You that way, we this way…

The hottest June and July on record! A Royal Wedding! England win a penalty shoot-out! Toblerone to return to its 'proper' shape! ...and GSC stage most popular open-air show to date!

Yes it all happened in the last 10 weeks, and now with the dust settling (literally), our 13th open-air season has finally come to an end...what a wonderful experience it has been.

Both Robin Hood and Love's Labour's Lost exceeded our expectations in so many ways.

For those of you who saw Robin will know how we transformed the idyllic Racks Close into Sherwood Forest with rope bridges, Outlaw camps and beautiful sculptural lighting. 2216 people joined Robin, Marian and the gang to outwit the Sheriff of Nottingham, in a show that had audiences cheering, booing and clapping along in equal measure. Watch the show trailer again

“… a truly innovative performance in a fabulous location.” Essential Surrey ★★★★

Central to the Robin Hood legend is the championing of those less fortunate in our society. GSC is increasingly working with more and more individuals and communities to help bridge the gap in our region and there will be exciting news coming in the next few weeks about some of the initiatives we'll be launching in the Autumn. At every performance of Robin Hood we held collections for the Guildford North Food Bank, and we're delighted to report that through our audiences' generosity we were able to deliver 8 crates of much needed vital supplies to St Clare's Church in Park Barn:

"By donating 8 crates of food to Guildford North Food Bank they have helped many local families. It's good to know that we've got a plentiful supply of these items to last us well into the autumn.  Thank you too for promoting the work of the foodbank through this venture and using the imaginative link with Robin Hood!" Guildford North Food Bank

As football fever gripped the nation and the temperature continued to rise, the company went back into the rehearsal room for Love's Labour's Lost. Considered by many to be a tricky, wordy play, in the hands of director Tom Littler and our brilliant cast, the play proved to be GSC's most popular open-air play to date - beating Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"Tonight I had the joy of watching ‘Love's Labour's Lost’ and it was incredible. Funny, soul warming and heartbreaking. A night well spent. Congratulations to all involved, you’ve created something magical." Audience member

2853 people joined us at the University of Law for Shakespeare's dazzling comedy. Watching young and old laugh their socks off at Latin jokes whilst at the same being hushed into heart-breaking silence, is a memory we at GSC will not forget. A huge thank you to the GSC Friends who supplied the 23 Victoria Sponges used in the run - a scene much relished by actors and audience!

Over the course of the whole summer season we were also able to give 9 aspiring actors from our Young Company the opportunity to join the professional cast of Robin Hood; we made 60 free tickets available to mental health charity Oakleaf,Guildford Action, and social housing charity Riverside; whilst people continued to take advantage of our award-winning Audio Description service for Love’s Labour’s Lost.

An enormous thank you to everyone who supported us this summer. GSC receives no core or local government funding, so 93% of this summer's £147, 475 budget had to be met through earned income - so whether it was buying a ticket, a drink at the bar, a programme, as a sponsor, a partner, or you just shared our numerous vlogs on social media - you have all helped ensure we can continue to provide great theatre experiences for everyone.

Arts and sports can truly bring communities together, as this summer has proved time and again. We're now looking ahead to Autumn and the 2019 programme, but if you want to relive our last 10 weeks, visit the GSC Blog for photos, rehearsal shots, trailers, and comment.

So until next time, in the words of Don Armado: "You that way, we this way."