Brownsea Open Air Theatre

Brownsea Open Air Theatre is an open-air Shakespearean theatre company based in Poole, Dorset that has performed large theatrical productions since 1964.

Macbeth 2024
Macbeth, Brownsea Open Air Theatre 2024

One of the biggest theatrical projects in the south, the annual production has been set on The National Trust's Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset for the past 60 years. These beautiful surroundings have made for a wonderful show, and a fantastic evening of traditional Shakespeare.

In 2025 BOAT will be moving to the mainland and have agreed with Canford School in Merley that we can put our annual Shakespeare production on in their beautiful grounds - and we will be doing so with an auditorium similar to that we are all used to on Brownsea Island.

Canford School

**Our production in 2025 at Canford will be The Winter's Tale. Further details will appear here when available.**

BOAT receive excellent national and regional coverage, and have been featured in The Guardian as one of the UK's Top 10 Open Air Theatre Venues, Debrett's 2009 list of the top five things to do in England and in 2019 Woman's Weekly featured BOAT as one of the Top 5 Open Air Theatres in the UK.

As You Like It 2017
As You Like It, Brownsea Open Air Theatre 2017

Since 1964 BOAT has involved over 1,500 volunteers, entertained 10’s of thousands of people and raised over £300,000 for the National Trust and other good causes.

BOAT is a registered charity (no. 278003). The company is professionally run, but all those involved with BOAT, whether onstage, backstage or front-of-house are unpaid volunteers.

About our Sponsors

We are delighted for the continued sponsorship of Dorset Software, providers for more than thirty years of IT systems to meet business needs in the public and private sectors.

Support BOAT

As a charity we give the majority of our profits to the National Trust and other good causes, leaving a small reserve for the following year's production. As such, we rely on income from donations to keep afloat between shows and to maintain the high production values you've come to expect.

We would be very grateful if you would consider making a donation to BOAT. Any amount, however small, would be most gratefully accepted.

You can also help BOAT by using Easyfundraising and nominating Brownsea Open Air Theatre as your chosen charity. Then every time you shop online we get a donation - at no cost to you!