The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, which is located in on the Inner Circle of Regent's Park

It was founded in 1932 and has been one of London's unique theatrical attractions ever since.

The theatre itself is surrounded by woodland, which is invariably used to great effect as a stage backdrop.

The UK's largest permanent professional outdoor theatre stages a summer programme of drama, comedy and musicals.

https://openairtheatre.com/

 An illustrious history

The history of the Open Air Theatre is an illustrious one.

In 1932 a play by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini at the New Theatre (now the Noel Coward) 'bombed'.

In desperate need of a production, theatre impresarios Robert Atkins and Sydney Caroll staged a short-run production of Twelfth Night.

An institution is born

When the time came to move out of the new theatre the pair took their production to a makeshift theatre in Regent's Park and a theatrical institution was born.

The following year, in its first full season, the Open Air Theatre revived Twelfth Night and staged the first of, many subsequent productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

From then on it was no looking back.

In 1934 George Bernard Shaw wrote The Six of Calais for the theatre and, between 1939 and 1945, it was only one of two (with the Windmill) to stay open throughout wartime London.

As Regent's Park Theatre Ltd, the theatre operates as a registered charity.

Over the years the Open Air Theatre has built up an audience of part loyal supporters, part London tourists and, finally, those visiting Regent's Park who manage to take in a performance by chance.

To get the absolute most from a visit to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, one should take a pre-planned approach to each performance.

Enjoy the park itself

The first thing to do is to arrive at Regent's Park as early as possible so as to be able to enjoy the lakes and gardens themselves.

Those dashing through the park, so as not to miss 'curtain up', will not be able to appreciate one of the world's finest city green spaces,

Even the 10-minute stroll through the park, from Baker Street tube, is a real pleasure.

All the more so if you stop and sit a while.

Swans, ducks, geese, moorhens, coots and heron all vie for your attention, and that bread if you have any.

The nesting season of mid to late spring, when the young chicks and cygnets are about, is a real 'ah look, so cute' time of year.

Pre-theatre dining alfresco

The Theatre sits in landscaped grounds and provides a dining experience in its own right.

There is an outside picnic lawn, a summer café and a covered dining area circles the whole of one side of the auditorium.

The gates open well in advance of each production and those in the know are ready.

The theatre is more than happy for guests to bring their own picnics and drinks although it does offer an excellent range of dinner dishes and a fully stocked bar - with Pimm's always popular.

The productions

Each season, the theatre offers a balanced blend of classic drama, comedy and musicals.

The casual ambience continues in the auditorium itself.

The comfortable tiered seating offers a fine view of the stage from wherever.

And finally, the audio is excellent, which it needs to be with the theatre roofless.

The auditorium

The raked 'arena style' auditorium, with 1,250 new and very comfortable seats, is one of the largest in London.

And yet the unique location of the setting and the casual ambience that prevails makes for an intimate experience.

Wining and dining

The theatre gates open 90 minutes before evening performances and 60 minutes before matinees (visit openairtheatre.com for exact gate opening times)

The theatre welcomes theatre goers bringing their own food and drink, which can be consumed in the picnic lawn.

You are welcome to take drinks into the auditorium but are asked that you do not eat during the performance.

Regular visitors to the Regents Park Open Air Theatre invariably make the most of the setting by arriving early to dine or picnic before the performance.

If not, the theatre itself offers an excellent selection of dining options with a summer café, barbecue and bar.

Despite it being in the outdoors, and following customer feedback, the theatre and theatre grounds are completely no smoking.

Those who wish to smoke should ask a member of staff who will let them out of the theatre exit gate.

The weather

Each visit is different depending on the season and weather.

It is a genuine experience to enjoy a performance as the light of the day fades and the stage lighting takes prominence.

And to watch a performance during light rainfall is memorable in itself.

The trick, naturally enough, is on being prepared – be it with sunglasses and suntan lotion, warm clothing and blankets or waterproofs.

Despite the vagaries of the English weather, an average of 94% of each year's performances are completed.

However, as the stage and auditorium are uncovered, bad weather may result in productions having to stop and re-start.

Productions are never cancelled before the start time but, in cases where one cannot be completed, tickets can be exchanged for another performance or production.

There are no refunds but there is no time limit on exchanging tickets due to weather.

Visit openairtheatre.com/terms for full terms and conditions.

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