C L E E V E H O U S E
In the delightful setting of Cleeve House in the village of Seend near Melksham. We are immensely grateful for the warm and enthusiastic welcome we have had from the owners and trustees of this magnificent house, once home to Clive and Vanessa Bell of the Bloomsbury group. This was an exciting fresh start for us in a venue that we know our audiences loved just as much as we do, and where the unique magic and long-established quality of Shakespeare Live productions now has new scope to flourish.
F A C I L I T I E S
The audience is seated in a covered tiered marquee for the performance.
A licensed bar inside Cleeve House opens from 6.30pm for the evening performances and 12.30pm for the Saturday matinee.
Refreshments are also available including hot drinks and cakes. Toilet facilities are provided.
Please treat the grounds and gardens with respect. We provide wastebins to help you dispose of all rubbish. We regret that we cannot allow audience member s to bring dogs into the grounds.
As the grounds are unlit we recommend bringing a torch for later.
If you prefer, why not make a night of it? Cleeve House offers B&B for Shakespeare Live - 01380 827129 info@cleeve-house.com
F I R S T A I D
St John Ambulance staff are in attendance at each performance to give medical assistance if necessary.
P A R K I N G
We are grateful to our neighbour for providing his adjoining field for parking. This means we can accommodate all our audience onsite and free of charge only a 100 metres from the house and gardens.
On arrival you will be directed by voluntary stewards representing local charities. Please support them if you can and follow their directions as several hundred people arrive within a short period.
The car park directly in front of Cleeve House is reserved for disabled badge holders.
D I S A B L E D A C C E S S & F A C I L I T I E S
Special access to the garden is provided for disabled members of the audience. Please notify the Box Office upon booking if you are disabled or ferrying a disabled person so that you may be directed to the correct parking area.
The Box Office will do its best to accommodate any special needs. Pre-bookable wheelchair spaces are available to the side of the stand, where you will still be under cover.
When booking please indicate if any tickets are for a disabled person.
A toilet equipped with facilities for disabled guests is available.
W E A T H E R
The summer weather can be very variable but we have cancelled only two performances in our 34 year history!
Provided you have bought a stand seat rather than a 'groundling' position you are protected by a covered stand with back and side panels keeping out the rain and wind. The performers however ...
Even on fine summer evenings it can be cool by the time the performance finishes so a blanket for your knees can be a good idea.
Please note that there is no room in the stand to bring in your picnic things but you can safely leave them on the lawn.
P I C N I C S
Make an event of the evening and bring a proper picnic. We've had everything up to full black tie with linen tablecloths on folding tables with cut crystal and silver - but of course you don't need to go to these lengths!
Most of our audience take their picnic on the lawn, but remember that it may be damp even in summer so bring something suitable to sit on.
If you do bring folding tables and chairs don't use ones which are going to sink into the grass, and remember that you will have to carry them from your car which may be parked up to 100m away.
Do bear in mind also that on those days when the weather is wet, there is some space for you to take your picnic indoors.
G A L A N I G H T
Saturday’s Gala Night is a very special occasion which features extra live music, singers and other acts both before the show and during the interval. There's a real party atmosphere among our audience while the show, of course, is as good and as professional as ever!