Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

One of London’s most popular outdoor entertainment venues is the enchanting Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. This amphitheatre is completely exposed to the elements, and there are few more atmospheric places to watch theatre than in the dusky confines of the Regent’s Park, with London’s bright lights seemingly a world away. Productions this year include To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice and The Sound of Music, and pre-theatre dining options include pre-packed picnics and a barbecue. Until 8 Sep

The Scoop at More London

Situated just by London Mayor Boris Johnson’s office by Tower Bridge, this sunken theatre is host to a plethora of free entertainment during the summer. From Wednesday to Sunday you can see free open air theatre here in the evenings, and this year there will two short productions based on the ancient Greek city of Thebes. A family production of the Prince of Thebes takes place at 6pm, followed by a more adult staging of Oedipus and Antigone at 8pm. 7 Aug-1 Sep 

Opera Holland Park

Every summer a marquee is erected in front of the glorious Holland House, allowing visitors the chance to watch wonderful operas in the grounds of Holland Park without getting wet! As well as seeing productions such as Madam Butterfly, the Pearl Fishers and new family opera Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, you can also enjoy a pre-prepared picnic in their alfresco dining areas beforehand. 4 Jun -3 Aug

Fitzroy Square Opera

For one night a year, Fitzroy Square Opera brings the magic of traditional country house opera to London. This year, on 27 June, you can sit in this luscious square in Fitzrovia and enjoy a production of Bizet’s Carmen. You can also order a pre-prepared picnic (£22), enjoy freshly cooked paella in the interval or simply avail yourself of the cash bar.

Shakespeare’s Globe, Southbank

At this incredible reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre you can choose whether you have a fully outdoor or partially indoor theatrical experience! The stage is situated under the sky, but there are seats available within the covered theatre section if you don’t feel like standing in the exposed middle with the ‘groundlings’. Scheduled for 2013 are favourites such as King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, and you can buy standing tickets for just £5. Until 28 Sep

Theatre in the Square with Lyric Hammersmith

Watch live outdoor theatre for free in the Lyric Square, Hammersmith, thanks to a festival staged by five of the country’s most exciting theatre companies. A collaboration between HammersmithLondon, Lyric Hammersmith, Latitude festival, Greenwich+Docklands International Festival and Watford Palace Theatre, this festival is sure to offer innovative, enjoyable and eccentric entertainment. Keep an eye on the theatre’s What’s On section for more details. 12 Jun-5 Jul

BP Summer Screens

The BP Summer Screens bring one of London’s most exclusive indoor venues – Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House – to the great outdoors. Better still – screenings are free! You can see the ballet Mayerling (13 June) or operas La Rondine (11 July) and Tosca (18 July) in outdoor spaces such as Trafalgar Square, Canary Wharf and Woolwich.

Chiswick House and Gardens

You can watch both opera and theatre alfresco at the beautiful Chiswick House and Gardens, which stages a range of both as part of its excellent events programme. During July you can catch productions of Carmen, Gulliver’s Travels and A Little of What You Fancy! on the rear lawn of the House. Tickets are £30 and full details are available on the venue website.

Fulham Palace

On 7 July take the whole family to Fulham Palace for a theatre production of Babe: the Sheep Pig which is sure to delight both adults and children alike. Taking place in the Walled Garden, the production starts at 2pm and tickets cost £8 for children or £12 for adults.

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival

London’s biggest festival of outdoor theatre runs from 21 to 29 June and brings performers to the parks and streets of Greenwich and the surrounding area. You can see everything from street dance to aerial theatre at the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival – take a look at our pick of the highlights here.

More London theatre

This weekend is the last before the Olympics begin – make sure you soak up all the culture London has to offer before the city goes sport mad.

BT River of Music
The BT River of Music is a huge weekend music festival is a one-off to welcome the world to the Olympic city. Six stages – each hosting music from a different continent – will be set up along the Thames at venues like the Tower of London and Battersea Park. Artists representing every Olympic and Paralmypic nation will perform, including the Scissor Sisters and Noisettes. Tickets are free but you’ve got to book them in advance: at the time of writing, there are still some left for Asia Stage at Battersea Park and Oceania Stage at Old Royal Naval College, and for Africa Stage at London Pleasure Gardens on Sunday only.
21-22 Jul

Blue Peter’s Big Olympic Tour
Catch Blue Peter presenters Helen and Barney this weekend on the kids TV show’s Big Olympic Tour. They’ve been following the Olympic torch on its journey around the UK for special live programmes and events, and will touch down in Central Park in East Ham this Saturday and Sunday. From 10am to 4pm, there’ll be free family activities like Olympic sports, learning about the history of the Games and having a go at being a sports commentator.
21-22 Jul

Shakespeare: Staging the World at The British Museum
The British Museum has teamed up with the Royal Shakespeare Company for this major Shakespeare exhibition which explores the playwright’s London through his plays. It gives a taste of what going to the theatre was like 400 years ago, and how it connected London with the rest of the world as international trade, colonisation and diplomacy increased. The exhibition includes performance and objects from paintings and rare manuscripts to everyday items like maps and coins, all piecing together the world of the famous dramatist and his characters.
Until 25 Nov

Floating Market on Regent’s Canal
From tomorrow, a magnificent floating market will moored in Mile End near the Olympic Park. A collection of narrowboats and barges will be selling everything from books and hats to vintage frocks and handicrafts. If strolling along the official Olympic walking route makes you peckish, you can sample various foodie delights on offer, including sausages from a barge called “Marilyn”, Slovakian delicacies from “Vareska” and a selection of candyfloss, popcorn and other fun-fair based treats from The Zebra Boat.
20 Jul-16 Aug

What will you be doing this weekend? Let us know by commenting below.

Pianist Tala Tutunji is half Turkish and half Palestinian. She grew up in Jordan, studied in the UK, and now splits her time between Jordan and London. Her aspiration is to bring musicians together to transcend distance, borders and culture.

Tutunji runs Middle Eastern music courses at Chelsea Music Academy, which she founded with composer Bushra El-Turk. Her next London performance will be at Concert for Peace and Prosperity: Eastern Voices – Western Echoes at Cadogan Hall on 20 February.

We caught up with her for our World in London series.

How long have you been based in London?

I moved to the UK when I was 14 and went to Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. I came to London from 2005 to 2009 and this is where I did my Masters at Trinity and also worked at the same time.

Right now I’m based between London and Jordan. For this year I’m based in Jordan but I’m always coming in and out of London. I can’t stay away! I travel to London whenever I have concerts, which is four to five times a year.

How would you describe your music?

I was classically trained, so there’s a strong Western classical influence. But because I’m Middle Eastern I try to do a fusion of both worlds and explore that.

I perform music which is by contemporary Arabic composers. It could include the piano and also Arabic instruments at the same time, such as the qanun, which has the same strength and body as a grand piano but is smaller.

We did an event for Opera Holland Park in October last year where we were asked to “Arabise” popular Western operas. It was a really interesting event.

We worked with the opera singers from Opera Holland Park and brought some Arabic musicians, and instruments like the nai, which is the Arabic version of the flute.

What can people expect to see and hear at the concert on 20 February?

I’m really excited to perform in this concert because there are many opera singers from Syria, Jordan, Jerusalem and Lebanon. We’ll be performing with the Orion orchestra, a Western orchestra. It will be an interesting blend of Western classical opera with Arabic music as well.

The music is based on a Lebanese folk tune but also has the Western classical influence. I’m going to speak a little bit in Arabic, trying to act as a vocalist at the same time. It will start Western and gradually get more Oriental towards the end of the concert.

With the Arab Spring it’s the perfect thing to do, to try and stretch the boundaries and explore all the different influences.

Do you have any other performances coming up in London?

We’re planning to do another event, Al Bassara (the fortune teller). We’ll probably work with more Eastern European influences on that. Hopefully that will be in summer 2012 in London, we’re not sure where yet.

Tell us about the Middle Eastern music courses at Chelsea Music Academy

We’re organising various events including Middle Eastern workshops for people. We’re working in London to spread the word on Middle Eastern musical influences.

Sometimes, prior to a concert, we do various workshops so people know more about the music when they come to a concert.

Where else would you go for a taste of Jordanian culture in London?

I know a lot of Lebanese and Palestinian places but I haven’t been to anywhere in London that has a Jordanian taste – yet!

There’s the Anglo Jordanian Society which does a lot of things. And there are the Maroush restaurants which are practically Jordanian. There are a lot of events organised through SOAS.

Now that I’m away from London for a while I really appreciate the eclectic feel of London. Sometimes when you leave you start to appreciate what it’s all about!

Do you have more Jordan in London recommendations? Let us know in the comments below.

Can you picture yourself attending the opening night of Aida at the Royal Albert Hall, and then heading back to the famous Waldorf hotel for the night?

If you fancy a luxurious weekend of culture in London, enter today’s Christmas competition to win Aida tickets and an overnight stay at the Waldorf.

Enter now for your chance to win!

The Passenger is a bleak story, but through the medium of opera it resonated with the ENO audience last Wednesday to the extent that by the end many were on their feet applauding, touched by the melancholy account. Based on the semi-autobiographical novel Pasazerka by Auschwitz survivor Zofia Posmysz, it is brought to the stage by librettist Alexander Medvedev and composer Mieczyslaw Weinberg.

Set in the early 1960s and focussing on the effects of the Holocaust, it is, unsurprisingly, a heavy night. Johan Engels’ set is marvellous, a symbolic white ship that beneath the decks reveals a dark and dusty camp, home of the tortured prisoners. This visual juxtaposition is intensely shocking and makes the narrative even more appalling.

The opera documents an encounter between two women – one is a former Auschwitz guard, the other a former prisoner. We watch the story unfurl in the camp, while in the present (15years later) they unexpectedly meet again on a boat to Brazil, provoking feelings of guilt, terror, sadness and revenge.

Weinberg’s music is challenging and unexpected, and demonstrates a mix of influences. Expansive and complex, I was amazed by the fluency of the orchestra and conductor Sir Richard Armstrong. I was most moved by the folk tunes in the second half, especially the a cappella Russian song by Katya (Julia Sporsen). Vocally the cast are tremendous, and particular mention must go to leading ladies Michelle Breedt (Liese) and Giselle Allen (Marta) who both sing superbly.

Weinberg’s The Passenger is a modern masterpiece and the ENO delivers a staggering experience. I hope this opera gets the recognition it deserves, the massive effort and dedication is clear in every aspect of this production.

The Passenger at the London Coliseum until 25 Oct 2011. Book tickets

I absolutely loved this production of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love at the ENO.

Legendary director Jonathan Miller rarely disappoints and here he exceeds all expectations, reviving his popular production of this comic classic. Set in the 1950′s, inspired by the era of Marilyn Monroe, it feels as if Donizetti  precisely intended this setting and time, the modernity chimes with the fun and flirty storyline and score.

Sarah Tynan has the charm and attitude to make the perfect pin-up girl Adina. With a peroxide blonde hairdo and a cheeky pink uniform she shakes her hips and isn’t afraid to flirt naughtily on stage. Her soprano voice is bright and clear, and she controls it well during the fiddly arias, running up and down the virtuosic passages with elasticity. She is surrounded on stage by a cast of talented men, Ben Johnson is brilliant as the lovesick Nemorino; with a gorgeous bel canto tenor voice he suits Donizetti’s music well. Andrew Shore is hilarious as the fraudulent doctor, witty and full of life, his acting and singing are commendable.

The Elixir of Love, until 8 Oct  2011. Book tickets

Written in 1728, John Gay’s satirical drama, The Beggar’s Opera was the first known ballad opera, poking fun at the very popular extravagant Italian opera of the time.  It is a silly story, but one filled with vivid characters and popular folk tunes. Acclaimed director Lucy Bailey brings this raucous tale to the seasonal Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for a limited run.

To one side of the stage a small band, the City Waites, provide the music using authentic instruments. Led by a lively Roddy Skeaping on violin and bass viol, the band is fantastic – rich in tone and characte,r adding depth to the narrative. The stage is appropriately decorated with beds and wooden carts, a clever and adaptable design from William Dudley.

The large cast are full of oomph, despite the wearying heat, and act and sing with a youthful energy. Jasper Britton is a suitably stern Mr Peachum, and Janet Fullerlove is hilarious as his wife; she seems to revel in Gay’s wickedly naughty script.

I loved watching the frantic catfights between Lucy (Beverly Rudd) and Polly (Flora Spencer-Longhurst) who certainly got the most laughs on the night. With a buoyant attitude and a belter of a voice, Rudd conquers the expansive Regent’s Park stage. Spencer-Longhurst, bright faced and wide eyed as the innocent but crafty little Polly, acts with great assurance and in addition has a bright soprano voice that soars in this theatre.

This is a charming production, Regent’s Park is the loveliest of settings, and The Beggar’s Opera is a witty, sometimes neglected work, the perfect summer’s evening out.

The Beggar’s Opera until 23 July 2011. Book tickets

The English National Opera (ENO) are currently staging Two Boys, a new opera from talented young musician and composer Nico Muhley with librettist Craig Lucas.

The story is loosely inspired by actual events.  We watch Inspector Anne Strawson as she struggles to find 13 year old Jake’s killer.

There is one obvious lead – a teenage boy caught on CCTV leaving the murder scene, and yet as the narrative unfurls it seems there is more to this crime than the obvious facts. To discover the truth, Detective Strawson must delve into a menacing cyberworld of internet sites and chatrooms.

Two Boys kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The clever storytelling, with tiny clues revealed throughout, left me desperately trying to solve the murder mystery myself; it was completely engaging and captivating.

Muhley’s score is enchanting – spooky and beautiful, imaginative and aggressive, and I found it heartbreakingly moving. Vocally, I enjoyed the chorus moments best: massive, grand, multi-layered writing that conveys the overwhelming reach of the internet.

Bartlett Sher’s staging is beautifully realised through Michael Yeargan’s designs, a set that really adds to the production. The large chorus stand illuminated eerily at the back while other characters are elevated in darkly lit towers across the front of the stage – it is oddly magical and otherworldly.

Nico Muhley’s new creation is an operatic masterpiece that will stun audiences.

Two Boys at The ENO until 8 July 2011

Director Christopher Alden has scrapped the dreamy forest in favour of a 1960′s school yard setting – a tad morbid and bizarre. Some of the characters are teachers (Oberon and Tytania) and some are pupils (Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Helena). The lover’s tiffs from Shakespeare’s original turn to adolescent arguments and teenage romances.

Charles Edward‘s set is strikingly beautiful and imaginative – giant brickwork walls of an urban British boys school, complete with high windows and several floors, it is staggeringly realistic. For me the design was the highlight of the production.

Visually this opera is quite unbelievable. The vast set and at times the sheer quantity of young boys on stage is enough to make you gasp. No-one can deny it is a daring production but I couldn’t help wondering how necessary all this drama is? It is not beneficial to our understanding, confused the already complicated narrative, and made little sense to me.

The large cast dealt with this odd interpretation as best they could. I have never seen so many young children in one opera – at one point when all the boys lined up across the stage I counted nearly 40!

The vocal star of the show was most definitely counter tenor Iestyn Davies as Oberon. He sings this tricky part wonderfully with pitch perfect accuracy and gorgeous tone. I could have listened to him all night. The chorus excelled producing a rich sound and bringing the best out of Britten’s stunning music.

The orchestra worked persistently on Britten’s tricky music, and I thought their rendition evoked all the magic of the Britten’s otherworldly score. Leo Hussain performed well too, conducting with a sensitive understanding of the music. Much of this opera’s music is quiet and hesitant – musical directions that are exhausting to conduct, especially for a three hour production. However, this didn’t seem to trouble Hussain at all and he seemed completely at ease throughout.

A very strange, and yet mesmerising production of Britten’s dazzling opera, go and see it if you like your opera a bit on the wild side.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the London Coliseum until 30 June. Book tickets

Richard Wagner set his own rules when composing, a freedom of expression that can be seen most in his epic operas. Their length and scoring requires a massive cast and orchestra, with sets and costumes to match. Wagner wrote all his own libretti and creates mythical kingdoms that are weird, wonderful and crazy – his works are unique. It is a great undertaking for a creative team to stage one of his magical music dramas; they must be ready to match his imagination and spirit, strength and character.

The ENO are currently reviving Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s production of Parsifal, which was critically commended back in 1999, with the Independent describing it as “the most intelligent, provocative and ultimately moving production”. This February most of the original creative team are back for the return show.The narrative is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival, a 13th century poem that tells of an Arthurian knight and his quest for the Holy Grail.

I felt honoured to be seeing great Wagnerian singer John Tomlinson who can boast performing for 18 consecutive seasons at Bayreuth Festival from 1988. He plays Gurnemanz, the trusty chronicler of the Grail’s history. When I saw the opera, Tomlinson was everything I hoped he would be: powerful and yet gracious, he commands the stage unlike any singer I have seen before. The rest of the cast are vocally sublime too; Stuart Skelton as the title role shows real compassion and stamina throughout the five-hour piece and Jane Dutton as Kundry is dramatic and convincing. I adored the flower chorus dancing and singing, the women dressed in unbelievable draped costumes and lit so wonderfully. It was quite mesmerising to watch.

No one can deny the beauty of Wagner’s music in Parsifal. The orchestra are quite breathtaking, and are conducted magnificently by Mark Wigglesworth, who energises the score and injects the performance with real understanding and passion. In my seat in the front row of the dress circle I felt I was soaring with the music and being drawn into Wagner’s mysterious world.

Performances continue until Saturday 12 March, book Parsifal tickets here.