12A | Dir: Joe Dante | 1984 | 106 mins | USA |
Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates
A rare opportunity to see this 1984 cult classic on a big screen!
‘The Gremlins# was Dahl’s first children’s book about small creatures called Gremlins sabotaging British aircraft as revenge for the destruction of their forest home, which was razed to make way for an aircraft factory. It was written for Walt Disney as a feature-length animated film that was never made.
The 1984 film, Gremlins, produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Joe Dante, is loosely inspired by Dahl’s characters, featuring evil and destructive monsters which mutate from small furry creatures.
The rules: do not expose to bright lights or sunlight do not let it get wet and remember, no matter how it crys or begs, never feed it after midnight.
Roald Dahl on Film – Film Hub Wales and Chapter as Film Hub Lead Organisation, have put together a major, UK-wide programme designed to celebrate the most magnificent Welsh storyteller, Roald Dahl. The programme will see an extraordinary array of film screenings and supporting activity delivered across the UK from the release of The BFG in July 2016, through to the centenary of his birth on the 13 September.
2016 is the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth. Storyhouse join the celebrations with a series of films based on and inspired by his writing: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and Gremlins
Roman Gardens, Chester Thursday 25th August at 19.30
U | Dir: Mel Stuart | 1971 | 100 mins | USA | Cast: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear
Despite being disowned by Dahl, this 1971 musical film adaption of Dahl’s Charlie and The Chocolate Factory remains as one of the most popular versions of any of his books committed to celluloid.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory tells the story of Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) as he receives a Golden Ticket and visits Willy Wonka’s (Gene Wilder) chocolate factory with four other children from around the world.
Roald Dahl on Film – Film Hub Wales and Chapter as Film Hub Lead Organisation, have put together a major, UK-wide programme designed to celebrate the most magnificent Welsh storyteller, Roald Dahl. The programme will see an extraordinary array of film screenings and supporting activity delivered across the UK from the release of The BFG in July 2016, through to the centenary of his birth on the 13 September.
2016 is the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth. Storyhouse join the celebrations with a series of films based on and inspired by his writing: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and Gremlins
Roman Gardens, Chester Tuesday 26th July at 20.30 and Wednesday 10th August at 20.00 Castle Park, Frodsham Sunday 24th July at 20.00 Ashton Park, West Kirby Thursday 4th August at 20.15
PG | Dir: Michel Hazanavicius | 2011 | 98 mins | France / USA |
Cast: Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman
A glorious tribute to the early years of Hollywood, The Artist is truly a film that will make you laugh and cry in the best of the golden age tradition.
Peppy Miller is a rising star but can she save the career of her former mentor, silent film star George Valentin?
The film undoubtedly features the best performance by a dog in the form of George’s loyal and highly trained Jack Russell terrier who just about steals the show.
Roman Gardens, Chester Saturday 6th August at 20.15, Tuesday 9th August at 20.00 and Wednesday 24th August at 19.30 Ashton Park, West Kirby Friday 5th August at 20.15
U | Dir: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen | 2015 | 102 mins | USA |
Cast: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith
When Riley is uprooted from her Midwestern life because her dad has a new job in San Francisco she and her emotions – Joy, Anger, Fear, Sadness and Disgust – have a bumpy ride as she has to adapt to her new surroundings.
The brilliant as ever Pixar studio brings to life the workings of a young person’s brain in this funny, sad, revealing, imaginative, and spectacular animation. One for all the family to enjoy.
Roman Gardens, Chester Thursday 4th August at 20.15, Sunday 20th August at 19.45 and Tuesday 23rd August at 19.30 Castle Park, Frodsham Friday 29th July at 20.30 Ashton Park, West Kirby Sunday 14th August at 20.00
15 | Dir: Ridley Scott | 1991| 131 mins | USA |
Cast: Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Brad Pitt, Harvey Keitel
An iconic and seminal road movie with one of the most memorable female friendships on screen (and off).
Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) have grown tired of their mundane jobs, emotionally void boyfriends/husbands and the constraints of their small town and decide to take hold of the wheel of their own lives!
Roman Gardens, Chester
Wednesday 27th July at 20.30 and Tuesday 2nd August at 20.15
12 | Dir: Colin Trevorrow | 2015 | 124 mins | USA|
Cast: Chris Platt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins
This blockbuster action moive starring Chris Pratt (Parks & Recreations, Guardians Of The Galaxy, The Lego Movie) is set 22 years after the events in the original 1993 classic, Jurassic Park.
Jurassic World takes place on the same fictional island of Isla Nublar, off the Pacific coast of Central America , where a theme park populated with cloned dinosaurs has operated for ten years. The park plunges into chaos when a genetically created dinosaur breaks loose and goes on a rampage across the island.
Roman Gardens, Chester Friday 29th July – 20.30, Saturday 13th August – 20.00, Thursday 18th August – 19.45, Friday 26th August – 19.30 Castle Park, Frodsham Tuesday 26th July – 20.30 Ashton Park, West Kirby Saturday 6th August – 20.15
U | Dir: George Cukor | 1940 | 110 mins | USA |
Cast: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart
One of the best loved romantic comedy films of all time. Katharine Hepburn shines in the role of Tracy Lord, spoilt society girl, whose ‘wedding of the year’ is thrown off the rails when her ex-husband, CK Dexter Haven (Cary Grant) shows up with a pair of tabloid journalists looking for a scoop.
The Philadelphia Storyis the quintessential high society comedy with sparkling dialogue and perfect performances.
Roman Gardens, Chester Thursday 7th July – 20.45, Tuesday 12th July – 20.45, Wednesday 20th July – 20.45, Wednesday 27th July – 20.30, Friday 12th August – 20.00 Castle Park, Frodsham Wednesday 27th July – 20.30 Ashton Park, West Kirby Thursday 11th August – 20.00
15 | Dir: Alejandro González Iñárritu | 2014 | 116 mins | USA | Cast: Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts
The cult hit of 2015. Michael Keaton plays film star Riggan Thompson who is desperate to resurrect his career and reputation as a serious actor by staging a play. However, the popularity of his former role as a comic book super hero Birdmanproves a little more difficult to put behind him than he had hoped.
Featuringgreat performances from its ensemble cast, Birdman won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director at the 2015 Academy Awards, as well as Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography for its dizzying ‘single-shot’ filming.
Roman Gardens, Chester
Wednesday 6th July – 20.45, Saturday 16th July – 20.45, Thursday 21st July – 20.30, Friday 5th August – 20.15, Castle Park, Frodsham Friday 22nd July – 20.30
‘You won’t see a tyrannosaur, on the way to the shops. Pretty much all of them have gone the way of Top of the Pops…’
Actually, Biscuithead and The Biscuit Badgers, you’re wrong as dinosaurs are roaring their way into Chester city centre in the shape of two free citywide trails designed to give high street visitors a taste of the Jurassic age, in celebration of Chester Zoo’s popular dinosaur exhibition this summer.
Pre-historic dinosaur fossils and cave finds – many of which were found in the Cheshire region – have been put on display in ten businesses across the city centre as part of a new ‘Dino Chester Trail’. City visitors can pick up a free map to find the fossils, which include a 350 million year old dinosaur footprint, dinosaur bones, shark teeth and a full-size replica Tyrannosaurus Rex skull.
A second ‘Dino Chester Jurassic Facts’ trail launches this Friday (1st July) and will see a range of historic dinosaur facts hidden in a further 40 high street businesses. The trek challenges families to uncover the facts and find the names of ten dinosaurs hiding in the city for the chance to win an annual family pass to Chester Zoo.
To add to the excitement, a life-like Tyrannosaurus Rex from Chester Zoo’s herd of dinosaurs will be making special appearances in the city centre at weekends and Thursday evenings throughout the summer, giving locals and visitors the chance to experience what life was really like when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
“Having dinosaurs in the city centre is a fantastic addition to our Chester Fiesta events programme this summer and we’re sure it will appeal to people of all ages,” said Julie Charlton, Marketing Manager at CH1ChesterBID, which has partnered with Big Heritage, Chester Zoo and The Grosvenor Museum to deliver this year’s dinosaur-themed trails. “It’s fantastic to have so many of our city centre businesses involved and we believe this campaign will attract thousands of people to our high street, encouraging them to explore new areas of the city and shops they may not have been in before. There are already so many great reasons to visit Chester city centre but with these new dinosaur expeditions, we think this summer will be spectacular!”
City centre locations including Corks Out, Edinburgh Woolen Mill, Cotswolds Outdoor and Lakeland all feature on the Dino Chester Trail and the ten fossils have already been put on display within selected stores.
Blackhouse Grill, Deva Travel, Ed’s Easy Diner, Ginger Wine Bar and Deli and Sofa Works are some of the 40 businesses taking part in the ‘Dino Chester Jurassic Facts’ trail, which launches this Friday.
Dean Paton, Managing Director at Chester-based social enterprise Big Heritage, said: “We’ve turned the clock back by more than 400 million years with this new citywide trail and are bringing something that’s fun, exciting and educational to Chester’s high street. The fact that many of the fossils have come from across Cheshire and the Wirral is a huge bonus and it’s fantastic to see them on show for everyone to see in the city centre.”
Charlotte Smith, head of discovery and learning at Chester Zoo added: “Young or old, people are fascinated by dinosaurs so we’re thrilled to be helping to bring dinosaurs in to Chester city centre with this new citywide trail. The dinosaurs at Chester Zoo have been hugely popular and putting a dinosaur-theme somewhere as historic and iconic as Chester city centre will be a fantastic attraction.”
Both dinosaur trails will be available every day until Sunday 4th September 2016. To find the dinosaurs, city centre visitors need to pick up a free trail map from Chester’s Visitor Information Centre, the Grosvenor Museum, at participating retailers or can download one directly from http://www.experiencechester.co.uk
Produced by Storyhouse, the 2016 season will see productions of Shakespeare’s As You Like It and The Two Gentlemen of Verona and a new adaptation of the children’s classic Stig of the Dump staged at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre this summer.
Opening on Friday 1st July and running until Sunday 21st August the 2016 season is the biggest to date, with 59 performances in the season’s schedule.
Alex Clifton, Artistic Director, Storyhouse, who is producing the season said: “We are thrilled to be announcing our 7th season of Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, at the heart of a monumental year for Chester’s cultural scene. Our 2016 season presents two very different Shakespeare comedies – an anarchic farce and a magical romance – which we can’t wait to share with our summer audiences. We are really proud to be bringing our 7th new play to Grosvenor Park, this year a reworking of the children’s classic Stig of the Dump by Olivier winner Jessica Swale. Above all we look forward to welcoming back our spontaneous and joyful audiences to our glorious open air festival.”
One of the century’s best-selling and enduring children’s classics, Stig of the Dump by Clive King, will be brought to the open air theatre by the same team as sell out hits Wind in the Willows and The Secret Garden. The Bard’s incredibly popular pastoral comedy ‘As You Like It’ is the season’s headline Shakespeare, performed in rep with the ‘ridiculous’ ‘The Two Gentleman of Verona’.
In 2015 the award winning season of open air theatre welcomed over 25,000 theatregoers to its nine week season and it won Event of the Year in the region’s tourism awards, beating off competition from Chester Zoo and Just So Festival.
Storyhouse are expecting this year’s season to be more popular than ever. Tickets are on sale now.
Grosvenor Open Air Theatre Friday 1st July to Sunday 21st August 2016 Performance times vary
The rules:
Roman Gardens, Chester
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