The best open-air theatres to visit this summer

Amphitheatre at Berrybank Park, Cotswolds

Behold: a brand new, 500-seat amphitheatre has opened in the Cotswolds in time for summer 2022. The grassed amphitheatre, based near Chipping Norton at Berrybank Park, will see audience members totally exposed to the elements, but the glowing dome of an on-site pavilion, serving as front-of-house and a bar-restaurant, will provide some sanctuary between acts.

The Globe on Tour production of Julius Caesar opens the inaugural season at the theatre on Tuesday 14 June, with further standout productions coming from sustainability-focused cycling theatre company The HandleBards and the three-day Cotswolds Comedy Festival (Thursday 14 - Saturday 16 July).

Thorington Theatre, Suffolk

Suffolk's new woodland-set theatre returns for a second season this summer. The programme spans comedy, dance, opera, theatre and live music, and there's a great many family shows for staycationing families too, including productions of James and the Giant Peach (Sunday 17 July), Awful Auntie (Tuesday 26 July), Peter Pan (Friday 19 August) and The Jungle Book (Tuesday 23 August).

The Minack Theatre, Cornwall

You’d be hard pushed to find an outdoor theatre in as picturesque and dramatic a location as the open-air Minack Theatre in Cornwall. Perched on the cliffs of Penzance overlooking the choppy waters of the Atlantic, the theatre is popular with locals and tourists alike in the summer months, offering a space to see live arts at an affordable price point.

This year's programme, running from June to October, welcomes a bumper line-up of touring productions, each for a few days only. Highlights include a family-friendly production of Philip Pullman's The Firework Maker's Daughter (Tuesday 21 June - Friday 1 July) and Isobel McArthur's brilliant Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) (Thursday 22 September - Thursday 6 October).

If show tickets have sold out, you may still be able to book a tour of the theatre and gardens.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London

It's a musical-led line-up in the leafy confines of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre this summer. The theatre's 90th anniversary season opened with Lucy Moss's revival of Legally Blonde the Musical, which runs until Saturday 2 July.

Up next, running from Tuesday 12 July to Sunday 28 August, is director Zinnie Harris's twice delayed production of 101 Dalmatians, with puppet master Toby Olié in charge of bringing to life the gaggle of spotted pups.

Then things take a darker turn, as Barber Shop Chronicles writer Inua Ellams closes the season with a fresh retelling of Sophocles' tragedy Antigone (Saturday 3 - Saturday 24 September).

National Theatre's River Stage, London

Three cheers for the National Theatre's River Stage, which returns to the South Bank for the first time since 2019 this summer, bringing with it five weekends of colourful live performances – all for free.

Look out for a glittering line-up of drag from The Glory (Friday 15 - Sunday 17 July); music, yoga and family entertainment from Manchester-based company HOME (Friday 22 - Sunday 24 July); a youth takeover from Hackney Empire (Friday 29 - Sunday 31 July); dance performances from Hofesh Shechter Company (Friday 5 - Sunday 7 August); and a closing weekend jam-packed with shows, including screenings of NT productions (Friday 12 - Sunday 14 August).

The Shipwright, London

Venture south of the river to relatively new, hidden outdoor theatre The Shipwright, on the banks of the Thames in Deptford. Here, three productions are running this summer, each for a short run only and spaced weeks apart.

Book now to catch the Nest Collective's garden party The Feminine and the Foreign (Saturday 2 July); a fresh take on Paradise Lost (Tuesday 30 August - Sunday 4 September), and a new climate-focused show The Gretchen Question (Thursday 22 September - Sunday 2 October).

Roman Theatre of Verulamium, Hertfordshire

Built in around AD140, The 275-seater Roman Theatre of Verulamium in St Albans is the only remaining theatre of its kind in the UK.

The ancient outdoor monument plays home to a number of travelling players this summer. Take a guided tour of the grounds by day, then pull up a seat and watch a highlight from the season including Jonathan Larson's musical Rent (Tuesday 21 - Sunday 26 June), Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows (Wednesday 20 - Sunday 24 July) and Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest (Saturday 2 - Sunday 17 July).

Shakespeare's Globe, London

Shakespeare's Globe produces leading contemporary productions of the Bard's famous works in a replica of the Elizabethan playhouse for which he originally wrote them. For as little as £5, punters can become groundlings for the night, standing in the pit of the open-air theatre to watch the show. For a little more, you can take a seat on the wooden benches lining the auditorium and for a little more again, you can rent a cushion to make the experience more comfortable.

The 2022 season includes the chance to watch Kathryn Hunter as King Lear, Sean Holmes's The Tempest, a feminist interpretation of Henry VIII and Lucy Bailey's take on Much Ado About Nothing.

Click here to book.

Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT)

Since opening in 2015, Brighton Open Air Theatre (BOAT) has been one of the city’s best-kept secrets. Positioned in Dyke Road Park in Hove, the theatre is a 20-minute walk from the city centre and as a result, attracts more locals than visiting tourists. The theatre's ever-growing summer season began (bravely) on Friday 8 April and runs through to Thursday 25 September (including through the annual Brighton Festival in May), offering a varied programme of theatre, music, comedy and family events.

Highlights from the 2022 season include Drag in the Park (various dates), The Duke's Theatre Company's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Wednesday 29 June - Saturday 2 July), Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudors (Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 June), and a closing concert from Brighton Beach Boys (Sunday 25 September).

Book in advance, bring along a picnic and watch your show of choice unfold as the sun sets behind you.

Festival14, Canary Wharf

Theatre, music, dance and comedy – there’s a little something for everyone at Festival14, a four-day celebration of the arts, spread across Canary Wharf’s parks, plazas and open forums. The best bit? Most events are free. Canada Square Park is set to become the hub of the festival, with a main stage playing host to a diverse line-up of musicians, spanning classical, jazz, soul and gospel. For some fresh-air takes on Shakespeare, head to Westferry Circus, which is being transformed into an outdoor theatre for the festival. Here, you can also catch evening comedy gigs and a family rave. Up at Crossrail Place Roof Garden, there’s cabaret, comedy and storytelling to enjoy, while down in Jubilee Park, there will be a steady stream of live music every day.