Vivaldi dance show and Sherlock Holmes premiere in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre season

A reimagining of Vivaldi’s four seasons as a dance and the world premiere of a new Sherlock Holmes mystery are among the productions lined up in Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s 2026 season. 

A play by Justin Audibert aimed at families and a new staging of A Midsummer Night’s Dream are also on offer as part of the season. 

The shows join artistic director Drew McOnie’s new staging of Cats, previously announced as the next venture for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Michael Harrison’s producing partnership. 

Joel Horwood, writer of The Ocean at the End of The Lane, is to pen Sherlock Holmes, a play billed as a brand-new mystery for the famous detective. Joshua James will play the lead under Sean Holmes’ direction, and the show will run at the open air theatre from 2nd May to 6th June, with a press night on 13th May. 

Next, A Life in Four Seasons will see Vivaldi’s seasonal quartet adapted into a new score by DJ Walde, who has composed music for shows including the National Theatre’s The Importance of Being Earnest. 

The contemporary dance piece is being created by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s associate artistic director Tinuke Craig, with choreography by Alekzandra Sarmiento. It will follow Sherlock Holmes at the venue, running from 11th June to 14th June, with a press night on 12th June. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream will receive a new staging from director Atri Banerjee from 20th June to 18th July, with press night on 29th June, ahead of Cats, which will run 25th July to 12th September, with press night on 6th August.

Midweek and Saturday matinee performances of A Life in Four Seasons and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in June and July will start midday, rather than the theatre’s usual start time of 2pm, in a change the venue says responds to the impacts of climate change and bolsters its long-term resilience.

Audibert’s Anasi the Spider will follow, running from 15th August to 18th August, with press night on 18th August. The play is co-produced with the Unicorn Theatre, where it has enjoyed two runs, and follows a mischievous spider who triumphs over larger enemies.

Announcing the latest wave of programming at his venue, McOnie said: "I can’t wait to work with these talented creative teams and see their visions come to life on our beautiful open air theatre stage. 

"I’m also immensely proud of our inaugural season of artist development programmes and thrilled that these initiatives will continue for a second year, providing support and platforms for early-career creatives across a variety of disciplines.”