I

f your only experience of Shakespeare is being bored rigid in a school classroom, then it’s about time you gave the great Bard another chance.

After all, there’s a reason why his plays have remained popular for hundreds of years – they’re really rather good.

For us, there’s still something slightly stuffy about sitting in a theatre, the place where Shakespeare really comes alive is outside. And there’s no better al fresco venue than the Rutland Open Air Theatre which is located in the grounds of the historic Tolethorpe Hall.

Imagine taking in the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet or the Mechanicals’ play in A Midsummer’s Night Dream in a secluded glade as the sun begins to set. That classroom feeling gone yet?

We’d go so far as to say there’s no better way to spend a summer’s evening, especially if you combine a visit to the theatre with a pre-performance picnic in the gardens. To go or not to go? We think you know the answer.