Adventure Drive-In Cinema had a great season Drive-In Movie season with visits to Parc Y Scarlets, followed by Margam Country Park in Port Talbot for the last Bank Holiday weekend. With a host of classic movies at the Royal Welsh Showground before finishing their South Wales tour at Tredegar House in Newport.
With that in mind, it’s nice to get in early and book yourself tickets for the 2021 line up they have for us. If the success of last years outdoor screenings are anything to go by, we’re pretty certain next years will sell out faster than Greased Lightning.
We’re in for a feast of movies such as THE LION KING, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, DOWNTON ABBEY and the place we’re going to start, GREASE. And why not, it’s the classic tales of Danny and Sandy, filled with more hit songs that we all still love singing (and dancing) along too.
Just in the slightest possible case you’ve been living back in the 1950s and don’t know the story of GREASE, then let us give you the word (see what we did there).
‘While vacationing in Australia, Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) indulge in a passionate love affair with each other (well, a bif of snogging on the beach). They part ways believing they will not see each other again but fate has other plans.’
Should we ‘Tell You More, Tell You More………’
There is something very special about GREASE but actually there was long before the movie. It began life in 1971 as a musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Named after the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as greasers, the musical is set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School, which in turn was based on on William Howard Taft School in Chicago. and follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of peer pressure, politics, personal core values, and love.
In its original production in Chicago, Grease was a raunchy, raw, aggressive, vulgar show. Subsequent productions toned it down. We love it for the music, but the show did deal with some pretty tough issues at the beginning. Teenage pregnancy, peer pressure and gang violence; its themes include love, friendship, teenage rebellion, sexual exploration during adolescence, and, to some extent, class consciousness and class conflict.
At the time that it closed in 1980, Grease‘s 3,388-performance run was the longest in Broadway history. To this day it remains the 16th longest-running show.
Having said all that, we just love it for the feel-good factor and those great tunes. You can’t beat GREASE and seeing it outdoors is definitely the way to add a new dimension. So, take a blanket or chair and immerse yourself in the singing and dancing world, as you watch a Sing-A-Long showing of the most successful movie musical of all time.
- Picnics welcome.
- Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
- The event will go ahead if it’s raining but they are hoping for a nice dry night under the stars.
- No seating provided unless you have VIP tickets. Blankets and camping chairs are allowed.
- No Dogs allowed.
There’ll be Food, Snacks, Bar and Music before the film starts. Gates open 7.30pm, film starts shortly after sunset.
The movie is well over 40 years old now and is still as fresh as it ever was. What about the cast though, are they?
The outdoor screening of GREASE is on Sunday 25th July 2021 between 8 and 11:45pm at Vauxhall Fields on Vauxhall Meadows in Monmouth. The cost is between £15.98 – £22.59 and you can book your tickets right here. GREASE The trailer below is the original United States one, it’s worth a watch for the voice over alone.
The film is a classic and there are a few opportunities to see it around South Wales. It’s also screening at Margam Country Park in Neath Port Talbot, which really is a stunning venue.
Set in 1000 acres of glorious parklands, Margam Country Park offers natural beauty, history, wildlife and a wide range of fun activities and facilities to make it one of the best days out in Wales for all the family.
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 9:30pm
- Running time is 1 hour 50 minutes
- Film rated PG
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
GREASE at Margam Country Park is on Tuesday 3rd August 2021. Tickets are priced at £14.50 and £20.50 and will have additional booking fees. You can get them right here. MARGAM Screenings are held in the Orangery gardens.
While we’re at Margam you can see THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW the following evening. What is so great about this movie is the singing and dancing, which I can pretty much guarantee will happen all the way through the screening. If you’ve never bee, trust us, it’s hilarious. More for the crowd than anything else.
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 21:15
- Running time is 1 hour 41 minutes
- Film rated 15 – you may be asked for proof of age
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW get to Margam Country Park on Wednesday 4th August 2021, Tickets are priced between £14.50 and £20.50 and will have additional booking fees. To get yours, go here. ROCKY
DIRTY DANCING is another of those movies which is best enjoyed in the company of others, and let’s face it, a gathered audience singing and ‘Johnny’ screaming is pretty much guaranteed.
An amazing outdoor cinema experience at Llancaiach Fawr Manor with a showing of the classic Dirty Dancing!
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 8:30pm
- Running time is 1 hour 40 minutes
- Film rated 12A
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
Take a blanket or camping chair and watch Dirty Dancing on a giant cinema screen under the stars!
DIRTY DANCING is at Llancaiach Fawr Manor in Caerphilly on Saturday 29th May. Tickets are priced £12.50 to £18.50 pluse booking fees. To get yours, go here. DIRTY * Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
At Caldicot Castle in July they have two evening screenings, with two absolute belter movies. HARRY POTTER & THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE is definitely one for the whole family. Daniel Radcliffe looking about 11 years old in this movie, which is exactly how old he was when they all got together for the first film.
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 8:30pm
- Running time is 2 hour 32 minutes
- Film rated PG
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
HARRY POTTER & THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE is at Caldicot Castle on Thursday 22nd July 2021. Tickets are priced between £14.50 and £20.50 with £9.50 for Under 16s. You do have a booking fee to pay for each of those. To get yours, just go here. HARRY
The following evening it is the classic sing and dance along MAMMA MIA. Not much to add to this other than we all love a bit of ABBA so this will be a great night out, under the stars.
Caldicot Castle is a stunning stone medieval castle in the town of Caldicot, Monmouthshire. built near the site of Harold Godwinson’s former Saxon castle by the Norman earls of Hereford from about 1100. The castle became a Grade I listed building on 10 June 1953.
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 9:30pm
- Running time is 1 hour 49 minutes
- Film rated PG
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
Watch Mamma Mia! on a giant cinema screen under the stars and choose between sitting in the stands or bring your own seating and sit on the pitch.
MAMMA MIA gets to Caldicot Castle on Friday 23rd July 2021. Tickets are £14.50 and £20.50 for VIP, there is a booking fee too. For more details and to get yours, go here. MAMMA * Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Moving to Pontypool Park and there’s a screening of the incredible THE GREATEST SHOWMAN with Hugh Jackman and all those amazing songs we know and love so well.
This is the greatest show! An amazing Sing-A-Long outdoor cinema experience with a showing of the movie that has sold out cinemas all over the world!
- Film starts approx 9pm
- Running time is 1 hour 46 minutes
- Film rated PG
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN at Pontypool Park is on Thursday 6th August 2021. Tickets are £14.50, £20.50 or £48 for a family ticket, each with additional booking fees. You can get yours right here. PONTYPOOL
The following evening they are screening the award winning BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, telling the true life story of Freddie Mercury with the music of Queen.
We will, we will, Rock you! An amazing outdoor cinema experience at Pontypool Park with a showing of the fantastic Bohemian Rhapsody!
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 9pm
- Running time is 2 hours 13 minutes
- Film rated 12A
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY screens at Pontypool Park on Friday 7th August 2021. Tickets are between £14.50 and £20.50 for VIP and each have additional booking fees. You can get yours here. BOHEMIAN
On Sunday 8th August next year, the movie tour moves into Singleton park in Swansea with a screening of THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. Great movie, great venue, let’s hope for a lovely evening too.
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 9:15pm
- Running time is 1 hour 46 minutes
- Film rated PG
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
Tickets are priced £15.98, you need to take your own blanket or camping chair. A family ticket will set you back £52.90, 2 adults, 2 children. Again you need to take your own blanket or chair. All VIP tickets for this screening are now sold out. To get your tickets for Singleton Park, just go here. GREATEST
If ever there was a place to watch DOWNTWON ABBEY then surely Tredegar House is it. Carson would most certainly approve.
An amazing outdoor cinema experience at Tredegar House with a showing of Downton Abbey (PG)
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 9pm.
- Running time is 2 hours 3 minutes
- Film rated PG
- Picnics welcome
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
DOWNTON ABBEY gets to the beautiful Tredegar House in Newport on Saturday 14th August 2021. Tickets are either £14.50 or £20.50 for VIP and each have additional booking fees. You can get yours right here. DOWNTON
Also screening outdoors is THE LION KING. Immerse yourself in the live action world of the King with all of the classic songs and the story of how Simba became King of Pride Rock.
‘Young Simba is destined to become king of Pride Rock like his father Mufasa but his uncle Scar plots for the throne, and Simba ends up alone in exile. Can he ever regain his kingdom?’
It’s exactly the same format as above, food, drink, concessions etc. Timings are the same too, the only thing to change is the venue.
You can see THE LION KING sing-a-long, outdoors at Llancaiach Fawr Manor in Trelewis, Nelson on Saturday 25th April between 7 and 10:45pm. Just remember, Food, Snacks, Bar and Music before the film starts. Gates open 7pm, film starts shortly after sunset. Tickets are £8.50 to £18.50 but each will have an additional booking fee and you can get yours here. LION
THE LION KING can also be seen at Ffos Las Racecourse on Friday 1st May. Gates open at 7:30pm with the movie starting shortly after sunset.
- Film starts shortly after sunset – approx 9pm
- Running time is 1 hour 58 minutes
- Film rated PG
- Picnics welcome – NO liquids, drinks must be purchased on-site only
- Hot food and snacks available
- On-site bar
- On-site parking
Tickets are priced between £9.50 up to £20.50 for VIP and again will include additional booking fees. To get yours go here. KING Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
THE LION KING at Tredegar House is on Sunday 15th August 2021 with tickets ranging from £9.50 to £20.50 with those additional booking fees. You can get yours here. LION