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 Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream, enjoy Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility or the iconic tale of a love affair between two souls as wild and untamed as the bleak Yorkshire moors in Wuthering Heights. Have a swashbuckling pirate adventure at Treasure Island or check out Frankenstein. 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 Gangsta Granny on Thursday 13 June, you can also see Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing, plus a super glam and modern re-telling of the classic tale of star crosed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. Join young Mary Lennox on a journey of discovery in The Secret Garden, head on an adventure with Mole, Ratty and Badger in Wind in the Willows, or batte with Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Fans of Jane Austen’s classic novel of scandals and scoundrels will love the fast-pased and funny production of Sense and Sensibility which concluded the season on Saturday 31 August. For more information including dates, please click here.

The Summer Nights Outdoor Film Festival also takes place in late August, with screenings of A Star Is Born, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Purple Rain and the cult classic Labyrinth.

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 16 August, the classic Pretty Woman starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts will be screened while on Saturday 17 you can rock out to the Oscar winning smash-hit story of Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody. On Sunday 18 get ready to do the Time Warp with cult masterpiece The Rocky Horror Picture Show on the screen.  

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 for a performance of Pride and Prejudice on Wednesday 3 July, while the hilarious Handlebards will return with their unique take on Shakespearean classics for The Tempest on Saturday 27 July, and Much Ado About Nothing on Wednesday 7 August.

Rufford Abbey

Rufford Abbey Country Park is the estate and grounds of a former 12 century Cistercian Monastery and country house. Spend a day out with the family taking in the gorgeous grounds complimented by a outdoor cinema screening throughout May and June. Bring the children along to see Frozen, Shrek and The Little Mermaid, sing your heart out along to Grease or check out The Greatest Showman and other big-screen hits. For more information, please click here. 

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. For the first time, Summer Nights Outdoor Film Festival comes to Bolsover Castle for spectacular outdoor cinema evenings right next to the castle walls. On Friday 26 July you can rock out to Bohemian Rhapsody, Saturday 27 they'll be screening Mamma Mia! and you can catch Top Gun on Sunday 28. 

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 relive the Enchanting tale of secrecy and curiosity with a performance of The Secret Garden by Chapterhouse Theatre on Friday 16 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 Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. 

Belvoir Castle
 

Join Belvoir Castle for three fantastic films including Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! on 14 June, Bohemian Rhapsody on 15 June and A Star Is Born on 16 June. Belvoir Castle is bringing Luna’s Outdoor Cinema back for a second year running so you can enjoy a picnic and three fantastic films. With gardens designed by Capability Brown, and a magnificent Regency house, Belvoir Castle will provide the ultimate backdrop for some fabulous nights of cinema under the stars. Click here to find out more about all three screenings. 

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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.