Samlesbury Hall is hoping to attract a bumper crowd when it stages its first ever outdoor theatrical production next month

The Secret Garden will be performed on August 14, at 2pm by the critically acclaimed Storytellers Theatre Company from Blackpool.

The Frances Hodgson Burnett classic tale opens in India where Mary Lennox suddenly finds herself an orphan when cholera kills all her family.

She goes to live with an English vicar and is eventually adopted by her uncle who lives in a huge house in the Yorkshire countryside. Most of the rooms are locked, leaving Mary with no alternative but to create her own entertainment.

Outside the house she finds a secret garden that has been locked for ten years where Mary spends much of her time exploring and creating her own hidden world. She enlists the help of Dickon, the brother of Martha the maid, and together they set about rebuilding the garden.

Performed against the dramatic backdrop of the 14th century manor house, the production will feature an original Victorian wheelchair and includes a musical score. The film version of the story was released in 1993 and starred Maggie Smith, who won a BAFTA nomination for her role as Mrs Medlock.

Storytellers Theatre Company founder and director Timothy Lince said: "We have performed outdoor productions of The Secret Garden across the UK, but the show at Samlesbury Hall will be unique in that it is the first outdoor performance to be staged there. It is also nice to be performing so close to home."

Tickets cost £5 adults, £3.50 concessions and £15 families on 01254 812010.