Open-air theatre bosses are “heartbroken” after high winds led to a tree branch destroying a stage roof.

The Festival Theatre at Hever Castle, in Edenbridge, will go ahead as planned after a tulip tree branch fell onto the Two Sisters’ Theatre on Saturday, July 15 and damaged it “beyond repair”.

On Monday, July 24 they will start building a temporary home at Anne Boleyn’s Walk.

It is hoped this stage will be built by Thursday, July 27.

This weekend, performances of Charles Court Opera and The Guildhall Strings are being moved to a different area on the Hever estate.

The temporary stage will not have an extended roof like the original did.

This means there will be no weather cover for audiences for performances that take place there and people will need to bring their own seating.

However, this theatre is closer to the car park.

The Festival Theatre has played at Hever Castle each year for the last 40 summers.

It has set up a JustGiving page to try and raise £100,000 for the new roof, and donations can be made on the website.

Theatre director Ailsa Molyneux said: “We are heartbroken as you can imagine, and opening again for the summer in the theatre on Saturday, July 22, the timing is pretty bad too, but we are not giving up.”