Drama in the great outdoors

Sarah Hanson picks 10 of the best open-air theatres in Britain
and lists the summer's must-see alfresco productions in 2010

Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
The Open Air Theatre has been a fixture in Regent's Park in London since 1932. It is the oldest professional outdoor theatre in Britain, with one of the largest auditoria in the capital. Yet see a performance here and it feels much more intimate. As day turns to night and fairy lights twinkle in trees, the place takes on a magical atmosphere. This season's programme, as always, is Shakespeare-heavy with productions of Macbeth reimagined for children and a staging of The Comedy of Errors, set in 1940s Casablanca.
www.openairtheatre.org

Open Air Theatre, Scarborough
Originally unveiled in 1932, Scarborough's Open Air Theatre lay derelict from 1986 until May this year when the Queen officially reopened the amphitheatre, renovated as part of a £330m regeneration of the North Yorkshire seaside resort. Once again, it can boast of being Europe's largest open-air theatre with 6,500 seats. In the theatre's heyday it staged shows such as The King and I and Annie Get Your Gun. The opening night gala on 23 July will see two of the world's most revered opera singers—José Carreras and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa—take to the stage.
www.scarboroughopenairtheatre.com

Shakespeare's Globe
Founded by the late American actor and director, Sam Wanamaker, Shakespeare's Globe was rebuilt in the cradle of Elizabethan theatre on the banks of the river Thames in London. Close your eyes and picture peasants jostling for space in the pit and the brightly coloured robes of gentry sitting in the galleries above. The theme for this season is Kings and Rogues, including the Bard's Henry VIII and Henry IV (Parts one and two). There's also a revival of The Merry Wives of Windsor and Howard Brenton's Anne Boleyn, with Miranda Raison in the leading role. A small troupe of Globe actors goes on tour this summer performing The Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
www.shakespeares-globe.org

The Festival Theatre
When Kent Rep Productions staged A Midsummer Night's Dream in the gardens of Hever Castle in its first year as a theatre company in 1983 it led directly to the formation of the annual Hever Summer Festival and the Hever Lakeside Theatre the following year. Here, the stage is fully covered and the seating tiered with most seats also under cover. Pre-theatre suppers are available from the Pavilion restaurant or pack a picnic and enjoy glorious gardens. This year Kent Rep presents comedies Caught in the Net by Ray Cooney and The Poker Session by Hugh Leonard.
www.heverfestival.co.uk

Minack Theatre
This wonderful amphitheatre, carved out of a cliffside overlooking Porthcurno Bay in Cornwall, must be one of Britain's most picturesque theatrical settings. It was built by local resident, the late Rowena Cade, who came across the spot in 1931 when she was searching for somewhere to stage an open-air production of The Tempest. The first performance in the summer of 1932 was lit by batteries, car headlights and the feeble power brought down from Cade's house just above. Today, summer performances are staged by a variety of companies. Highlights this year include Tom Stoppard's On The Razzle, Moby Dick! The Musical and Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost.
www.minack.com

Rutland Open Air Theatre
Set in the historic grounds of Tolethorpe Hall near Stamford, Rutland Open Air Theatre is home to the amateur Stamford Shakespeare Company. It acquired Tolethorpe in a near-derelict state in 1977, the main interest being a natural amphitheatre in the grounds that has since been converted into a 600-seat raked venue. Each summer almost 35,000 theatregoers flock here to enjoy the company's shows. This season includes productions of Othello and Much Ado About Nothing as well as an adapted staging of the classic BBC comedy series Dad's Army.
www.stamfordshakespeare.co.uk

Kilworth House Theatre
The Daily Telegraph describes Kilworth House as "a total delight, perhaps the best-kept secret in British theatre". Built in a beautiful glade at Kilworth, Leicestershire, its tiered auditorium with padded seats is covered by a magnificent sail-like canopy, providing protection against the elements for the whole audience and the stage. This summer you can enjoy comedy with Paul Merton, a Last Night of the Proms concert with the London Gala Orchestra and an opera showcase.
www.kilworthhousetheatre.co.uk

Sterts Theatre and Arts Centre
The brainchild of Ewart and Anne Sturrock, Sterts Theatre and Arts Centre in Upton Cross, Cornwall, was built to fulfil a need for children, young people and adults to work together in a suitably equipped centre. As a teacher, Ewart Sturrock became aware that educational establishments favoured those whose gifts were already evident and ignored many whose talents were not so obvious and who therefore left school, college or university with a lack of awareness of their own capability. Among summer shows are JM Barrie's Peter Pan, John Mortimer's A Voyage Round My Father, The Tempest and youth musical Brother Jacques by Nick Stemson and Chris Williams.
www.sterts.co.uk

Brownsea Open Air Theatre
Every July and August, the National Trust's Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset, is the setting for a series of Shakespearean evenings. The short boat ride across the harbour (included in the price of theatre tickets) sets up the event while the journey back under the stars is a wonderful way to round off the experience. Many patrons arrive in the afternoon and explore the island or enjoy a picnic before the show. This year the theatre will stage The Taming of the Shrew.
www.brownsea-theatre.co.uk

Strode Park Foundation
Theatre in the Park
The theatre at Strode Park is set within 14 acres of beautiful Kent gardens and offers access to the able-bodied and disabled both as audience members and performers. It is run entirely by volunteers and profits are donated to the Strode Park Foundation for the disabled. Summer shows this year include A Midsummer Night's Dream and Beauty and the Beast, performed by the Chapterhouse Theatre Company, and Robin Hood staged by Cambridge Touring Theatre. The latter is described as a funny musical romp through the world of Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, the Sheriff of Nottingham and Maid Marian.
www.strodepark.org.uk