ALTON’S Public Gardens will provide the venue next weekend for the staging by the youth of Alton of ‘Potted Jane.’

In an event organised by Alton Town Council, students from Amery Hill, Eggar’s, Alton Convent and Alton College will be commemorating the 200th anniversary of when literary icon Jane Austen left her home in Chawton for the final time.

The afternoon of open-air theatre will begin at 1pm on Saturday, May 20, with the Alton Convent’s Northanger Radio Play. At 1.30pm, Alton College will perform a Peep at Pride and Prejudice, followed at 2pm by Eggar’s School with their original Jane Austen’s Guide to Dating. The final performance will be Amery Hill School’s Potted Austen Project at 2.30pm.

In addition, there will be a marquee offering free children’s activities such as bonnet and top hat-making crafts with town councillor Pam Jones and interactive games demonstrations with Esdevium.

Representatives from Jane Austen’s House Museum, Chawton House library and Alton Regency Week will be offering information about Jane Austen and her local connections, as well as promoting the events taking place this year as part of the Jane Austen 200 celebrations.

Alton WI will be serving homemade cakes in exchange for small donations toward their charitable fundraising. Refreshments will also be available to purchase from the Horsebox Country Kitchen cafe.

In thanking everyone involved with the event, Alton Town Council has extended special thanks “to the teachers and students for taking time out from their busy curriculum schedules to join in with the celebrations of Jane Austen in creating their own very unique interpretations of her work”.

The event is open to the public and the town council is hoping to see as many people as possible there on the day to help celebrate Alton’s Jane Austen heritage and to support the students with their performances.