The Duke’s Theatre Company was established in 2019 as an ambitious contributor to the UK’s thriving Open Air theatre scene. The original mission statement read: 
 
“Our aim is to bring industry leading, accessible productions of some of our greatest Classical works, as well as original works, to communities around the UK with energy and accuracy; engaging audiences both young and old. Our production values are high, and we work with the best possible standard of creatives, performers and artists.
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After a successful, decade long career as an actor and composer, founder Bobby Delaney had registered TDTC and started to approach venues to host the inaugural tour; Romeo and Juliet. Berkey Castle was the first to sign up and provided confidence that the Open-Air market would welcome a fresh injection of high quality, accessible productions of the classics. Covid hit in February 2020 and the tour, (having been designed, cast and put on sale,) was shelved indefinitely. It wasn’t until the following Summer, as the world tentatively came back to life, that Romeo and Juliet opened at Brighton Open Air Theatre, before touring to 22 venues to great acclaim. 
The company went on to increase the tour the following year with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. By 2023, the touring model had grown to 55 venues including an indoor visit to Wilton’s Music Hall. Also on the Twelfth Night tour, the company fund-raised to purchase a tour van. 
 
For 2024, As You Like It will proudly visit the jewel in the UK’s Open-Air circuit: The Minack. The core values: working with the highest calibre artists, using the original text, commissioning original music, and making productions ambitious and accessible remain central to all the work TDTC produce.
 
The registered office is in Brighton, and the tour takes in locations as far as Penzance and Aberdeen. The small team of Bobby (Producer), Laura (Associate Producer), Daniel, (Website and Designer) and Rosie (Socials and PR) work through the dark months to get everything ready for the launch in March. In May, the Director, Designer, Composer, Stage Manager and Acting Company first come together in London for a month to put together the production that will reach some 40 000 people between June and September.

Beginning in Winter 2024, TDTC are launching their first Christmas Season with a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
 
The venue partners are involved from the beginning of the tour booking process to ensure that each event is tailored to the specific requirement of each individual audience. TDTC is proud to work with a huge variety of organisations, including overall bodies CADW, The National Trust, The University of Leicester, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, as well as dozens of individual organisations taking in the likes of Bowood House and Gardens, Berkeley Castle and Highcliffe Castle. A number of family run houses and gardens, including Fairlight Hall, Sennowe Park and Norwood Park have joined the tour list and prove to be hugely popular with patrons.