Regent Park's Open Air Theatre Announces 2016 Season

The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has announced its 2016 season, which will include a co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre, Shakespeare, a classic Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and the ever popular Pride and Prejudice.

The season will open with Michael Morpurgo's Running Wild, adapted by Samuel Adamson, directed by Timothy Sheader and Dale Rooks. This co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre will run from 13 May to 12 June 2016, with an opening night set for 19 May. Synopsis: "For Will and his mother, going to Indonesia isn't just a holiday. It's a new start, and the chance for Will to ride an elephant called Oona. But then the tsunami hit. Charging deep into the jungle Oona escapes the beach, but with her rider still clinging on, Will must now learn to survive the rainforest - and he is not alone."

This will be followed by William Shakespeare's Henry V, which is running to commemorate the legacy of the playwright, four hundred years after his death. Robert Hastie will direct and the play runs from 17 June to 9 July 2016, officially opening on 22 June.

The venue's annual musical offering will be the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber classic Jesus Christ Superstar, from 15 July to 27 August 2016, with an official opening on 21 July. This will be directed by Timothy Sheader, with choreography by Drew McConie.

The season concludes with the return of the venue's 2013 production of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, directed by Deborah Bruce. Running for just two weeks from 2 to 17 September 2016, this has been adapted for the stage by Simon Reade.

Following the announcement of the new season, Artistic Director Timothy Sheader said: "In a year when the world celebrates the life and work of Shakespeare, our 2016 season champions British writing. Whilst giving classics a new voice through outdoor production, I am delighted to be bringing a new play, Running Wild, to the stage this season. I am passionate about storytelling and of creating work that enhances the shared experience of theatregoing, and I look forward to sharing these productions with our audiences."

Public booking for the entire season opens at 11am on 8 December 2015.