Double bill of comedy will remember much-loved director John Hyatt

But amongst the laughs – and there will be plenty of them – there will also be a certain poignancy this year. This is the first summer without John Hyatt, the distinctive, inspiring, characterful founder of the company. John died last autumn at the age of 87.

His long-term friend and collaborator Peter Breskal, who has run New Theatre Productions since John retired 18 years ago, is among the many, many people who remember him with huge fondness.

“It is a great loss to me personally but also to the theatre. Even though he retired from the company years ago I always consulted John. I never left him out of what we were intending to do and I always sought his advice. I didn't always agree with him but then that's often the case in theatre where you've got to have your own ideas but he was a very strong influence on my psyche for producing shows and for making entertainment for people, and it seems very strange this year to be talking about theatre without him, without having his opinion, without him being involved in the shows. I learned a lot from him and his core values remain with us.

"John would be described now as an old-school theatre person and that's something to be incredibly admired. He was a professional actor. He trained at RADA and he knew how to put on shows. When he was in rep he put on two shows a week. That sort of thing doesn't happen now but it does instil in you a big discipline.

"Obviously, it's very different for amateur theatre. We are described as amateurs and of course we are but people put in such a huge amount of work and effort and that was one of the great things about John, that he tried to make it as professional as he could. People work extremely hard and I think one of the things that I learned from John is that we always try to be the best that we possibly can – not that I need to persuade anyone because everyone is so dedicated. It's all to do with the great theatre ethic and I think that that's something that I learned from John. I learned that from him. I saw his innovation and his skill and his encouragement and that's why the project has endured for so long.”

The productions, as always, are in the The Pergola Open Air Theatre, West Dean Gardens: Habeas Corpus by Alan Bennett offers farcical fun (contains adult humour) alternating with Outside Edge, the cricketing comedy by Richard Harris.

Tickets allow entry to West Dean Gardens from 5.30pm, and picnics are welcome. Habeas Corpus: June 24, 28, 30, July 6 and July 8; Outside Edge: June 27, 29, July 1, 5, and 7. Go to the theatre entrance for seat allocation on arrival. Picnics welcome or you can order a summer picnic in advance from West Dean on 01243 818215.