Reading Open Air

HAMLET
by William Shakespeare

Open Air Theatre at Reading Abbey Ruins
15-25 July 2026

Tickets will go on sale in the Spring of 2026

Our open air history . Planning your visit

"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't "

Progress is excited to announce we'll be back performing in Reading Abbey Ruins in 2026. Even better, we are bringing you Hamlet, William Shakespeare's most celebrated – and most quoted – play.

Following his father's death, Prince Hamlet of Denmark is plunged into a crisis of grief and existence. His world is a suffocating web of deceit, where his uncle has not only stolen the throne but also married his mother. As madness threatens to consume both him and his beloved Ophelia, Hamlet must navigate a court of spies and betrayals, using wit and humour to outsmart the forces against him. This compelling tragedy – perhaps the greatest play ever written – is a journey into the heart of vengeance.

While Hamlet is famously one of Shakespeare's longest works, our streamlined production zips through the epic story in under two and a half hours, highlighting its essential themes, iconic speeches, and often-overlooked humour.

See Planning Your Visit for directions, times, facilities and what to bring.
Wet weather will not stop the show, unless conditions become dangerous.
There are no refunds but if there are tickets available later in the run we can transfer your tickets to another night.

Sponsorship Opportunities

As You Like It at Reading Abbey Ruins, 2001

In July 2026, Progress Theatre will be staging Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the historic ruins of Reading Abbey. At night, the Chapter House is transformed into a beautiful arena, within which Progress Theatre presents its annual open air production. This year’s production is taking place after last year’s near sell-out production of The Importance of Being Earnest, which was well-received.

This year, the production will run from Wednesday 15th until Saturday 25th July for a total of ten performances, attracting audiences of about 3,000 people.

This event follows a tradition of open air Shakespeare in the Ruins which has featured many prominent actors in the past, including Kenneth Branagh. In fact, Progress Theatre has been involved with these productions for thirty years, starting with Henry V in 1994.

The production itself is organised by Progress Theatre, a small self-funded and independent theatre, founded in 1946, and renowned within Reading.

It is no mean feat to transform the bare open spaces of the historic Abbey Ruins into an intimate theatre with atmospheric lighting and accompanying audience comforts such as a bar and toilets. It also takes a large budget and multiple contractors to make the event successful both physically and artistically.

Preparations for this summer’s event are well under way, and we are happy to entertain proposals for sponsorship of the event, including display and use of company or product names. As there are many costs incurred in the staging of this production, we are inviting sponsorship for some of these.

We have defined three levels of sponsorship as a guide, the details of which can be discussed further:

Supporting Partnership

This provides the sponsor with:

Prominent credit in marketing for the event, digital and physical.
A quarter-page advertisement in the programme.
Hospitality can also be discussed.

Associate Partnership

This provides the sponsor with all the benefits of Supporting Partnership, plus:

Market-sector exclusivity for sponsorship of the event.
Prominent credit in press and media releases.
A half-page advertisement in the programme.
The opportunity to display promotional materials in the bar area.
Complimentary tickets for the event, for employees or clients.

Full Partnership

This provides the sponsor with all the benefits of Associate Partnership, plus:

Sole exclusive sponsorship of the event.
A full-page advertisement in the programme
Company representatives will be free to meet audience members.

Hospitality tailored to company needs can be provided. This may be low-level, such as providing refreshments at the interval, or can be more elaborate - for example, we have discussed a champagne sabrage event in the past.

We will also be seeking advertisers for the event programme early in 2026.