Upcoming Events

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Change of Venue

Due to overwhelming demand and the number of attendees exceeding the capacity of the church, we have made the decision to move the event to the beautiful new Centenary Hall at Benenden School. While we are thrilled by the incredible interest, this change ensures everyone can enjoy the concert comfortably. The event will still take place from 7–8pm. 

Hemsted Park is once again delighted to invite you to attend any of the following free concerts which are part of the Benenden School calendar. The Benenden Chapel Choir is excited to bring their annual performance of ‘A Ceremony of Carols’ to the beautiful new Centenary Hall at Benenden School. Due to higher than expected demand, we’ve moved the event to ensure the numbers are comfortable. Benjamin Britten’s iconic sequence of carols for upper voices and harp is one of the best-known and most widely performed Christmas pieces and is certain to get everyone in the festive mood!

Doors will open at 6pm, with refreshments available at the bar.

FAULTY TOWERS THE DINING EXPERIENCE

THE INTERNATIONAL IMMERSIVE COMEDY SENSATION

TO PLAY AT HEMSTED PARK

Direct from London’s Theatreland via the legendary Sydney Opera House, Interactive Theatre International are proud to bring Faulty Towers The Dining Experience, to Hemsted Park, Cranbrook, on 12 & 13 December 2024.

The world-renowned immersive phenomenon is currently celebrating its twenty-seventh anniversary as the world’s most sought-after tribute to the BBC sitcom. Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is an unmissable highly interactive comedy spectacular, where audiences enjoy a 3-course meal alongside 5-star comedy.

When the audience become diners in the ‘Faulty Towers’ restaurant, pretty much anything can happen – because 70% of the show is improvised. The fun starts as guests wait to be seated. It then hurtles along in a 2-hour tour de force of gags and shambolic service as Basil, Sybil and Manuel serve a ‘70s-style 3-course meal together with a good dollop of mayhem.
Expect the unexpected!

All tickets include an arrival drink, a 3-course dinner and a 2-hour interactive show.

MENU

ARRIVAL DRINK
~~~
STARTER
Roasted Tomato Soup & Basil
Served with Bread Rolls and Butter
~~~

MAIN

Coq au vin, purée de pommes de terre crémeuse
(Chicken braised with wine, lardons & mushrooms. Creamed Potato, Seasonal Root Roast)

or

Vegan Coq au Vin Creamed Potato, Seasonal Root Roast
~~~
DESSERT
Christmas Crème Brûlée

or

Vegan Christmas Crème Brûlée

- ‘Immersive theatre at its startling best’ ★★★★★ Best of Theatre, London West End

- ‘Fantastic!’ ★★★★★ What’s on Stage

- ‘A two-hour eat, drink and laugh sensation’ ★★★★★ The Daily Telegraph

The cast for Hemsted Park will be TBC (Sybil), TBC (Basil) and TBC (Manuel).
* Performer biogs are on the About/Actors page at www.faultytowersdining.com 

Devised by Alison Pollard-Mansergh, Andrew Foreman and others, the show has been touring the UK and internationally since 2008, having appeared in 41 countries to date, and employing 56 actors per season. The show has toured to over 1000 venues, with approximately 400 shows per year on average across the UK, and has recently celebrated its tenth year in London, cementing its status as London’s longest running immersive experience.

Note
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is a loving tribute to Fawlty Towers. Faulty Towers The Dining Experience uses scripts and a dining experience format devised by Imagination Workshop Pty Limited and is not endorsed in any way by John Cleese or Connie Booth.

Beyond the Barricade, the UK’s longest running Musical Theatre Concert Tour features past principal performers from Les Miserables and delivers over two hours of the best of Broadway and the West End, ending of course with a stunning finale from Les Mis. This brand new show will include many of the best numbers that have made Beyond the Barricade the most popular musical theatre concert in the country.

The concert features David Fawcett (Valjean) Andy Reiss (Enjolras & Resident Director for the National Tour of Les Miserables) Katie Leeming (Eponine) and Poppy Tierney (Cosette), together with a live band who capture the feel of the original orchestrations of the chosen musicals.

To this day every musical note is still played and sung live – very rare indeed. Beyond the Barricade gives musical theatre songs a bold concert format treatment – but with the conviction and intention to deliver the material as if the audience are watching the original performance.

Running Time: Approx. 2h20min (including interval).

Ho, Ho, Ho...it's the Scummy Mummies Christmas Show! Due to popular demand, comedians Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson are bringing their special Christmas themed comedy show back to... the Benenden Theatre! Expect scummy carols, yuletide sketches, festive stand-up and very scummy Santa stories! Book your tickets now, before it sells out!

Guaranteed to make you feel normal about your parenting skills, or very smug about being child-free. Bring your mates, pop a panty liner in, and let’s party!

‘Highly recommended! 5 stars’ – One4Review
‘Very funny’ – The Guardian
‘Hilarious’ – Broadway Baby

Age Restriction: 16+

Running time: 2hrs, incl. interval

The Glenn Miller Orchestra

Directed by Ray McVay

Take a step back into the 1940s with the world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, led by the acclaimed veteran band leader and conductor Ray McVay, for the ultimate musical celebration of the legendary big band leader, Glenn Miller.

Following sold-out performances at the likes of the Barbican London, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, the orchestra take to the road with a concert tour featuring all your favourite Miller hits.   From ‘In the Mood’, ‘Moonlight Serenade’, and ‘American Patrol’ - through to ‘Little Brown Jug’, ‘Tuxedo Junction’ and ‘Pennsylvania 6-5000’ … to name just a few.

The UK’s only official Glenn Miller tour features the exact line-up devised by Glenn, alongside the fabulous harmonies of the ‘Moonlight Serenaders’ vocal group, the sublime vocals of the orchestra’s two lead singers, as well the orchestra’s own swinging jazz band, ‘The Uptown Hall Gang’.

With their impeccable musicianship, infectious energy, and authentic vintage style, the Glenn Miller Orchestra are an experience not to be missed and remains THE way to hear Miller’s timeless music.

Running time approx 2hrs (2 x 50mins sets, plus interval).

CINEMA SCREENING: MACBETH: David Tennant & Cush Jumbo

David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch) and Cush Jumbo (The Good Wife, Criminal Record) lead a stellar cast in an ‘enthralling’ (★★★★★ Daily Telegraph) new production of Shakespeare’s MACBETH, filmed live at the Donmar Warehouse in London, especially for the big screen. Unsettling intimacy and brutal action combine at breakneck speed as Max Webster (Life of Pi, Henry V) directs this tragic tale of love, murder, and nature’s power of renewal. With staging ‘full of wolfish imagination and alarming surprise’ (★★★★★ The Guardian), the immersive 5.1 cinema surround sound places the audience inside the minds of the Macbeths, asking are we ever really responsible for our actions?

Running Time: 1hr 50mins, no interval.

NOW
 

We invite you to see ‘NOW’, which celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Jasmin Vardimon Company. (‘NOW’ celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the Jasmin Vardimon Company.)
 

The latest creation by award-winning choreographer Jasmin Vardimon MBE will revisit favourite moments from the company’s repertoire while reflecting the current moment, the present and the continuous movement of time.

Renowned for her uniquely theatrical choreography, an interest in contemporary lives, and the ever-changing socio-political dynamics, Jasmin uses her distinctive creative approach to celebrate imagination in a griping new production.
 

NOW is co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Kent County Council, and the Institute of Cultural and Creative Industries, University of Kent.

Hemsted Park is Honoured to Welcome Benjamin Grosvenor in Recital at the Centenary Hall

Recognised for his sonorous lyricism and understated brilliance at the keyboard, Benjamin Grosvenor is regarded as one of the most important pianists to emerge in several decades, with Gramophone acknowledging him one of the top fifty pianists ever on record.

A Decca Classics artist and with several awards and accolades to his name, recent and forthcoming highlights include debuts with Bamberg, NHK Symphony, Chicago Symphony, and Cleveland Orchestras, and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, with return appearances to Bern, BBC, City of Birmingham, Dallas, Montreal, Seattle, and Utah Symphony Orchestras, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the 2024 BBC Proms for Busoni’s monumental Piano Concerto.

A celebrated recitalist, this season he performs worldwide a programme featuring Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition including in Asia, the UK, USA, and Canada. He has previously performed at Konzerthaus Berlin, Chicago Symphony Centre, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Frankfurter Hof Mainz, ‘Chopin and his Europe’ Festival in Warsaw, La Roque, Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre, Washington’s Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.

In 2012 he graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with the Queen's Commendation for Excellence and named Gramophone's Young Artist of the Year. In 2016 he received New York Philharmonic's inaugural Ronnie and Lawrence Ackman Classical Piano Prize.

 

Running time: 65min approx.

Puss in Boots

Loosely based on the original version by Charles Perrault, the Let’s All Dance Ballet Company brings a new version of Puss in Boots about a friendship between a magical cat and a young man with a talent for music. With Puss’ help, the man finds the confidence to use his talent and to be himself, winning the heart of the Princess, her mother the Queen, and the rather snooty Marquis de Carabas. 

Treat your children to the magic of live, professional dance and fire their imaginations with this lovely new show for the whole family!

Suitable for all, especially 2-14 year olds, including those with special needs.

Running time: 40 minutes + photo opportunity with the cast!

Entertainers presents

Thank You For The Music – The Ultimate Tribute To ABBA

Calling all Dancing Queens, this is your night to say, Thank you for the Music!
This international smash-hit tribute show brings all ABBA’s number one hits to the stage in a production like no other. The hugely popular show, now in its 21st year, with a brand-new show for 2024 combines the unmistakable harmonies, colourful costumes, and dazzling performances by our all-star cast.

Join us for the party of the year, you can dance, you can jive, and have the time of your life as we bring you all the hits, including Waterloo, Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, Mamma Mia, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, The Winner Takes It All and many many more!

Thank you for the Music! For without a song or a dance what are we! Touring the nation. Tickets on sale now!

This is a tribute show and is no way affiliated with any original artists/estates/management companies or similar shows.

Promoter reserves the right to alter the programme.

Running time: Approx. 2h30min (including interval).
 

National Theatre Live 2025

Cinema screening 

The Importance of being Earnest 
by Oscar Wilde 
directed by Max Webster

Three-time Olivier Award-winner Sharon D Clarke is joined by Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who; Sex Education) in this joyful reimagining of Oscar Wilde’s most celebrated comedy.

While assuming the role of a dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy adopts a similar facade. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.

Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs this hilarious story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.

Running time approx 3H (Including interval)

Certificate 12A

The nation’s favourite sitcom returns! The boys are delighted to head to Hemsted Park Theatre with three new episodes.

Two actors, two microphones, over twenty-five characters - and lots of sound effects! Dad’s Army Radio Show bring’s Perry and Croft’s classic BBC comedy to life in this highly acclaimed stage production.

Three episodes of the popular sitcom - adapted for radio for the very first time - are hilariously and lovingly enacted on stage by two master performers - complete with sound effects, vintage music and all your favourite Perry and Croft characters and catchphrases.

The original television episodes newly minted for The Dad’s Army Radio Show national tour 2024 are:
 

• The Love of Three Oranges
• The Miser’s Hoard
• The Making of Private Pike

As seen on Dad's Army: The Animations (UKTV Gold), David Benson (Goodnight Sweetheart and One Man, Two Guvnors) and Jack Lane (Wisdom of a Fool and 7 Days) will transport you right back to Walmington.
 

About the play

When two young heirs from feuding families in Verona fall suddenly and desperately in love, their only hope is to marry in secret. But the bad blood between their houses runs deep, and the star-crossed lovers soon find themselves forced to choose between their family loyalty or their love for each other. The tragedy that follows remains one of the world’s most enduring love stories. Join us as Chapterhouse Theatre Company brings Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy to open-air venues across the country this summer in timeless style.
 
About Chapterhouse

Chapterhouse Theatre Company produces critically acclaimed UK and international tours, specializing in Shakespeare, classic literature adaptations, and family shows. Originally founded in 1999 to tour outdoor Shakespeare productions, the company has grown and thrived over the years. 2024 marks the company’s 25th anniversary of touring theatre, celebrating a quarter-century of incredible shows, including outdoor theatre, music concerts, a yearly Christmas tour (including performances at The British Museum), and bi-annual theatre tours of China.
The company has performed at some of the UK and Ireland's most stunning historic venues, collaborating with The National Trust, English Heritage, as well as cathedrals and stately homes, to bring classic stories to life in the perfect setting. Chapterhouse strives to create unique experiences while continuing to bring joy to both new and returning audiences each year.


Running Time: Approx. 2 hours & 20 mins inc one interval.

Please note: This is an open air performance taking place in the beautiful setting of the Rose Gardens of Hemsted Park, overlooked by the stunning Centenary Hall.

Doors open at 3.30pm and the show starts at 5.00pm. Please bring your own picnic blankets or low-backed seating.

Generally all tickets are non-refundable and in the event of cancellation due to bad weather alternative arrangements shall be made.