July 2025

With the summer in full swing, Britain’s outdoor theatres are full of colour, sound and activity as actors perform under the wide open skies. From the enchanting clifftop experience of Cornwall’s Minack Theatre to the leafy grandeur of London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, it’s possible to see everything from Shakespeare to children’s shows. 

If you are considering embarking on drama classes for adults, acting in the great outdoors is not only a thrilling experience, but also good practice. You’ll need to be able to project your voice against the breeze, carry on in the face of a sudden rainshower or seagull invasion, and respond to your environment. 

This helps to hone the skills that all good actors need to master (and casting directors value): the ability to be agile, react to what’s around you, stay focused and ride out distractions or mistakes, or even turn them into creative opportunities. 

Open air acting is a great way to step out of your comfort zone, and realise that great acting is all about presence rather than the pursuit of perfection. Live theatre is magical but also raw and unpredictable, and an outdoor venue helps you to experience it as it is intended to be. 

Great outdoor venues in the UK

If you feel inspired to see some open-air acting action or even go for an audition, here are some of the greatest outdoor theatres to check out. 

The Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall

This historic amphitheatre is carved into a cliff overlooking the Cornish sea, so it would be difficult not to feel transported by the setting, whether you are watching or performing. Live programmes run throughout the summer, and this year it includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, based on the best-selling novel. 

There are also performances of Hamlet, Moby Dick, and a modern recreation of a Shakespeare masterpiece, The Tempest in a Teacup. Even if you visit when there’s no performance, you can take a guided tour of the theatre and subtropical gardens during the summer months. 

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester, Cheshire

This is a pop-up summer venue based on the round design of Elizabethan theatres. It puts on a range of performances throughout July and August, from literary plays to family-friendly fun. This year, there’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, and Alice in Wonderland. 

Brighton Open Air Theatre, East Sussex

This 400-seat amphitheatre embraces diversity, and is a natural home for drag, burlesque and comedy. It also puts on children friendly shows throughout the summer, and a handful of classics. This year, check out Cinderella, Twelfth Night, a Dolly Parton tribute night, and a whole host of live music and comedy nights. 

Many people are drawn to acting because they dream of performing on the stage or screen, but at our acting classes in Liverpool, you’ll also be taught a more overlooked skill: how to act for radio. As demand rises for entertaining podcasts and audiodramas, there’s a growing market for talented voice actors. 

Radio can also be a more accessible and manageable way for older actors to break into the industry. Here’s what to know about voice acting. 

A growing market

At one time, radio acting was limited to a few drama slots on Radio 4 or commercial voiceover work. However, with the rise of streaming platforms such as Audible and BBC Sounds, audio dramas and ‘talking books’ are finding a new audience. There’s also a growing demand for skilled voice actors for animations, gaming, and advertising. 

The challenges and advantages of voice acting

Voice actors rely on their control of tone, rhythm and breathing to communicate feeling and meaning. With no visuals to rely on, they need to make their character so believable and compelling that they come alive in the imagination of the listener. This takes skill, but they are learnable skills that will get better with tuition and practice. 

The advantages of voice acting for older actors are also worth considering: it means you can bypass any character stereotyping based on your appearance or age, and this can open up a much wider range of roles and genres. 

You don’t need to worry about camera angles, hair, makeup and costumes, so you can pour 100 per cent of your focus into character and storytelling. 

Older actors are often rich in life experiences, and they have a voice inside them that is authentic and lived in. That’s definitely something worth sharing.