The sun has taken its first tentative steps from behind the clouds, which means it's finally time: time to swap out your boots for Birkenstocks, order your first iced latte of the year and browse through the best charcoal barbecues on Good Food... not that we're getting ahead our ourselves!

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Regardless of what the weather is doing, there's no denying that the summer months are coming; to West End buffs like yourself, this can only mean one thing: the start of the open air theatre season.

This year, there are some incredible performances going on all around the UK, in particular at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London.

Every summer, this iconic venue swings open its metaphorical doors and puts on a number of incredible shows for adults and children alike.

Below, we'll be giving you the details about each of these shows, as well as answering your most pressing questions, like, 'What should I wear?' and, 'What happens if it rains?' Plus, we've also given you a list of some of the other open air theatres to be found across the UK and how to visit them.

Be sure to check out the best West End shows for more of London's best, or take a look at the best musicals on tour UK.

Jump to:

What’s on at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre?

The Enormous Crocodile

Poster for the Enormous Crocodile live stage show

As the enormous crocodile makes his way through the jungle in search of delicious children to eat, it's up to the other jungle creatures to build up their courage and put a stop to his evil plans! But will they succeed?

Based on the classic Roald Dahl story, watch the Enormous Crocodile come to life through a combination of puppetry, rhymes and 'tasty tunes'.

This show is back again at London's Regent's Park Theatre, and this year, it'll run from 15th August to 17th September.

Like what you see? We've got an even bigger collection of family shows in the best kids theatre shows.

Brigadoon

Cast of Brigadoon
FEAST Creative

Brigadoon tells the story of WW2 fighter pilots Tommy and Jeff who have crash landed in the Scottish Highlands and are searching for a way home. They meet sisters Fiona and Jean who are preparing for a wedding. Over the course of the day, their stories intertwine in the village of Brigadoon but, as always with theatre shows like this, not everything is as it seems.

This open air theatre show is showing from 2nd August to 20th September. There's a BSL Interpreted Performance on Tuesday 2nd September at 7:45pm, a Captioned Performance on Friday 5th September at 7:45pm, and an Audio Described Performance with Touch Tour on Saturday 6th September at 2:15pm.

Shucked

Cast of Shucked
FEAST Creative

Would you like to see a hilarious, Tony Award-winning musical at London's Regent's Park Open Air Theatre this summer? Of course you do!

Shucked is a 'farm-to-fable' tale tells the story of an isolated town, Cob County, whose residents rely on their wall of corn crops for independence and to protect them from the world. The open air theatre show is performing from 30th May to 14th June.

Noughts & Crosses

Noughts and Crosses promo image
FEAST Creative

The Digital Writers on the Going Out team (like almost every other teenager in the UK) remembers reading and loving Noughts & Crosses at school, so we're thrilled to see it appearing on the stage.

This play, which is recommended for theatre goers aged 14 and over, tells the love story of Callum, a Nought, and Sephy, a Cross, childhood friends living on different sides of a segregated world. When Callum is admitted to Sephy’s Cross school, society’s prejudice threatens to push them apart.

Noughts & Crosses is running from 28th June to 26th July.

How to get to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

The theatre sits on the south side of Regent's Park near Madame Tussauds. The nearest tube station is Baker Street, which means you have a choice of the Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Jubilee lines.

You can also head to Regent's Park tube station itself (Bakerloo line) or you can walk from London Euston (Northern, Victoria and National Rail).

What is the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre seating plan?

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Credit David Jensen

To get the best view of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre seat plan, there is no better site than the appropriately named SeatPlan site.

At SeatPlan, you'll see that the open air theatre has the stage at the front, with the Lower Right, Lower Centre, and Lower Left seats surrounding it in a semi-circle. Behind those seats, you'll see the Upper Right, Upper Centre, and Upper Left seats.

Take a look at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre set-up at Seat Plan

More open air theatre shows to see in the UK

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London

The Globe Theatre in black and white
Shakespeare's Globe, London. hulki okan tabak/Unsplash

Arguably the most famous open air theatre of them all, Shakespeare's Globe is an iconic part of London's South Bank, where it has sat since 1599 (although it had to be rebuilt after it burned down in 1613).

To this day, the Globe is the primary location to see the works of Shakespeare, as well as other famous plays like The Crucible. This year's Globe season includes performances of Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, and Rough Magic.

Buy Shakespeare's Globe Theatre tickets at London Theatre Direct

Or, if you don't fancy sitting for a show, you can also take a guided tour of the historic building.

Buy Shakespeare's Globe guided tour tickets at Virgin Experience Days

If you want a more in-depth look at what's on at the Globe this summer, here are the best Shakespeare plays.

The Minack Theatre, Cornwall

People watch a show at the Minack Theatre near Penzance on June 28, 2018 in Cornwall, England.
Minack Theatre, Cornwall. Matt Cardy /Getty

The iconic image of The Minack Theatre is surely known all across the UK and even the world. Found just outside of Porthcurno, a few miles from Land's End, the Minack famously sites on an outcrop of granite overlooking the sea. First built in 1930, the theatre is a must-visit for tourists, especially as this year it will be showing plays such as Treasure Island.

Buy The Minack Theatre tickets at The Minack Theatre

For more things to do surrounding The Minack Theatre, take a look at Virgin Experience Days and GetYourGuide for top Cornwall days out.

Brighton Open Air Theatre

The Brighton Open Air Theatre, also known as BOAT, is a 400-seat theatre found at the Dyke Road Park, about 15 minutes from Brighton seafront. Since opening in 2015, the venue has become on of the UK's main outdoor theatres, and is often one of the best places to go for catching innovative new performances and up-and-coming artists. This summer, they'll be showing everything from As You Like It to an on-stage version of The Vicar of Dibley.

Buy Brighton Open Air Theatre tickets at Brighton Open Air Theatre

Planning a trip to the seaside town? Take a look at the best Brighton experience gifts.

Thorington Theatre, Suffolk

Thorington Theatre is a new outdoor amphitheatre in the Suffolk woodland, with over 70 shows to choose from. This year's season includes performances of The Wizard of Oz, The Tempest and Beowulf, as well as improv nights and comedy performances. Plus, it's kitted out with a theatre bar and food options including a picnic supper club.

Buy Thorington Theatre tickets at Thorington Theatre

What happens if it rains at an open air theatre?

What does British summertime have in common with the 1994 single Love Is All Around? Wet, wet, wet!

In all seriousness, most open air theatres will carry on with their performances come rain or shine.

On average, 94% of Regent's Park performances are completed each season, and will only ever be cancelled in extreme conditions, for example, intense storms or if the temperature exceeds 40 degrees.

To make things trickier, performances will never be cancelled before the advertised start time – so you won't find out until you arrive at the theatre, and no refunds are given. You can, however, exchange your tickets for a future performance.

What do you wear to an open air theatre?

There is no dress code for open air theatres, as it's a far more relaxed environment compared to the rest of the West End.

Dress as smartly or casually as you like, although we'd strongly advise checking the weather forecast beforehand – summer might be on the horizon, but you can always rely on British weather to be as contrary as possible.

Our best advice would be to bring provisions for all weather types: sun cream, hats and sunglasses for the heat, and umbrellas and lightweight macs for the rain. Plus, it always gets a bit chilly when the sun goes down, so it's worth bringing an extra layer for warmth.

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For the latest theatre ticketing releases, take a look at Othello tickets.

Authors

Olivia Garrett
Laura Wybrow
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