The Shakespeare at The George theatre group has announced the venue of its new home following the termination of its contract to perform at The George Hotel in Huntingdon.

The award-winning company had been performing at the open air venue since 1959 and has announced that its new home will be Buckden Towers, just four miles away.

With roots in the 11th Century, Buckden Towers (formerly known as Buckden Palace) was originally the home of the Bishops of Lincoln and has recorded many momentous historical events in its history, including serving as a post-marital residence for Katherine of Aragon.

The 15-acre estate is now the private property of the Claretian Missionaries and in use as a retreat and conference centre.

Recommended Reading: The contract at The George Hotel was terminated.

To celebrate the move, the theatre company and charitable trust is renaming itself Shakespeare at the Towers to better reflect the partnership and the new location.

“Wherever we chose, the venue had to have the same wow factor that we were able to offer audiences when we performed in the courtyard of an old Jacobean coaching inn,” explained Reuben Milne, Chair of the Trust.

“Buckden Towers allows us to continue to perform open air Shakespeare in an authentic venue which has its own fascinating history and offers an equally immersive theatre-going experience.

"Not only was Buckden Towers one of the first venues to get in touch when we announced we were no longer able to perform at The George Hotel, their desire to form a genuinely collaborative partnership ensures a long-term future for the company as well as a continued presence in the wider Huntingdon community.” 

Fr. Paul Smyth, director of the Claret Centre at Buckden Towers added: "This partnership will allow us to expand the ways we offer the historical venue of Buckden Towers and its grounds as a space at the service of today’s society, allowing more people to enjoy our facilities and grounds." 

Shakespeare at the Towers has announced its first production at Buckden Towers will be Twelfth Night, directed by Chris Avery, running from Tuesday,  June 24 to Saturday, July 5, 2025.

The Trustees are encouraging any directors interested in directing the 2026 production to get in contact via the website, social media or by emailing: info@satg.org.uk.