Summer spectacle: opening this week in previous years

Alistair McGowan and Connie Fisher in They’re Playing Our Song, which opened at the Menier Chocolate Factory on August 4, 2008

Paloma Faith in Carnesky’s Ghost Train, which opened at the Old Truman Brewery on August 3, 2004

Victoria Serra in Grand Hotel, which opened at Southwark Playhouse on August 5, 2015

Leo Conville in Babe, which opened at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre on August 3, 2006

Svetlana Zakharova in the Bolshoi Ballet’s Cinderella, which opened at the Royal Opera House on August 7, 2006

Adam Cooper in Singin’ in the Rain, which opened at Sadler’s Wells on August 3, 2004

Patrick Stewart and David Tennant in Hamlet, which opened at the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, on August 5, 2008

Mark Weinman and Joseph Stamp in the National Youth Theatre’s Still Killing Time, which opened at Soho Theatre on August 4, 2006

Paul McGann and Penny Downie in Helen, which opened at Shakespeare’s Globe on August 5, 2009

John Light, Sarah-Jane Drummey and David Bradley in The Night Season, which opened at the National Theatre on August 3, 2004

Antony Sher and Indira Varma in Hysteria, which opened at Theatre Royal Bath on August 3, 2012

Anthony Wise in State Fair, which opened at Trafalgar Studios on August 5, 2010

Trevor Cooper and Phoebe Fox in There Is a War, which opened at the National Theatre’s Paintframe on August 4, 2011