With summer just around the corner, Britain’s outdoor theatrical venues are springing into action, setting up lights, polishing seating and rehearsing, so they are ready for the crowds. Pack fleeces and flasks and settle in to enjoy the spectacle on clifftops and tiny islands, in city parks and at stately homes. Beyond the great ideas below, you may be lucky enough to pick up returns for the sold-out Macbeth at what will be the final season at Brownsea Open Air Theatre, a quick ferry ride from Poole in Dorset (July 24 to August 9, £30; brownsea-theatre.co.uk).
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1. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London
A much more solid structure than many pop-up summer theatres, Regent’s Park OAT is tucked to one side of Queen Mary’s Gardens. Huge musical revivals and Shakespeare plays are mounted here, as well as magical child-friendly productions: 2024’s summer season includes Twelfth Night, Fiddler on the Roof and The Secret Garden. More than 33,000 tickets are sold at £15, keeping things affordable, and once you’re in the venue, there’s a posh-festival feel not unlike Wimbledon tennis, with bars selling rosé and cheeseboards and picnic benches outside the theatre area. There’s a real romance too, as the sun goes down and the stage glows under the lights (until September 21, from £15; openairtheatre.com). You’ll be steps away from the park gates with a stay at the smart, modern Melia White House.
Details Room-only doubles from £188 (melia.com)
2. Thorington Theatre, near Southwold, Suffolk
Set in pristine woodland outside the village of Thorington, this 360-seat venue was created in an old Second World War bomb crater. Built during the pandemic using sustainably coppiced chestnut timber from the surrounding area, it has a wooden thrust-style stage, meaning great views for all, and hosts plays and talks throughout summer. This year visitors can look forward to an evening with Charlie Mackesy, author of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse; the musical Sunday in the Park with George; and the atmospheric A Midsummer Night’s Dream (until August 31, from £18; thoringtontheatre.co.uk). Explore Suffolk’s gorgeous heritage coast with its walks and shingle beaches while you’re here — the Randolph at Reydon makes the perfect base.
Details B&B doubles from £180 (therandolph.co.uk)
3. Brighton Open Air Theatre, East Sussex
A 400-seat amphitheatre in Dyke Road Park, Brighton Open Air Theatre (aka Boat) is just as diverse as you’d expect from the south coast’s hippyish, edgy, LGBT-friendly hub. Drag, comedy and burlesque intermingle with puppetry-led children’s shows: this year’s highlights include a touring As You Like It and an adaptation of the classic film Brief Encounter (until September 22, from £11; brightonopenairtheatre.co.uk). Stay at the central Hotel du Vin for sea swims, exploring the independent shops around The Lanes, a visit to the whimsical Regency-era Royal Pavilion and some of the country’s best record and book shops.
Details Room-only doubles from £99 (hotelduvin.com)
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4. Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Port na Craig, Perth and Kinross
This leading Scottish arts venue is in the village of Port na Craig, across the River Tummel from Pitlochry. It is a magnet for theatre buffs, who swing by for summer season and stay in the area for a week or two to catch shows at the enchanting amphitheatre in the Explorers Garden. This year’s programme includes a magical outdoor adaptation of The Secret Garden and a Scottish Gaelic and Scots language version of Purcell’s opera Dido & Aeneas, with a romantic backdrop of leafy evergreens (July 12 to September 15, from £25; pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com). Slot it into a Scottish road trip ‒ the Cairngorms National Park is nearby — or, to be a short walk from Loch Rannoch, stay at the grand Fonab Castle Hotel with its stylish spa.
Details B&B doubles from £276 (fonabcastlehotel.com)
5. Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester, Cheshire
With performances in the round, this summer pop-up in a Chester city park has the feel of a circus big top. Putting on shows produced by the local theatre company Storyhouse, it’s scheduled to stage a take on The Gangs of New York, based on the same book as the Scorsese film. More old-school is Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and, for families, an immersive, walk-through Wizard of Oz experience (July 19 to September 1, from £7.50; storyhouse.com). While you’re in Chester, visit the city walls — the oldest, longest and most complete defences in Britain — climb to the top of the cathedral’s central tower, and stay at the Chester Grosvenor for afternoon teas and spa treatments.
Details B&B doubles from £175 (chestergrosvenor.com)
6. Kilworth House Theatre, Lutterworth, Leicestershire
Hidden in a country glade close to the county’s Kilworth House Hotel, this expertly rigged-up theatre has dramatic, sail-shaped canopies to protect theatregoers from the elements. Considered one of the UK’s best outdoor venues, the tiered 547-seater showcases West-End-standard musicals — this year’s is the tap-dancing classic Singin’ In The Rain — plus there’s live music from the country’s best tribute acts and themed murder mystery dinners (June 18 to July 28, from £45; kilworthhouse.co.uk). Make a weekend of it by staying on at grand Kilworth House with its 38 acres of grounds, and visiting Leicester’s King Richard III museum, which tells the gripping story of the discovery of the king’s remains in a car park here in 2012.
Details B&B doubles from £165 (kilworthhouse.co.uk)
7. The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall
Cut into rugged emerald cliffs above the Cornish sea, Porthcurno’s historic open-air theatre is always worth a look. Even if there’s no play on, you can take a guided tour and stroll its subtropical gardens. Live theatre runs all summer, with this year’s programme including Marlowe’s classic Doctor Faustus, the musical Little Shop of Horrors and an adaptation of The French Lieutenant’s Woman. It’s a bit of an adventure: there are steep steps down to the theatre (wheelchair access is available) and you should bring a cushion; seating is on stone benches or grass (until September 21, from £10; minack.com). Boskenna Home Farm, where breakfast is raved about, is a 15-minute drive away.
Details B&B doubles from £120 (luxury-cornwall.co.uk)
Have we missed your favourite outdoor theatre? Let us know in the comments below
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