Picnic On A Summer Evening With Open Air Theatre

The rudiments of modern day theatre began in the open air, in the form of tribal rituals, rites of harvest, marriage, war, and gods, performed under an open sky. Thousands of years later, the tradition of performing in the open air continues worldwide.

These open air theatre's played an intergral part of the performance culture in Greece, they followed festivals, athletics, law and politics. Theatre architecture was improved by the Greeks and large open air structures called theatron, or "seeing place," usually on slopes of hills.

Central to the Ancient Greek theatre was the orchestra, or "dancing place," a circular or rectangular area where rites were staged. Theatres also featured a raised acting area, called the proskenion, precursor to the modern proscenium stage. Behind the proskenion was a skene, or "tent," a rectangular building that served both as a backdrop for the performance and as backstage area for actors. Some of these ancient theatres could seat as many as 15,000 spectators.

As the story of Christ spread during the Middle Ages, performers travelled Europe performing scenes from the Bible. The Elizabethans are credited with returning theatre to a permanent physical setting during the mid-1500s, constructing structures of wood framing, with wattle and daub walling, and roofed with thatch. These types of theatre were made up of covered galleries in an open coutyard and a stage at the other end. Most of the audience stood in the courtyard.

Built in 1599, the Globe Theatre is the most famous of these early establishments. The original theatre was destroyed by fire in 1613. A second Globe Theatre was constructed on the same site shortly thereafter, but closed in 1642. Due in large part to the efforts of film director Sam Wanamaker, a modern reconstruction of the Globe, situated near the original site, opened in 1997, and continues to thrive to this day.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, founded in 1932 by Sydney Carrol and Robert Atkins, is the oldest permanent open air theatre in Britain. Found in the Regent's Park inner circle of Queen Mary's garden, it has a sixteen week summer season - it also has one of the longest bar in any theatre.

The first privately owned theatre was at Kilworth House, located in the grounds of the estate in the Leicestershire countryside, built in a tranquil wooded glen close to a lake. This open-air playhouse features cushioned seating in tiered rows, with a sail-like canopy providing protection against inclement weather. Dominic Cavendish of The Daily Telegraph called the Kilworth House Theatre "perhaps the best-kept secret in British theatre."

The success of modern open-air theatres ensures that this ancient tradition will continue into the future, granting theatre-goers a theatrical experience that has been appreciated and enjoyed for millennia.