Talk to the animals at Canons Ashby

The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle produced by the outdoor theatre company Illyria on Friday August 17 from 6pm to 8pm

When Doctor John Dolittle of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh is taught by his wise old parrot Polynesia how to talk to animals, news of his skills spreads far and wide.

Soon animals across the world send messages asking for his help. So, he buys a leaky old ship and, together with his trusty pet-crew of Jip the dog, Chee-Chee the monkey, Dab-Dab the Duck and permanently hungry Gub-Gub the pig, sets forth on a mission to heal illness, spread compassion and gain a greater understanding of the animal kingdom.

A funny, much-loved and exciting adventure, with a strong message about responsibility towards animals and the environment, this show is created by the same Illyria team who previously created an entire menagerie of animal puppets in Danny the Champion of the World and a life-size T-Rex in The Lost World.

“Illyria has given more performances to more people across a wider area than any other open-air touring theatre company, proudly maintaining professional Equity-compliant productions for over a quarter of a century. We’re really pleased to be performing at Canons Ashby and can’t wait see how the audience reacts!” says artistic director Oliver Gray.

Helena Avery-Clarke, programming and communications officer at Canons Ashby House, said: “It will be fantastic to have a show for families here at Canons Ashby, right in the middle of the summer holidays. Hopefully it will be a really special evening and little ones can take home some lovely memories of their time here. Illyria put on a great performance so hopefully it’ll be great fun.”

The show starts at 6pm and finishes at 8pm. Tickets cost £14 for adults and £8 for children.

To find out more about Illyria’s full touring schedule, and to buy tickets, visit www.illyria.uk.com.

Tickets are also available by visiting www.nationaltrust.org.uk/canons-ashby.