Miracle Theatre’s Peer Gynt survived lightning and a broken van

Three months on the road. Record-breaking heat, a performance hit by lightning and a van that broke down along the way. And the show still went on.

Miracle Theatre is celebrating the end of its summer tour of Peer Gynt, which reached audiences at 52 performances across more than 30 venues in Cornwall, Dorset and the Isles of Scilly.

The company performed in castles, gardens, historic houses and other beautiful outdoor locations. Miracle says the response has been exceptional, reporting some of its strongest feedback to date, with 95% of audience feedback giving four- or five-star ratings.

What audiences said

One piece of audience feedback read:

“I loved every minute of it. All actors owned the stage right the way through. Fantastic change of characters with different physicality. Great fun. Inventive staging. Just wonderful.”

Pop-up bars in a record-breaking summer

Alongside the show, sponsorship from Jolly’s Drinks helped Miracle raise additional funds through a series of pop-up bars. With temperatures reaching record-breaking levels over the summer, the cold drinks proved particularly popular.

Sarah Ferrie, Managing Director of Miracle Theatre, said: “We’re hugely grateful to Jolly’s Drinks for supporting this year’s tour. Rural touring comes with additional travel and transport costs as we move a production and a company of artists to around 30 different venues. The support from Jolly’s and the income from the pop-up bars, helps us meet some of those costs and continue taking professional theatre to audiences who might otherwise have to travel considerable distances to see it.”

Why rural touring matters to Miracle

For Miracle, it is this ability to take theatre and the arts to audiences in distinctive, and sometimes challenging, locations that makes its rural touring programme so important. It is also why partnerships with local businesses can make such a difference.

Cheryl Ingram, Managing Director of Jolly’s Drinks, said: “We’re proud to support Miracle Theatre and the fantastic work they do bringing great theatre to audiences across Cornwall and beyond. As a Cornish business, supporting local organisations and the communities around us is incredibly important. It was brilliant to see audiences enjoying Peer Gynt with a cold Jolly’s in hand, while the pop-up bars helped raise valuable funds for the tour. We’re delighted to have played our part in such a fantastic summer of theatre.”

About Miracle Theatre

Miracle Theatre is a Cornwall-based touring theatre company with more than 47 years of experience. It is a registered charity with regular funding from Arts Council England and Cornwall Council.

📷Miracle Theatre and Jolly's Drinks