JANE Austen will be given the al fresco treatment with a very special performance of Pride and Prejudice in West Dorset.

Chapterhouse Theatre Company will perform the classic tale on the Millennium Green, Bridport, on Saturday August 29.

Take a step back in time and meet Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Austen's most loveable heroine.

When Elizabeth meets the rude and abrupt Mr Darcy, she loathes him at first sight.

But is there more to him than meets the eye?

Join family and friends for what promises to be the most splendid evening of the summer as you picnic under a beautiful summer sky and lose yourself in this unforgettable love story.

After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

Chapterhouse Theatre Company was formed in 1999 and specialise in open-air touring theatre, visiting country houses and gardens and estates in the UK and Ireland.

They do about 180 performances over the summer at around 80 venues.

Director Rebecca Gadsby said she is excited about this performance.

She said: “I am delighted to return to Pride and Prejudice this summer, which will be my fifth time of directing this adaptation”.

Bridport Arts Centre marketing manager Lisa Wilcock said: “Pride and Prejudice is the perfect show for a summer’s evening.

"Pack your picnic baskets and blankets, it’s going to be a wonderful performance”.

The production begins at 7pm on Saturday August 29.

Call 01308 424204 for tickets or go to bridport-arts.com