A visit to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre | London, UK

Celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the most distinctive theatre landmarks in London. The open air theatre has a rich history, and has recently been a key location for the New Shakespeare Company. A season of shows run from May to September each year, with the raked auditorium in the centre of West London’s Regent’s Park able to accommodate up to 1,240 people. Ticket prices vary from premium seats at £49.50, through to £22.50 budget options per person. Discount packages are also available.

Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, London, UK by Andrew Eason

The Open Air Theatre is one of my favourite London theatres, although my recent visit was my first in some time. One of the best features of the theatre is the range of productions that it puts on each year, most of which find some innovative way to use the open air staging. Past productions have included Lord of the Flies, and reimaginings of The Crucible and Into the Woods. My recent visit was for a new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Directed by Matthew Dunster, the ambitious performance updates Shakespeare’s farce to a gypsy camp, and uses contemporary music.

It wasn’t the best version of the play I’ve seen, and the songs sometimes got in the way of the dialogue, but it’s worth catching this summer. The show is on till September. The Open Air Theatre’s other show, Ragtime: The Musical, which explores the early years of the American 20th century, has had some good reviews, but I might not be able to make it this year. It’s also worth pointing out that the Open Air Theatre is about more than just plays, and has a lineup of shows this summer that includes comedy from Jimmy Carr, film screenings, and live music.

Key Strengths and Weaknesses

In terms of the venue as a whole, the strengths of the Open Air Theatre can also be its weaknesses. When the weather is good, Regent’s Park makes for a great location, and the atmosphere can be great. Wandering around the Park before the show also means that you can take a peek at its many villas, or explore the boating lake. If you have the time, spending the afternoon at the Park before a show can mean that you can relax and avoid the rush on the theatre to get into the venue.

Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, London, UK by Kevan Davis

This rush is one of the problems I’ve had with the theatre in the past. Being outdoors can mean that people don’t always get to the theatre in time for the performance to start, which can be a problem when the main Queen’s Mary Garden gate is locked after dark. Most of the time this isn’t a problem, but a badly timed journey can mean that you get caught out. Moreover, there’s always a chance of bad weather cancelling a production, although this is rare. The Open Air Theatre provides ticket exchanges when this happens.

Food and Drink

Although I tend to like eating after a show, the Open Air Theatre does an excellent barbecue and packaged picnic service, and is well served by the Cow and Coffee Bean and Garden Cafe outlets within the park. Given the potential for noise, food can’t be taken into the auditorium. Being in West London means that you have a lot of choices for pre and post show food and drink. I like going to the Prince Regent on Marylebone High Street, which is just off the Park, and then onto either the Iberica or Langan’s Bistro on Devonshire Street.

One thing I would recommend is giving yourself plenty of time to get to Regent’s Park on the Tube, particularly in the early evening. Going to the Park early for a wander and a picnic is usually a good idea. Baker Street on the Bakerloo Line is the easiest Tube stop, although the Regent’s Park Bakerloo line is also handy, as is Great Portland St if you’re coming West on the Hammersmith and City line. Altogether, the Open Air Theatre is highly recommended if you want to see great theatre in an unusual location, but does require a good deal of forward planning.

About the Author

Serena Grant is an avid theatre lover, achieving an AS Level in Drama and a distinction at A Level Musical Theatre. Regularly booking tickets and attending productions around the UK, she would recommend theatre tickets from UK Theatre Tickets as the number one seller of discount theatre tickets online.

Tags: budget options, contemporary music, crucible, dunster, farce, gypsy camp, jimmy carr, landmarks in london, london theatres, lord of the flies, performance updates, person discount, ragtime the musical, rich history, s park, shakespeare company, ticket prices, west london

Category: Cities, Cities