Brownsea Open Air Theatre, Brownsea Island

Scouts, squirrels and Shakespeare come together in an extraordinary way on Brownsea Island.

On an island where the Scouts began in 1907, one of the biggest theatrical projects in the south has been taking place. Since it began in 1964, Brownsea Open Air Theatre has involved over 1,700 volunteers, entertained tens of thousands of people and raised over £300,000 for the National Trust.

Visitors were transported by boat to an idyllic environment of peacocks and the rare red squirrels. The woodland and church provided a dreamy and dramatic backdrop for their performances of Shakespeare, and this year thousands of visitors experienced Macbeth.

Brownsea Open Air Theatre has been featured in The Guardian as one of the UK's Top 10 Open Air Theatre Venues, and in 2019 Woman's Weekly as one of the Top 5 Open Air Theatres in the UK.

In 2025, a beautiful new venue will host Brownsea Open Air Theatre, Canford School in Merley.

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