In 1977, their first year at Tolethorpe, the Company built a unique 400 seat open air theatre in the grounds. In 1993 it was rebuilt with 600 seats and a unique permanent high tensile fabric canopy over the auditorium facing the open air stage against a woodland background.

It now attracts more than 30,000 people from the UK and Overseas to the annual 13-week summer season of Shakespeare plays. In 1992 the Company was named by The East Midlands Tourist Board as the 'Visitor Attraction of the Year' for the quality of it's facilities, and more recently described by a national journal as 'one of England's premier alfresco venues in a delightful English garden setting'.

Tolethorpe Hall was the birthplace of Robert Browne, who could possibly claim to be the 'Father of the Pilgrim Fathers'. He was one of the earliest non-conformist campaigners to seek a breakaway from the established Church of England of which Queen Elizabeth was the head. The Queen called him 'Trouble-church Browne'. He founded the Brownists, one of the religious Separatist movements.