July 3 until August 30, Theatre Royal Bath.

The Peter Hall Company presents an exclusive season of drama at the Theatre Royal Bath for summer 2008.

In the main house, the season features The Portrait of a Lady, adapted from Henry James's great novel; Ibsen's masterpiece, A Doll's House; Peter Nichols's wonderful Bristol-based comedy, Born in the Gardens and Alan Bennett's rarely performed comic gem, Enjoy, all highlight women's position in society which makes it appropriate that three extraordinary actresses lead the company: Catherine McCormack (in The Portrait of a Lady and A Doll's House), Stephanie Cole (in Born in the Gardens) and Alison Steadman (in Enjoy).

Other famous faces set to appear include Niamh Cusack, Simon Shepherd and Christopher Ravenscroft.

The season opens with a new adaptation of one of the wonders of world literature, Henry James's 19th century masterpiece, The Portrait of a Lady, in a new stage play written by Nicola Frei. Directed by Peter Hall, the play receives its world premiere at the Theatre Royal Bath appearing in repertory from Thursday, July 3 to Saturday, August 9.

Set in London, Rome and Florence, The Portrait of a Lady tells the story of Isabel Archer, a beautiful, young American heiress, who travels to Europe on a voyage of self-discovery. When her travelling companion and new husband reveal their true faces, however, Isabel is forced to make the most difficult decision of her life.

A new version of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, translated by Stephen Mulrine and directed by Peter Hall appears from Tuesday, July 8 to Saturday, August 9. Beautifully crafted and moving, Ibsen's great work, which calls for the emancipation of women, provoked outrage when it was written in 1879.

Also appearing in repertory is Peter Nichols's comedy, Born in The Gardens, directed by Stephen Unwin and appearing from Tuesday, July 15 to Saturday, August 9.

Originally commissioned by Bristol Old Vic Theatre to celebrate its 200th anniversary in 1979, Born in the Gardens is set in Bristol where Maud and Mo live in a decaying mock-Tudor house. Maud chats to people on the telly, Mo converses with the cat and both share a penchant for bizarre cocktails, tinned food and keeping the past alive. When their relatives try to convince them that they should move on to pastures new, it becomes clear that not everyone wants freedom when it is offered.

For the first time, The Royal Opera House transfers to the Theatre Royal Bath as they stage Faeries in the egg theatre from Tuesday, July 22 to Wednesday, July 30. This breathtaking production for family audiences uses a combination of puppetry, dance and old-fashioned storytelling to propel audiences into a world of mystery, magic, imps and fairies inspired by illustrator Arthur Rackham, England's most celebrated children's book artist.

The season is completed by Alan Bennett's Enjoy which will be staged in main house at the Theatre Royal from Tuesday, August 12 to Saturday, August 30. This rarely-performed gem, set in Bennett's home town of Leeds, features fifteen extraordinary characters. In this dark comedy, Wilf and Connie, an ageing couple are living in the city's last back-to-back. When a sociologist comes to observe them in their daily life, normality takes a decidedly atypical turn.

Box Office (01225) 448844