The Dukes Lancaster invites audiences to Follow the Yellow Brick Road

The Dukes Lancaster has announced its 2025 summer park show, the longest running promenade theatre show in the UK, as The Wizard of Oz.  

The show will take place over the school summer holidays from July 18th to August 24th in the breathtaking surroundings of Williamson Park. The play is one of two shows that the theatre produces each year and will be written by Lancaster based theatre maker Daniel Bye and directed by Elvi Piper.  

Announcing the Wizard of Oz at the spring season launch, Chris Lawson, The Dukes CEO, and Gabi Dawkins, marketing manager, also showcased just some of the touring shows which will be making their way to the historic Lancaster theatre between March and June 2025.  

The fantastic drama, Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine, will have a ten-day run at the theatre this March. This classic play has been reset by Lancashire’s very own Mina Anwar, known for roles in Thin Blue Line, The Bill, Shameless and The Sarah Jane Adventures and follows housewife Shirley as she finds herself on holiday in Greece, rediscovering herself.  

Other March highlights include All Blood Runs Red from Lancashire based company imitating the dog and The Koala Who Could, a children’s theatre show based on the Rachel Bright and Jim Field book of the same name.  

April continues with fantastic theatre for all ages within the Easter holidays including Hold on to Your Butts, a Jurassic Park parody for ages 8+ which promises laughs all round; Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for kids of all ages and Three Little Vikings, a story of three brave Viking girls who save the day for ages 3+. 

In May the stage will be set for more drama with Spitfire Girls, a story inspired by the remarkable true events of women in the Second World War and the bond that tied them together, which is on stage during the 80-year anniversary of the story. Farm Boy, the Michael Morpurgo sequel to War Horse will also take to the stage. HER Productions will return following shows earlier in the season and in recent years with a rendition of The Taming of the Shrew, HER will also return in June with a rendition of Macbeth.  

May and June will also see some fantastic shows in The Dukes’ sister theatre Moor Space, including Buff, Local and Shellshocked. The Moor Space theatre is dedicated to showcasing up-and-coming performers, many of whom have performed at the likes of the Edinburgh Fringe, and revolutionary or innovative stories and performances.  

These are just a handful of the shows that The Dukes has to offer in the upcoming months, with more to be added as the season progresses. Be sure to keep up with all the latest showtimes on their website.