Productions of Peter Pan, The Seagull and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers will be brought to the al fresco stage of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in the summer of 2015.
The new productions will be joined by a revival of 2011’s Lord Of The Flies, which returns to the open air venue prior to a major UK tour.
Regent’s Park’s Artistic Director Timothy Sheader will bring Neverland to the woody venue to open the season with JM Barrie’s tale of the boy who wouldn’t grow up, Peter Pan, from 15 May. Sheader will co-direct the tale of childhood adventure and mischief with physical theatre specialist Liam Steel.
Matthew Dunster, who previously worked on the theatre’s 2012 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will direct Chekhov’s The Seagull from 19 June to 11 July. The classic tale of guests coming together for the staging of an avant-garde play, but providing most of the drama themselves, will be presented at Regent’s Park in a new version by Torben Betts, whose play Invincible ran at the St James Theatre earlier this year.
The venue returns to the classic golden age of movie musicals for its most tuneful offering of the season, bringing Seven Brides For Seven Brothers back to the London stage. Reuniting the team behind 2013 hit The Sound Of Music, director Rachel Kavanaugh and choreographer Alistair David, it tells the story of a septet of siblings and their unconventional way to woo their future wives.
Lord Of The Flies (3 to 12 September) might be considered a more realistic companion piece to Peter Pan, William Golding’s tale of schoolboys deserted on an island and left to fend for themselves presenting a far more chilling view of the scenario than Barrie’s magical affair.
While the new season plays under – hopefully – sunny skies, hit of the 2013 and 2014 seasons To Kill A Mockingbird will play in the roofed Barbican Theatre, where US star Robert Sean Leonard will return to the lead role of Atticus Finch from 24 June to 25 July.