From Bard on the lawn to National Trust specials: The best open-air theatre happening across London this summer
Warning: it’s a lot of Shakespeare
If you were someone who felt personally scarred by the enforced Tudor verse during class readings of Merchant of Venice, Romeo & Juliet, or whatever Shakespearean text was on your GCSE syllabus, then read on (MacDuff) as this article probably ain’t for you. However, if you secretly love a bit of iambic pentameter, a picnic, or being entertained whilst seated in the grounds of a grand, historic house like some 18th-century member of the landed gentry, then read on.
Once just an excuse for a fancy picnic tea, open-air theatre is perhaps one of the most wholesome British summertime activities that graces our collective calendars. From Wind in the Willows set on actual rivers and banks in National Trust properties, to London’s historic parks putting on a retelling of a classic, the big smoke becomes the big smoke and mirrors, hosting some of the best Open Air Theatre across the summer. Grab a picnic, grab your mates (or bribe them with said picnic), stock up on M&S picky bits and dust off that winter blanket and pretend it’s an outdoor one, as these are the best 9 outdoor productions happening across the summer, from the ones you’ve vaguely heard of to the smaller productions you definitely haven’t.
1. The Handlebards, As You Like It & Macbeth, various locations
If you’ve ever enjoyed a Mischief Theatre or anything remotely funny and physical (theatre-wise, obviously), I’m begging you to go and see the Handlebards. Not just a fantastically punny name, the Handlebards are a group of young thesps who could outsell the Fringe in minutes. Cycling from venue to venue with all their sets, costumes, and snacks on their backs and wheels, the group are doing two plays across a couple of London locations this summer.
Unlike a traditional group, they keep their casts small with their ridiculously talented crew taking on multiple roles sometimes within the same scene, deploying their best accents and whip-fast costume changes to make it all work (and boy, does it). It’s an ingenious and fun affair that will leave you wondering why they’re not in a sold-out Shaftesbury Avenue venue. It's undoubtedly some of the best theatre you'll see this year, and you don't even have to brave central London or Edinburgh Fringe to get it. Just maybe watch out for your picnic when the actors start getting peckish…
- You can watch As You Like It at Royal Chelsea Hospital on 7th July, and Blackhorse Workshop on September 11th
- You can see Macbeth at Dulwich Picture Gallery on 12th September and at The Charterhouse in Barbican Square on July 14th
- Tickets are £20.50
2. Shakespeare's Globe: Midnight Matinees
We love a Globe production as any Londoner and English Lit graduate tends to, but the midnight matinees are something seriously special. So special, in fact, we did a whole feature on it. There are two more Midnight Matinees running this summer, Much Ado About Nothing on Friday 31st July and As You Like it on Friday 11th September. The performances start at 11.59pm so dose up on the RedBull and sneak some midnight feast-appropriate snacks into your pockets as you watch RSC actors perform under the starry night sky.
- Catch Much Ado About Nothing on 31st July, tickets from £5
- Catch As You Like It on 11th September, tickets from £5
3. Kew Gardens, Twelfth Night
Kew Gardens is a London staple in its own right, but add some fun theatre in the leafy grounds into the mix, and you’ve got an unmissable evening. They’ve partnered with the Australian Shakespeare Company for 2026, who are serving up a programme of contemporary Shakespeare, as well as musicals and children’s classics. Twelfth Night is the big hitter on the docket, running from 25th July until 30th August, bringing one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies to the stunning gardens.
- You can catch Twelfth Night from 25th July -30th August. Tickets from £25
4. Shakespeare Retellings at Fenton House
Fenton House and Gardens continues both Hampstead and the National Trust’s tradition of being really bloody gorgeous. The 17th-century house is throwing open its opulent gates for a series of plays on its leafy lawns. On 7th August, a summer night of Shakespeare retellings will be unfurling into the night. Re-imagined by Double Star Productions, it will be a showcase of new stories all inspired by the Bard, giving you something nostalgically familiar but not something you’ve seen multiple times already. Other than Bake Off, it doesn’t really get more charmingly British than this, with the gardens opening up at 5.30 for picnic revelry before the performance kicks off around 6.
- You can catch Shakespeare Retellings Never Did Run Smooth on 7th August at Fenton House. Tickets start at £8
5. Importance of Being Earnest, The Actors’ Church
If anywhere was going to be putting on a play, The Actors’ Church would be it. A bit of a giveaway in the name, the Covent Garden hidden gem is bringing back its Theatre in the Garden programme for 2026. The production of Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest will be running from 21st-24th July, fresh off a successful run at the OSO Theatre in Barnes earlier this year.
The church (which has been running since 1633) has a stacked series of productions, with a Nonsensical Medieval Romp version of Twelfth Night, a fringe original The Real Lady Macbeth, and a brand new British musical called Why Would We Care all taking to the ancient grounds across the summer.
- You can catch The Importance of Being Earnest at St Paul's Church in Covent Garden from 21st-24th July. Tickets from £20
6. Orange Tree Theatre, Much Ado About Nothing & Love's Labour's Lost
The Orange Tree Theatre is a long-standing Richmond favourite. This year, owing to renovation closures, the crew are setting up a temporary theatre in the scenic grounds of Thomas’ College, just around the corner. They’ll be doing two performances, the lesser-performed Love’s Labour’s Lost and the ever-popular Much Ado About Nothing. Whilst they usually perform in the round at their local dramaturgian home, this site-specific summer run will delight London locals. It’s not your average am-dram either, as The Orange Tree Theatre has some pretty starry pedigree, with actors like Brian Cox, Richard E Grant, and Lily James having performed on their stage in the past. It’s a double bill of productions, each with a unique spin as artistic director Tom Littler staging Much Ado as a sequel to Love Labour’s, with each following the same character on either side of the Second World War.
- You can catch both performances from 31st July-13th August. Tickets start at £40, with £15 tickets for under 30s.
7. Much Ado About Nothing*, (*or There Ain’t No Party Like A Shakespeare Party), St Pauls Clapham (& Margate Beach)
Glitz, glamour and scandal hit Messina in Changeling’s revival of Much Ado About Nothing. Think decadent costume balls and devious misdemeanours, in a play where love’s a battlefield, and the gossip never stops. A perfect fit for erm, St Paul’s Church in Clapham. Anyway, Changeling Theatre is the troupe behind this production, keeping their tradition of performing in unorthodox venues (i.e. anywhere but a stage), even heading to Margate Beach shortly after for another performance.
- Catch Much Ado at St Paul's Church on 21st July. Tickets are £25.
8. Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, A Midsummers Night’s Dream
Rounding off with another classic, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is probably the main one that springs to mind when you think of outdoor theatrics in the city. They’ve got a packed summer schedule with music, plays, and even comedy. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is their big summer play, taking inspiration from the forest-esque surroundings of the park’s theatre to bring Shakespeare’s magical fairy kingdom to life. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is a pretty spectacular venue, and with a capacity of 1,304, it’s also one of London’s largest theatres. If by the end of all the performances, you’re a bit tired of Shakespeare, you could also check out Tim Key’s stand up show, Loganberry.
- You can catch A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 7th-18th July. Tickets range from £15 – £73.
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