringing the magic of David McKee’s beloved character to the next generation of children with their productions of Mr Benn’s Big Game and Mr Benn and the Dragon, which will have daytime performances between 13 to 15 August.

On the same dates, there will be evening performances of musical theatre cabaret The Greatest Showtunes, with West End stars Adam Bayjou (Les Misérables) and Lucy O’Byrne (Les Misérables), singing songs from the world’s best-loved musicals.

Following his smash-hit run at last year’s festival, favourite Tweedy the Clown will return with his solo show Tweedy: Al Fresco! on 17 August for 12pm and 3pm performances.

The Runaround Kids will perform at 8pm from 17 to 18 August with Britain’s Got Talent winner and West End star Jai McDowall performing his solo show An Evening with Jai McDowall at 8pm from 19 to 21 August.

The Future of Musical Theatre, a celebration of upcoming musical theatre talents in Gloucestershire, will be performed on 22 August at 8pm. The concert, which began as an online fundraiser, was created by Barn Theatre volunteer Nathan Seatter-Messer as a way to support his local theatre.

Superhero Academy: Environmental Adventure will perform daytime performances at 3pm from 24 to 26 August, with evening performances of Tom Brace: Embrace the Impossible!. Magician Tom Brace‘s new show features his signature unique blend of comedy and magic.

David Ribi from Channel 5’s Milkshake! brings family fun with The Big Movie Magic Sing-A-Long at 3pm on 29 August.

The Barn at Notgrove, in association with Scoot Theatre, will feature performances of Scoot Theatre‘s family-friendly, sixty-minute productions of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy of Errors.

The actor-musician company for both productions are Aaron Sidwell (Eastenders, Wicked), Tricia Adele-Turner (Dear Evan Hansen, We Will Rock You), Scarlet Wilderink (Pinocchio, War Horse), Darrell Brockis (Private Lives, The Hound of the Baskervilles), Simmie Kaur (Emperor’s New Clothes) and graduate Miles Henderson.

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