May Outdoor Events 2008

The beginning of the summer, and the weather is not yet to be trusted. The plus side of this is that when you do get out to the parks, gardens and open air theatres of the capital, you usually have a bit of space to yourself to enjoy them.

Shakespeare's Globe Season - Totus Mundi

Shakespeare's Globe, London, SE1 9ED
23rd April 2008 - 5th October 2008

The magic of Shakespeare's Globe is not just a consequence of its Elizabethan beauty (though it is certainly one of the capital's most romantic summer spots). It also comes from the unique way the theatre works: with most of the audience standing mere inches from the stage there is a real sense of participation, and the crowds can be noisily appreciative. With standing tickets available for around a fiver, it is also one of the cheapest top class theatres in the world. This summer's season is called 'Totus Mundus', and features new productions of King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Timon of Athens and The Merry Wives of Windsor. There are also world premieres of two new plays The Frontline and Liberty. Whichever production you choose, it's a fantastic step into London's theatrical past, full of blood and thunder with the audience drawn deep into the action by imaginative staging.

More info: Shakespeare's Globe Season - Totus Mundi Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Glyndebourne Festival Opera 2008

Glyndebourne, London, BN8 5UU
18th May 2008 - 31st August 2008

There's something gloriously courtly about Glyndebourne; the venue and its annual opera-goers seem to have been lifted right out of an Austen novel with a number of Mr Darcys on show at the season's "must-attend" event. The tradition of dressing up and taking the air with a picnic in the stunning gardens has not gone out of fashion and there's a long interval in which to soak up the atmosphere at twilight. But, of course, the real reason for heading to the countryside is the opera. The 2008 season kicks off with a new production of Monteverdi's 'L'Incoronazione di Poppea', with Danielle de Niese as the scheming Roman Empress. The highlight of the season will probably be the return of the celebrated 1994 production of Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin', with Vladimir Jurowski conducting. The other shows in the season are Englebert Humperdinck's lyrical fairytale 'Hanse und Gretel', Britten's 'Albert Herring', a new commission from Peter Eotvos, 'Love and Other Demons', and a big revival of David McVicar's marvellous production of 'Carmen'.

More info: Glyndebourne Festival Opera 2008 Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube

Chelsea Flower Show

Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, SW3 4SR
20th May 2008 - 24th May 2008

Founded in 1913, the Chelsea Flower Show is extraordinary - famous around the world as the premier event of its kind. Eight hundred of the greatest exponents of imaginative garden design spend nearly a month creating a wonderland over an 11-acre site in Chelsea's Royal Hospital gardens. Most of London society, including the Queen, regards the Chelsea Flower Show as a highpoint of the London summer season, so if you get bored of the blooms you can have a great time celeb-spotting. The 20,000 glasses of Pimms consumed over the five days confirms it as a very sociable, very British event. This beautiful and inspiring show is a real treat, even for non-gardeners.

More info: Chelsea Flower Show Map, Prices, Opening Times and Nearest Tube