When summer comes along, many of Nottinghamshire's best-loved heritage attractions play host to a variety of outdoor film and theatre performances. Along with popular films screened underneath the stars, during the early evening you can catch Shakespeare plays, delightful comedies and fun-filled children's theatre in the picturesque grounds of historic houses and country parks. 

Rally your friends, grab a picnic blanket, bring along some delicious snacks and settle down for a relaxing and entertaining day.

Performances take place around the county until September. Here's our round-up of some of the highlights.

Newstead Abbey
 

Enjoy the manicured gardens and beautiful ruins of Newstead Abbey, the ancestral home of Romantic poet Lord Byron, before checking out the outdoor theatre lined up for July and August.

Take in magical evening Shakespeare performances, including Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, enjoy Jane Austen classics Pride & Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, or check out Pirates of Penzance and The Midnight Gang. For more information including dates, please click here.
 

Wollaton Hall 

Wollaton Hall and Deer Park is a spectacular Elizabethan mansion and park set in the heart of Nottingham and throughout June to September there are a variety of shows performed live against this stunning backdrop.

Starting with The Midnight Gang on Thursday 14 June, you can also see Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing, take a trip down the rabbit hole with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, or cheer on our local hero at The Adventures of Robin Hood. Conan Doyle fans will enjoy performances of The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, while Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is performed on Saturday 28 July, and family favourite Dr Dolittle is performed on Sunday 29 July. For more information including dates, please click here.

The Summer Nights Outdoor Film Festival also takes place in late August, with screenings of Wayne's World, It, The Greatest Showman, Beauty & the Beast, and of course, Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, which was filmed at Wollaton.
 

Hardwick Hall

Just on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border, Hardwick Hall has stood in the beautiful landscaped countryside for hundreds of years and offers a fascinating history. Summer Nights Outdoor Film Festival at Hardwick Hall gives film fans the chance to watch classic films under the stars. On Friday 17 August, recent blockbuster The Greatest Showman will be screened while on Saturday 18 August watch Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in 80s classic Dirty Dancing.
 

Southwell Minster

Set in the centre of this picturesque town, the glorious Southwell Minster and its neighbouring ruin the Archbishop's Palace, are architectural and historical gems of north Nottinghamshire. Set within beautifully kept gardens, they once again will be an impressively grand backdrop for outdoor theatre this year.

Chapterhouse Productions bring their theatre troupe along throughout July and August, with performances including Robin Hood & His Merry Men on Wednesday 4 July, Romeo & Juliet on Friday 20 July, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on Thursday 2 August.
 

Rufford Abbey

Rufford Abbey Country Park is the estate and grounds of a former 12 century Cistercian Monastery and country house. This summer, spend a day out with the family taking in the gorgeous grounds complimented by a outdoor cinema screening between Friday 17 - Sunday 19 August. Bring the children along to see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Disney classics Beauty & The Beast and Moana, or take in the epic WWI drama War Horse.

Bolsover Castle

Perched on a ridge high above the Vale of Scarsdale, on the site of a medieval fortress, Bolsover Castle is an extraordinary 17th-century aristocratic retreat.

This year they will have Chapterhouse Theatre Company performing Robin Hood & His Merry Men on Saturday 30 June. Inspired by folklore, myth and legend, this brand-new version of Robin’s notorious story is brought alive with traditional sword play, song, music, dance and stunning medieval costumes. On Thursday 9 August, go along to watch the well-loved classic Little Women, which features glorious period costume, traditional live music and a story of self-discovery to warm your heart.

Creswell Crags

Despite the grand mansions and beautiful parklands already mentioned, Creswell Crags is perhaps the most unique of all the venues for outdoor film and theatre this year. This limestone gorge pocketed with caves and surrounding a serene lake was the most northerly place that ice-age man visited in Europe, and many fascinating archaeological discoveries have been made in the area.

This year, bring along a picnic and take a trip into the surreal, with a performance of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Chapterhouse Theatre on Friday 10 August.
 

Holme Pierrepont Hall
 

 Nestled in the tranquil, rural countryside just outside of the city, Holme Pierrepont Hall is a fascinating Tudor house which remains a family home. Along with stunning displays of snowdrops in February, tulips in spring and herbaceous borders in the summer, the house is host to exhibitions and events. 
Set to be a tremendous summer evening of entertainment in the East Garden, the Festival Players Theatre Company present The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare

Thoresby Park

Shakespeare’s tale of illusion and revenge is brought vividly to life in Oddsock’s musical sci-fi adaptation of The Tempest, filled with madcap aliens and space cowboys to bring a whole new twist to the classic. Coming to the rolling landscaped lawns of Thoresby Park on Sunday 17th June, sit beneath the grand backdrop of this grade I listed 19th-century country house and relax with a grand early evening of entertainment.

Highfields Park

Highfields Park in the beautiful University of Nottingham Campus will be host to two outdoor theatre performances with a twist this year from Oddsocks Productions. On Friday 20th July, come and see the classic Shakespeare tale of Romeo & Juiliet - except this time its mods and rockers that are the opposing sides! On Saturday 21st July The Tempest takes a sci-fi twist as space explorer Prospero is marooned in a galaxy far, far away with daughter Miranda and a host of madcap aliens.

 

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For more information about all summer events, including outdoor theatre, pop into the Nottingham Tourism Centre or call 08444 77 5678. Make sure you check out the What's On section of our website for further summer inspiration.