A PLAY at Hanbury Hall will look into the mysteries of gender and celebrate the 50th anniversary "of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality".

The production, ‘Orlando: The Queer Element’ has been inspired by Virginia Woolf’s playful novel, Orlando, and it will actually premiere at Hanbury Hall.

A spokesman said: "Spanning 2,000 years of human history, this immersive theatrical performance winds its way through the house and gardens at Hanbury Hall, exploring our understanding and perception of masculinity and femininity from the Ancient Greeks through to 2017 and culminates in a mid-summer outdoor screening of Sally Potter’s 1992 film, Orlando.

"What do we actually mean when we call each other ‘woman’ and ‘man’? And those spaces in between? This is a question that Clay & Diamonds, the British Film Institute and National Trust are asking audiences with ‘Orlando: The Queer Element’.

The spokesman added: "Time-travelling audiences will take part in a light-hearted immersive performance that trails through Hanbury Hall’s stunning gardens and stately home before a beautiful mid-summer’s evening outdoor screening of Sally Potter’s sumptuous film starring Tilda Swinton.

"Clay & Diamonds will perform the show twice for the general public, at 7pm on June 14 and June 15, and twice for schools, at 10.30am on June 15 and June 16, before the show goes on tour to another National Trust property later in the month."

Tickets can be bought from the BFI website here: https://bit.ly/orlandothequeerelement