The invitation is to "Come outside" as the great outdoors puts on a show over the weeks and months ahead. The growing number of productions during the lighter summer nights means you can see a play at the priory, hear a contralto at the castle, join Miranda at a museum, and meet some railway children at the end of the line. There are plenty of plays by Shakespeare plus operas in places from Kirkleatham Museum at Redcar to Guisborough Priory, Mount Grace Priory down the A19 and Pickering Castle to easily reached Nunnington Hall. Just take your own picnics and rugs or chairs (I recommend both), add an umbrella or two as a sensible precaution, and enjoy the show. THE excitement starts tomorrow at Nunnington Hall when the dynamic and zany outdoor performers from Oddsocks present Shakespeare's magical tale of THE TEMPEST. They are renowned for the humour they inject into performances so, if the weather is kind, the hall's beautiful walled garden should be rocking with laughter. "Visitors are really looking forward to this show," says Nunnington's visitor services assistant, Becky Jones. "Oddsocks always provide a memorable night and the walled garden is a perfect setting." The show starts at 7pm, gates open at 6pm and tickets - if you book in advance on 01439 748283 - are £13, under-17s £6.50. On the door, they are £14 and £7.50. Meanwhile, the popular Heatbreak Theatre Company will be bringing THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST to Nunnington Hall on Sat, July 30, 7pm. THE mixed-amateur professional Richmondshire Community Play, LAST DANCE OF A DALESMAN, completes its tour when it arrives at Richmond Castle from Thursday until a week tomorrow night. This large-scale production with music, talking and dancing is a humorous and romantic tale set on the old Corpse Way from Muker to Grinton and brings to life the spirits and legends of Wensleydale and Swaledale. It starts at 7.30pm, doors 6.45. Tickets in advance from 01969 625142 are £7.50, £5 concs. On the night, they are £9 and £6.50. REDCAR & Cleveland Council is presenting five performances in picturesque surroundings. Their line-up is... Tues, June 28: ROMEO AND JULIET by the Chapterhouse Theatre Company at Gisborough Priory, 7pm. Tickets £10 adults, £7 concs. Wed, June 29: Chapterhouse again, this time with THE TAMING OF THE SHREW at Gisborough Priory, 7pm. Tickets £10 adults, £7 concs. Thurs-Sat, July 14-16: The Oddsocks tour of THE TEMPEST moves from Nunnington Hall to Kirkleatham Museum, 7pm. Tickets £9, £5 concs. Thurs, Aug 11: FIVE CHILDREN AND IT by the Illyria group at Gisborough Priory, 2pm and 7.30pm. Tickets £8.50, £5 concs. Thurs-Fri, Aug 18-19: Illyria again, now with THE COMEDY OF ERRORS at Gisborough Priory, 7.30pm. Tickets £8.50, £5 concs. For tickets or more details, call 01287 633801, 01287 622422 or 01642 471921 for more details. ENGLISH Heritage has organised a series of shows at its major sites within easy reach of the Tees Valley. These are... Fri, July 8: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING by the Heartbreak Theatre Company at Mount Grace Priory, 7.30pm. Tickets £10, £8 concs, £6 children. Call 01609 883494. Sat, July 23 and Sat, Aug 27: THE RAILWAY CHILDREN, Pickering Castle, which just happens to be at the southern end of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway line from Grosmont, 11.30am and 2.30pm. Tickets £4, £3 concs, £2 child, £10 family. Call 01751 474989. Thurs, Aug 4: HAMLET by the Heartbreak group, Mount Grace Priory, 7.30pm. Tickets £11, £9 concs, £7 child. Tel 01609 883494. Sat, Aug 13: MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, by Rain Or Shine Theatre Company, Mount Grace Priory, 7.30pm. Tickets £11, £9 concs, £7 child. Tel 01609 883494. Heartbreak also brings MUCH ADO to Nunnington Hall on Fri, Aug 12, 7pm. RABY Castle near Staindrop off the Darlington to Barnard Castle road, is hosting both outdoor productions of popular operas by Opera Brava as well as one of Shakespeare's great tragedies. Sat, July 30: Chapterhouse presents the Scottish play, MACBETH, in the gardens. Tickets £12, senior citizens £11, students and children £8. Fri, Aug 12: Puccini's LA BOHEME is the first of the operas, followed by... Sat, Aug 13: CARMEN by Georges Bizet. Tickets to both £20, child £10, family £50. Call 01833 660202 for more on all three. THE amateur Castle Players will be presenting THE TAMING OF THE SHREW in the beautiful grounds of the Bowes Museum at Barnard Castle from Wed-Sat, July 6-9, 7.30pm. Shakespeare's story of sparring suitors, hot-blooded Latin lovers and the high spirited Kate will find the artisans and townsfolk of Renaissance Padua living out their lives, loves, work and troubles around you. Tickets are priced from £5. Call 0800 0747080 for more details. MEANWHILE, Middlesbrough Theatre goes away though not outside when it reaches out again to the Hexagon Theatre at Acklam with ALICE IN WONDERLAND tomorrow. "This is yet another new venture with the first in a series of children's shows at the Hexagon, in association with Hall Garth and Kings Manor Schools," says theatre manager David Lindsey. "The series kicks off with a special hour-long musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic by T J Lince. "All the fantastic characters in Wonderland are here, brought to life by two versatile actors including the Little Grey Mouse, the Caterpillar and, of course, the ever-so-sad Mock Turtle. "Join Alice at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and find out the real reason why nobody does the washing up," declares David. See this family fun at 1pm, tickets £3, £2.50 concs. Call 01642 815181. | 
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