Regents Park Open Air Theatre Archives

8Aug

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

CATS – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

The cast of CATS have arrived in style dominating the scene with feline grace. And they’re ready to slink into the spotlight. Regent’s Park Theatre came alight with contemporary dance in a jaw dropping performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatrical classic, CATS. The excitement and buzz in the audience of anticipation was palpable. The set, a rustic crescent moon lit the sky with a warm glow as the smaller moon orbited with ease against the darken sky. A vision captured perfectly for a night of feline adventure and storytelling. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity here, there is so much to appreciate, and time given to lose yourself in the ‘magic’ of the music and artistry unfolding before you. The longevity of Andrew Lloyd Webbers CATS now 45yrs old is a testament to ...

Sherlock Holmes – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

15May

By Michelle KnightNo Comments

London

Sherlock Holmes – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

Sherlock Holmes is back in his home place at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre from the 2nd May to the 6th June. This atmospheric theatre is a perfect backdrop for Conan Doyle’s favourite detective to come alive. And he does not disappoint. Horwood’s’ writing and Sean Holmes theatrical and high energy adaptation of Sherlock, captures the presence of this serendipitous sleuth as he and Watson unravel another mystery, under a damp lit moody sky of Victorian London. The set appears simplistic in the round but don’t be fooled as there is so much going on. The scene changes are rapid and unfolds in front of your eyes. This is a brisk moving story line and at times it was difficult to keep up with the switch in movement, characters and the unfolding plot. In some scenes the lines were deli...

Once on this Island – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

18May

By Zara OdetundeNo Comments

London

Once on this Island – Regents Park Open Air Theatre

I arrived back at the Regent’s Park Open Air theatre to watch them kick off their 2023 summer season with a revival of Once on this Island. This 1990 original musical retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson version of the little mermaid tale, was set against the heat of the Caribbean sun, in the jewel of the Antilles. Once Upon This Island tells the story of the unending love of peasant girl Ti Moune for a boy Daniel. Where we will see if love can overcome death and settle a wager made by the Gods. The story and told through the staging of informing two young girls about their culture, within a fairy tale structure. Ti Moune is an innocent girl who longs for something more than the normal day to day life she lives “Waiting for Life”, she becomes the figure of interest of the G...

Romeo & Juliet – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

24Jun

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

Romeo & Juliet – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

On a wonderfully sunny evening, the weather gods behaved themselves, and we were treated to one of Shakespeare’s best loved plays. Postponed from last year’s season, director Kimberley Sykes’ version has been eagerly anticipated, with its new viewpoint on this popular play, we ask – did this re-assessment pay off? The set designed by Naomi Dawson, with its backdrop of trees, helps to soften the harsh set of scaffolding, rocks, and earth. Earth is one of Sykes’ themes and can be seen as a symbol of nurturing growth, but earth also throws its arms around death which is a major part of the plotline. When Sykes re-read the play, she was struck by a reference to an earthquake that had happened in Verona eleven years earlier. At the time of the earthquake, the Nurse (E...