Victorian thriller opens the open-air season

The first major production of the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's 2026 season is Sherlock Holmes, which runs until 6 June 2026.

In a thrilling new mystery by Joel Horwood, we are in the London of 1890 and, with Holmes having solved his very first case.

But with nothing on the horizon to test his unique intellect he is maudlin and consumed with a lethargic boredom.

His companion Dr John Watson is trying his best to get Holmes 'up and going again', with little success.

Until a mysterious woman and a priceless jewel arrive at 221B Baker Street and a story that intrigues the detective.

What follows is a rip-roaring adventure that see-saws through time and takes the duo throughout Victorian London, and eventually very much closer to home, on the trail of criminal mastermind.

And with the fate of the British Empire itself at great risk.

While the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has been staging productions for nearly 140 years, this is the first time the world's most famous detective has made it here from his quarters a stones throw away.

This is the way to kick of the 2026 Open Air Theatre season

I have been enjoying productions at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre for many years.

It's three summer offerings are a genuine highlight of the theatrical year.

The venue itself is unique, and the productions are invariably entertaining and enthralling in equal measure, while also offering something genuinely thought provoking.

This is very much the case with Sherlock Holmes.

Joel Horwood's deep and detailed tale of mystery and murder stands proudly with those written by Arthur Conan Doyle.

And yet, while being an exciting Victorian melodrama in its own right, it also has one questioning the British Empire's imposing its rule on other countries for political and economic gain.

Something that has parallels with what we see in the world today.

As does the racism that prevailed then and now.

A production as theatrically demanding as Sherlock Holmes could easily fail, given the natural constraints presented by an open-air theatre.

Particularly when so many scene changes are required, in so many locations, and while toing and froing though time.

Set designer Grace Smart achieves this with her rotating stage any by having the performers as various characters, stagehands and prop carriers.

It takes one a little by surprise at the very outset but works so well and is to the great credit of the whole cast and creative team.

And it allows Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, who dominate almost every scene, to weave seamlessly into and through proceedings.

In this respect, Joshua James (as Holmes) and Jyuddah Jaymes (as Watson) produce two towering performances.

There is genuine warmth in the intricate relationship between the two, while they too need to get precisely into ever changing stage positions and do their fair share of the 'lifting and carrying'.

It leaves us to enjoy a thrilling plot that leads to a chilling and very exciting climax  in Regent's Park, which is so appropriate.

The evening we were there, this was then the rain came, as if on que.

We were ready for it, and the stormy weather made for an even more exciting and dramatic finale.

Sherlock Holmes runs until 6 June 2026 and comes highly recommended.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, which is located on the Inner Circle of Regent's Park, was founded in 1932 and has been one of London's unique theatrical attractions ever since.

The theatre itself is surrounded by woodland, which is invariably used to great effect as a stage backdrop.

Originally known for its Shakespearean productions, which remains a key part of its repertoire, the theatre now features a wide spectre of theatrical genres.

One the UK's largest permanent professional outdoor theatres, it stages a late spring and summer programme of drama, comedy and musicals along with plays simplified for children.

The theatre gates open 90 minutes before matinee and evening performances to enable theatregoers to make the most of the setting by arriving early to picnic on the lawn before the performance.

The theatre itself also offers an excellent selection of dining options with The Grill, a summer café and bar.

Also in the Open Air Theatre's 2026 season

A Life in Four Seasons

11 June to 14 June 2026

Vivaldi's The Four Seasons reimagined in an electric new dance work.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

20 June to 18 July 2026

When a bitter dispute erupts in the fairy kingdom, four fleeing lovers and an unsuspecting weaver called Bottom find themselves adrift in an enchanted forest.

And facing chaos and delusion conjured by the mischievous Puck.

A new production Shakespeare's most popular comedy in the perfect outdoor setting.

CATS

25 July to 12 September 2026

A new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS based on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they'll be the chosen one.

Following its Open Air Theatre run, the production will undertake a multi-city UK tour through to July 2027.

https://uktour.catsthemusical.com/

Anansi the Spider

15 August to 6 September 2026

Following sold-out runs at the Unicorn Theatre in 2023 and 2025, these classic West African and Caribbean folk tales about the mischievous spider who triumphs over larger foes comes to the Open Air Theatre.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle.

Referring to himself as a consulting detective, in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic.

He greatly enjoys employing these skills when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.

The character first appeared in print in 1887's A Study in Scarlet and continued to embrace four novels and 56 short stories, with mostnarrated by Holmes's friend and biographer, Dr. John H. Watson.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes

The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Holme's and Warson would often shares quarters 221B Baker Street, London, where many of the stories begin.

A very short walk from the Regents Park Open Air Theatre this four-storey Georgian townhouse, dating back to 1815, has housed the Sherlock Holmes Museum for over 35 years.

The museum is filled with authentic Victorian furniture and curiosities, and the world's largest collection of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia.

https://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/

More information :

https://openairtheatre.com/