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

Here are just some of the great shows we have to look forward to next year:

1. A Chorus Line, London Palladium from 2 Feb
Back in the West End for the first time since the 70s, the award-winning A Chorus Line comes to London’s Palladium in February, starring John Partridge and Scarlett Strallen as Zach and Cassie, with Leigh Zimmerman playing Sheila and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt playing Diana. Altogether now: “One… singular sensation, every little step she takes…”

2. The Book of Mormon, Prince of Wales Theatre from 26 Feb
Another multi-award winning show, The Book of Mormon is the first of two Broadway imports to hit the West End in 2013. This first will make its UK premiere at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, it’s the story of two teenage Mormon missionaries trying to convert a Ugandan village. As it contains explicit language, this is a show for over 18s only: time will tell whether UK audiences love it as much as their US counterparts.

3. Once, Phoenix Theatre from 16 Mar
This year’s Tony Award for Best New Musical went to Once; and from March we can see it on our side of the pond at the Phoenix Theatre. Based on the 2006 Irish musical film of the same name, Once features an ensemble cast of actor/musicians and tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant and their shared love of music.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 18 May
Hot on the heels of Matilda comes a new Roald Dahl-based musical. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory features a host of musical stars including music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, a book by the award-winning playwright David Greig and choreography by Peter Darling, the chap behind both Billy Elliot and Matilda. It’s directed by Skyfall director Sam Mendes, and stars Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka, and plays at the wonderful Theatre Royal Drury Lane from May. Sounds like a perfect recipe for success…

5. The Sound of Music, Open Air Theatre from 25 Jul
Finally for musicals in 2013, I’m really excited about a new production of The Sound of Music at the Open Air Theatre. Opening in July, this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic is sure to be a real treat: the past few musicals from the Open Air Theatre have been amazing, including three winners of the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.

If you prefer your shows without all that lovely singing and dancing, check out my tips for the top London plays coming in 2013.

What musicals are you looking forward to seeing in 2013? Let us know in the comments below.

Firstly, there’s been another big birthday in Theatreland. Congratulations to War Horse, which celebrated its fifth anniversary on the London stage this week. The show’s been seen on stage by more than 1.6 million people in London, including the Queen, and remains one of London’s most popular productions.

From National Theatre long-runners to transfers: I’ve learnt that the National’s critically acclaimed production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time will transfer to the West End next year following its sell-out season at the Southbank venue. Adapted from Mark Haddon’s novel by acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time plays at the Apollo Theatre from 1 March with Luke Treadaway reprising his role as the 15-year-old autistic maths genius Christopher Boone.

And there’s news of another new West End show opening next year: From Here to Eternity features lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Stuart Brayson and is based on James Jones’ award-winning 1951 novel, rather than the classic film. I’ve no cast news yet, but the show will be directed by Tamara Harvey, and starts previews at the Shaftesbury Theatre in September next year

Finally, looking ahead to next summer, the Open Air Theatre has announced a new stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice and a re-imagining of The Winter’s Tale for children aged six and older for its 2013 season. These two shows join the previously announced productions of To Kill A Mockingbird and the first-ever Rodgers and Hammerstein production at the venue, The Sound Of Music. It sounds like we can look forward to another great summer at this ever-brilliant venue.

London Theatre Cast News:

• Zoë Wanamaker returns to the West End next year to star in David Leveaux’s production of Peter Nichols’ black comedy Passion Play at the Duke of York’s Theatre
• Jonathan Bonnici, Denton Chikura, Tunji Falana, Sandy Grierson, Éva Magyar, Itxaso Moreno, Adura Onashile, Tahirah Sharif, Harmage Singh Kalirai, Ony Uhiara and Hemi Yeroham will appear in Mary Zimmerman’s new play, The Arabian Nights at the Tricycle Theatre from 30 November to 12 January
• Nadia Clifford, Geoffrey Freshwater, Eve Pearce and Timothy Watson will join Maureen Lipman and Tracy-Ann Oberman in Terry Johnson’s production of Old Money at the Hampstead Theatre from 29 November to 12 January
• Joining Oliver Ford Davies in Goodnight Mister Tom are Louise Collins, Joanne Howarth, Aoife McMahon, Freya Parker, Georgina Sutton, Alan Vicary, Jonathan Warde and Emma Drysdale, as well as Elisa de Grey, Bradley Hall and Osmund Bullock
• Gina McKee and Anna Maxwell Martin join Tamzin Outhwaite in the transfer of Hampstead Downstairs’ sell-out production Di And Viv And Rose to the venue’s main space from 17 January to 23 February

A new charity initiative was launched this week that sees pop stars taking to the West End stage for special encores. Pop Goes The Musical raises money for Children in Need by offering special £80 tickets for fab West End shows, which are then followed by special performances by pop stars.

• Les Miserables followed by a performance by Alexandra Burke, 18 Sep
• Jersey Boys followed by a performance by Blue, 11 Oct
• Singin in the Rain followed by a performance by Geri Halliwell, 25 Oct
• Thriller Live followed by a performance by Macy Gray and Stooshe, 15 Nov

Tickets can be purchased exclusively at www.lastminute.com/pudsey and include a top price seat, signed programme, Pudsey bear toy, complementary drink and access to a VIP after show reception hosted by the famous bear himself.

Hampstead Downstairs has announced its autumn season this week. Three plays, Brain, Blue Sky and Ignorance will be produced by the theatre; both Brain and Ignorance are new shows, the first by writer Rona Munro; the second by Steve Waters. The space was created for new writers to showcase their work, so if you’re a fan of seeing and feeding back on new theatre, book now.

If you’re looking ahead to theatre production in London for the summer 2013, I’ve got some great news from the Open Air Theatre. Their summer season will contain a production of Harper Lee’s American classic To Kill A Mockingbird alongside the much-loved musical The Sound Of Music. Christopher Sergel’s adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Mockingbird will play from 16 May to 15 June. And the Von Trapp family will be encouraging you to Climb Every Mountain and consider your Favourite Things from 25 July to 7 September. These are just two of the four shows on offer at the venue next summer.

London Theatre Casting News:

• Stephen Campbell Moore and Dominic Rowan will appear on stage at the Donmar Warehouse in Berenice this autumn.
• Sian Phillips joins Will Young and Michelle Ryan in the revival of Rufus Norris’ Olivier Award-winning production of Cabaret this autumn. Other cast members include Harriet Thorpe, who was in the original production, as Fraulein Kost; and Matt Rawle, who plays the young American writer Cliff Bradshaw. Cabaret opens at the Savoy Theatre in October.
• Marcus Lovett is taking over from Peter Joback as the eponymous lead in The Phantom Of The Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre next month. Joining him are Lara Martins as Carlotta, Anna O’Byrne who plays Christine, taking over from Sofia Escobar, and Simon Thomas, who replaces Killian Donnelly as Raoul.

I’ve got three Christmassy announcements, the first from the Old Vic, which is reviving Michael Frayn’s hugely successful comedy Noises Off, directed by Lindsay Posner, over the festive period. Second, a new musical version of Swallows and Amazons will be produced by the National Theatre at the Vaudeville for Christmas; with music by Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy. And children’s favourite, The Gruffalo will be bringing its terrible tusks and terrible claws to the Lyric for morning and afternoon performances from November to January.

The other new shows announced this week are even further ahead. If you’re planning a theatre trip for next year, you can choose between Singin’ In The Rain at the Palace Theatre, starring Adam Cooper and Scarlett Strallen from February (a transfer of the Chichester Festival Theatre hit); or She Stoops To Conquer at the National Theatre starring Sophie Thompson, Steve Pemberton and Katherine Kelly from January.

And reaching even further into the crystal ball of theatrical future, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced its plans for 2012. It’ll stage A Midsummer Night’s Dream and contemporary musical Ragtime from May to September next year. Book before the end of April 2012, and you’ll get a special ticket price of £20.12 on all performances during the Games themselves (25 July to 12 August).

This week’s casting news:

• Busted star Matt Willis and Phantom regular Gina Beck are to appear as Fiyero and Glinda in Wicked from December
• The Young Vic has released more details about its production of Hamlet this autumn. Adeel Akhtar, star of Four Lions joins musical theatre regular Sally Dexter and Sherlock actress Vinette Robinson in the show
• Laurie Metcalf will appear alongside David Suchet in the forthcoming drama Long Day’s Journey Into Night at the Apollo Theatre

More next week…

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

Into the Woods is perfectly at home in the beautiful surrounds of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. The musical is a hodgepodge of fairytales seen through the eyes and ears of a young boy who has run away from home.

The script is fun and never takes itself too seriously.

It’s very clear the actors enjoy performing the linguistic stunts of Steven Sondheim’s acrobatic script as they weave in and out of the multi-tiered platforms that make “the woods”. With its own series of twists and turns the musical sometimes feels as though the dialogue is growing exponentially almost of its own accord.

The runaway boy’s imagination in turn runs away with him and brings the audience along for the ride.

The imagined characters climb up hills, trees, Rapunzel’s golden hair and a giant beanstalk to fulfill their fairytale quests: Jack must sell his beloved cow, Little Red Riding Hood is off to deliver tasty delights to grandma and Cinderella yearns to go to the King’s festival. But, as we’re told by the horrid witch (wonderfully played by Hannah Waddingham), life isn’t that simple and multiple quests in a single wood result in a series of comic mix-ups. Little Red Riding Hood enjoys being eaten by the wolf and the Baker’s wife (played by Jenna Russell) has a spontaneous roll in the undergrowth with Prince Charming (who then proceeds to prance off with, “I was brought up to be charming, not sincere”).

One moment in particular moment proved to be a crowd-pleaser: a life-sized  giant peeping through the real-life trees of Regent’s Park was so beautifully conceived that the audience applauded as the monster appeared. The surprise was only compounded when the giant spoke using  Judi Dench’s distinctive voice.

As the fairytales take place within the mind of the runaway boy, an adult audience is relieved of any knee-jerk reaction to dismiss them as juvenile. Instead, we head straight into the woods with the characters and enjoy the adventure.

Into The Woods offers a charming evening of light entertainment in arguably the most beautiful outdoor theatre in England. It runs at 2hours 45mins so be sure to take advantage of the barbeque before dusk… or take along some magic beans.

Into The Woods runs until 11 September. Book tickets here

He’s won an Oscar, 8 Tony Awards, multiple Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize. And this year, he turns 80.

London’s theatreland has responded to the great man’s milestone birthday with a host of special shows in his honour. This summer, if you’re a Sondheim fan in London, you’re in luck!

Here’s just some of the Sondheim you can see in London now and in the coming months:

• Assassins at the Union Theatre from 30 Jun-24 Jul

Sondheim’s multi-Tony award-winning show Assassins uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of the historical figures who tried to assassinate Presidents of the United States.

• Classic Moments – Hidden Treasures at the Jermyn Street Theatre from 6-24 Jul

As well as rarely performed gems from his major musicals such as Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, this show features treasures from Sondheim’s less familiar shows such as Anyone Can Whistle and Evening Primrose.

• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Village Underground, 3-6 Aug

Fifty of the country’s most talented youngsters take to a converted warehouse in London’s East End to perform Sondheim’s horror-opera, Sweeney Todd. The National Youth Music Theatre’s latest show is led by director Martin Constantine, whose previous credits include English National Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.

• Into The Woods at Regents Park Open Air Theatre 6 Aug-11 Sep

Into The Woods weaves together the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, with a tale about a baker and his wife and their quest to begin a family. Hannah Waddingham, Jenna Russell and Helen Dallimore star.

• Prom 19: Sondheim at 80 at the Royal Albert Hall on 31 Jul

On the bill are excerpts from horror-opera Sweeney Todd, the Ingmar Bergman-inspired A Little Night Music and the fairy-tale compendium of Into the Woods, as well as excerpts from Company and Sunday in the Park with George. The cast includes Bryn Terfel, Maria Friedman, Simon Russell Beale and Julian Ovenden.

• Passion at the Donmar Warehouse from 10 Sep-27 Nov

The Donmar’s birthday offering is Passion, set in 19th-century Italy, all about obsession, beauty, power, manipulation, illness, and love. And stars Elena Roger, Scarlett Strallen and David Thaxton.

• Sondheim at 80 at the Donmar Warehouse from 16 Sep-7 Nov

The Donmar hosts a range of Sondheim-inspired events, including an evening with the man himself, a conversation with Michael Grandage and Sam Mendes about staging Sondheim at the Donmar, and concert performances of Company and Merrily We Roll Along.

Have you spotted any more Sondheim celebrations planned for London in 2010? Let us know.

It was a fantastic evening for the opening of The Comedy of Errors last night: warm, with barely a breeze, and Regent’s Park’s beautiful Open Air Theatre audience was on fine form.

Shakespeare’s early comedy about two sets of twins and a lot of mistaken identity is the second show in the Open Air Theatre’s season. And I loved it.

Director Philip Franks has transported Epheseus to 1940s Casablanca for this production; the cast sport stylish 40s suits and dresses, with big, glamorous Hollywood-filmstar sunglasses. The Courtesan, played by Anna-Jane Casey, is now a nightclub owner, while the twin servants (both called Dromio) wear fezzes and seem to suffer more than usual in the heat of this foreign-feeling place.

This is a Comedy of Errors with an emphasis on the comedy. It’s not a terribly subtle production (gorilla suits and burlesque dance pieces in particular!), and knows exactly where the humour can be found in both Shakespeare’s text and in additional clever moments of slapstick.

As Antipholis of Syracuse, Daniel Weyman does a fantastic job of building the confusion and bewilderment throughout the play. I also enjoyed the performances of Joseph Kloska and Josh Cohen as the twin servants Dromio. Kloska’s hilarious description of a fat kitchen maid as a map of the world (with obligatory puns on the “Netherlands”) was brilliant, and made me think of just how incredibly timeless some of Shakespeare’s comedy can be.

The incredible attention to detail means you probably don’t spot all the intricate little looks, precise puns, and comedy in the crowd scenes the first time around. This is ensemble theatre at its best: when everyone on stage is working to create a perfect tableau. It all comes together beautifully.

But if you’re a fan of the sillier side of Shakespeare’s early stuff, as well as the snatches of sublime poetry that accompanies it, for example, in the tear-jerkingly happy ending, I would really recommend seeing this show.

The Comedy of Errors plays at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until 13 July. Book tickets here

A long play, it seemed surprising that it started as late at 8 o’clock, but as the interval finished and the trials of the second half began, it became apparent that this production uses the inevitable nightfall to its advantage.

I have seen The Boyfriend and Hello Dolly at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park in previous years: both light, witty musicals. This year the theatre is tackling two rather more sombre plays, The Crucible and Macbeth.

Miller‘s play is, if anything, more effective than the musicals I’d witnessed in its use of the space. The young Salem girls sit surrounding the circular stage almost throughout the show, with haunted blank faces, reacting occasionally to the speech before them. Their silence is sometimes even more poignant than Miller’s most dramatic words.

The cast capture the dark hysteria wonderfully. John Proctor (Patrick O’Kane) towered above the young Abigail Williams (Emily Taafe), a physical contrast that emphasised the struggle for justice between them. O’Kane’s bellowing voice carried across the park, and his gradual desperation was developed very naturally by the actor. For me though it was Philip Cumbus as Reverend John Hale who gave the most compelling performance of the night.

Director Timothy Sheader should be congratulated on this eerie realisation of The Crucible, adapted well for this al fresco venue and yet staying true to the playwright’s intentions. The play, although written in 1953 and set in the 1690s , still  felt politically and culturally relevant. Towards the end I found myself gasping and hoping for a consoling outcome, but to no avail. The cold night and the chilling drama left me shivering as I left the park.

Catch this production before it ends on 19 June, it is a stunning rendition of Miller’s classic. However if you prefer something a little more light-hearted, opt for Sondheim’s Into the Woods at Regent’s Park from 6 August.

Book tickets here