Once again, the City of London Corporation are proud to presentan exciting programme of outdoor theatre performances in The Templeenclosure, Wanstead Park. This year renowned outdoor theatreproduction company, Illyria, will perform: Shakespeare's TwelfthNight, Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox and for the first time ever,the rousing tunes of Gilbert and Sullivan and The Pirates ofPenzance.

The season starts with Twelfth Night on Saturday 11 June at 6pm.

Fantastic Mr Fox will be on Wednesday 10 August at 3pm and ThePirates of Penzance takes place on Sunday 21 August at 3pm. Ticketprices for all shows are - adults £10.95, under 16"s £5.95, under3"s £1.95 or a family ticket (2+2) is available for £29.95. Ticketscan be booked from the Epping Forest Visitor Centre in High Beachon 020 8508 0028, or by visitinghttp://www.illyria.uk.comLocal audiences have been enjoying Illyria's rumbustiousperformances for the last five years now in Wanstead Park, but suchjollities are just the modern manifestation of a long tradition ofWanstead entertainments.

Back in Tudor times, Wanstead House was owned by Robert Dudley,Earl of Leicester, Queen Elizabeth's favourite and possibly thelove of her life. Leicester had his own 'company of players' aswell as a company of musicians and Wanstead no doubt saw many aTudor masque and revel. A couple of centuries on when Wanstead wasin its heyday as an ostentatious and highly"fashionable mansion andpleasure garden, there's a marvellous description of a theatricalentertainment held in front of the Boathouse Grotto in the 1760s.

In keeping with the gothic extravagances of the day, there arosefrom the water 'a ghastly coffin covered with slime and otherthings' from which extended"'a terrible apparition withoutstretched hand screeching in a hollow voice'. The excitement wassuch that 'some of the company fell into the water and had to besaved'. As well as the shell encrusted Grotto, the gardens boastednot one but two amphitheatres and"the"'fortifications', a smallcastle built upon a cluster of islands. This"was used as thebackdrop for mock naval battles with no doubt lots of smoke and theexcitement of gunpowder, cannon and fireworks."Illyria are well known for their fun special effects with smoke,bangs and last year, a huge inflatable peach that the crowd playedwith like a giant beach ball. We can guarantee lots of action, awitty take on each of the three plays and a thoroughly enjoyableafternoon or evening. Don't forget your picnic and blanket orfolding chair and enjoy the tranquil view, the historic ambienceand a hint of aristocratic pleasures of days gone by."Superintendent of Epping Forest, Paul Thomson, said "We are veryexcited about the return of Illyria with their eclectic mix ofproductions. Without the local community turning out to attend andsupport these events we will be unable to continue this historictradition of outdoor theatre in Wanstead Park, which is one ofEpping Forest"s unique and heritage locations."