Theatre News

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre announces 2025 season – Drew McOnie’s first as artistic director

The season includes an array of new offerings for outdoor audiences!

Alex Wood

Alex Wood

| London |

30 January 2025

Regents Park.jpg (2)
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, © David Jensen

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has announced artistic director Drew McOnie’s inaugural season, starting in May.

Programming will begin with the UK premiere of the musical comedy Shucked from 10 May to 14 June 2025. The show, about a beleaguered, corn-obsessed town, has also revealed a raft of lead casting and creatives.

Following this, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Dream Ballets: A Triple Bill will run from 19 to 22 June 2025, featuring re-imagined dream ballets from Allegro, Oklahoma!, and Carousel, with new arrangements by Simon Hale and live accompaniment by Sinfonia Smith Square. It features lighting by Joshie Harriette, sound by Nick Lidster and costumes by Yann Seabra.

Executive director James Pigeon and artistic director Drew McOnie, © David Jensen
Executive director James Pidgeon and artistic director Drew McOnie, © David Jensen

The season continues with a stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s novel Noughts and Crosses, running from 28 June to 26 July, adapted by Dominic Cooke and directed by Tinuke Craig. The show, a loose re-adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, imagines a deeply divided society.

The creative team includes RC Annie (fight directors), Phillippe Cato (associate director), Tinuke Craig (director), Hazel Holder (voice coach), Ingrid Mackinnon (movement and intimacy director), Max Pappenheim (sound designer), Joshua Pharo (lighting designer), Colin Richmond (set and costume designer), Jacob Sparrow (casting director) and DJ Walde (composer).

Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical Brigadoon will follow from 2 August to 20 September 2025, in a new adaptation by Rona Munro, directed and choreographed by McOnie. Initial casting has also been revealed, alongside further creatives.

For younger audiences, The Enormous Crocodile, based on Roald Dahl’s book, runs during the daytime from 15 August to 7 September 2025. The production, developed and directed by Emily Lim with co-direction and puppetry design by Toby Olié, returns following its successful 2024 run.

The 2025 season also includes four Open Air Theatre Festivals, featuring family, dance, and comedy takeover days, and a week-long music takeover. Additionally, The Theatre Dance Lab, a new artist development programme, will offer early-career musical theatre choreographers a paid residency, culminating in a showcase performance.

Beyond Regent’s Park, the Open Air Theatre’s production of Fiddler on the Roof will transfer to the Barbican Centre for an eight-week season from 24 May to 19 July, followed by a 20-week UK and Ireland tour. The re-imagined version of 101 Dalmatians will play at London’s Eventim Apollo from 18 July to 30 August 2025.

McOnie said today: “After what has without doubt been one of the most thrilling incubation periods of my creative career, I am so proud of the season we are now able to announce. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre offers its own unique opportunity to engage with stories under a shared sky and my ambition is to honour that legacy as we move into this new artistic chapter.

“Every member of the Regent’s Park team and the many artists that are coming together to share their imaginations with us, will put our audiences, both new and returning, at the centre of their process and it’s an honour to work alongside them in delivering my debut season for this much-loved venue.”

Priority booking for the  season opens at 12pm today, with public booking opening at 11am on Thursday 6 February 2025.

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