There’s perhaps nothing more magical than seeing a play or musical in the open air, and London is absolutely the city for it. In defiance of the weather gods, our outdoor theatre season now stretches from March to late October: we’re are just that tough. Or at least, optimistic about the weather.
Substantially it revolves around a few key theatres, notably Shakespeare’s Globe – open March to October and generally boasting a cheeky outdoor Christmas production – and the delightful Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, which is open late spring to the very end of summer. The former specialises in Shakespeare plays, while the latter has a musical theatre focus.
Althoiugh the summer is now basically over, the open air season continues for quite a while, especially at the Globe, where the main outdor theatre remains open until the end of October, and reopens in December for this year’s Christmas show Pinocchio.
Not sure what you'll need for an open-air theatre trip? Then don’t miss our guide to practical open-air theatre info.
If you’re interested in taking in some outdoor cinema this summer, head to our dedicated page.
What is it? Like many of Shakespeare’s deeper cuts, Troilus and Cressida is a bizarre (bordering on broken) play that is clearly only performed (sporadically) in the twenty-first century because of who its author is. I don’t think that makes it bad, just weird.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
What is it? A new, carnival-tinged production of Shakespeare’s much loved comedy about a young woman who shipwrecks on an exotic shore and gets caught up in the convoluted romantic shenanigans of the island’s inhabitants.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
What is it? The Globe has been staging outdoor Christmas shows for some years now. But this feels like a very bold commitment for the 2025 winter season: a full scale, full length new musical that will run outdoors through the darkest, coldest months. It is of course, an adaptation of the story of Pinocchio, albeit explictly the batshit mental original Carlo Collodi version as opposed to the admitedly still pretty wild Disney take that represents its most famous incarnation.
Where is it? Shakespeare’s Globe.
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