marriage of inconvenience (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

marriage of inconvenience

RAIN or Shine Theatre Company, well known for its outdoor productions of classical comedy - from Shakespeare to Sheridan - are currently on tour with Sir John Vanbrugh's hilarious 17th century comedy The Provoked Wife, directed by James Reynard.

The young and beautiful Lady Brute is the wife of the boorish Sir John. She married him for his money, he wanted to get her into bed.

The result is a miserable match, driving him to drink and her to thoughts of infidelity.

Add two pairs of frustrated lovers, eccentric ladies of extreme fashion, cross dressing, bullying husbands, brawls, chases, comic trials and conniving servants and this all makes for Rain and Shine's rollicking and rumbustuous rendering of Vanbrugh's comedy of the sexes.

The nine-strong Gloucester-based professional company's whistle-stop tour of the UK includes a performance at Poulton House, near Cirencester on Saturday, July 12 at 8pm.

Tickets from 01285 851237 or from Cirencester TIC on 01285 654180. Gardens open for picnics at 6.30pm. Bring your own seats.

Should you be unlucky enough to miss the Poulton production, you can catch up with it on July 23 at Dean Close School, Cheltenham on July 23, Lodge Park, Northleach on August 2 or Keynes Country Park, Cirencester on August 16.

More details from the website at www.rainorshine.co.uk