A COLCHESTER theatre group has been forced to cancel a show due to unforeseen personal reasons. 

Colchester’s Castle Park Theatre Company has announced the cancellation of The Hay Wain.

The show is inspired by Constable’s Hay Wain’, painted in 1821 of the River Stour and Flatford Mill - one of the world’s most famous landscape paintings.

To celebrate its 200th anniversary, Neil Jones – artistic director of Castle Park Theatre - commissioned a play bringing the characters of the painting to life comprised of five actors and a musician.

The show was set to tour East Anglia but has been cancelled due to unforeseen personal reasons.

Neil said: "Naturally, we are completely and utterly gutted about this turn of events, but there was absolutely nothing we could do to maintain that old adage of the 'show must go on'.

“It wouldn't have been fair to those involved or the audience who had paid money to come and see it.

"What made it particularly galling was we had some really exciting interest in the show, including some well-known financial theatrical backers, but that will also have to be put on hold to a later date,

"We already have exciting plans for 2026 and I'm hopeful if they were interested in 2024, they'll be interested in 2026 when we'll be back better and stronger."