Brownsea Open Air Theatre at Canford
The theatre is a temporary auditorium with tiered seating in the grounds of Canford School. The layout of the auditorium is very like our previous theatre on Brownsea Island, with seating on three sides.
The theatre site will be open from two hours before the show and patrons are advised to arrive by 30 minutes before the start time. There is a large field where you can picnic before the show (NB: you will not be permitted to visit the school grounds beyond the theatre and designated picnic area).
Location
Arriving by car
Address: Canford School, Canford Magna, Wimborne BH21 3BS
What3Words: ///puns.task.backswing (for entrance to the grounds)
Entry for theatre patrons is from the lower school entrance on Canford Magna (NOT the main school entrance). After the show, patrons exiting east towards Bournemouth will leave via the A431 Magna Road. Patrons exiting west towards Wimborne or south towards Poole will leave via Canford Magna.
Please follow directions from BOAT Front of House staff on arrival. Parking is free and the car park is approximately 500 meters from the theatre
There are also free accessible parking spaces approximately 50 meters from the theatre. Spaces are limited and only available to those with a blue badge or other proof of access needs. You can request accessible parking online when booking your tickets, or contact [email protected]
Arriving by public transport
The nearest bus stops are "Willet Arms" (Oakley Lane, Merley), "De Haviland Close" (Sopwith Crescent, Merley) or "Canford Magna Road" (A431 Magna Road). For bus times visit www.morebus.co.uk. Please note evening bus services are limited.
Food and Drink
Refreshments will be available to purchase before the show and during the interval.
Facilities
There are toilets at the theatre.
There are no bins at the theatre so please take all your rubbish home with you.
Accessibility
For all performances there are seats set aside for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility or other access needs. To book these seats you need to be registered on the BH Live access scheme, and you need to log in to your BH Live account before booking seats. For more information or to register, email [email protected].
The theatre is situated in an open field with wheelchair accessible paths.
There are accessible toilets at the theatre
Arrangements for bad weather
BOAT will not cancel a scheduled performance at the first sign of rain and will attempt to perform if possible and safe to do so even if it rains during the performance. Patrons should take responsibility to cater for weather by wearing or bringing sensible appropriate clothing. Patrons are requested not to use umbrellas in the auditorium. BOAT monitors weather forecasts throughout the day and up-to-date information will be available online and on the mobile telephone service that BOAT provide on performance dates.
If adverse weather is deemed by BOAT to be too severe, or is causing health and safety concerns in the auditorium or on stage, then a performance may be cancelled even if it has already started. BOAT Management will take responsibility for deciding whether a performance goes ahead and that decision is final.
For 2026, for the first time at a BOAT production, each ticket will be for one specific performance with no scheduled contingency. Should a performance be cancelled - or abandoned before the interval - ticket holders will be offered to exchange their tickets to a later performance or any replacement performance subsequently arranged (likely to be the following Thursday or Sunday evening). However, ticket holders not wishing to exchange to another date can claim a refund. See our full Terms and Conditions for more information
Great place to go to for a summer picnic & watch a Shakespeare play!!
a lovely atmospheric evening