24 July – 11 September

As this long, hot and dry summer of 2026 continues, Fortune has smiled on a vast and eclectic range of outdoor theatre shows whose audiences have enjoyed warm, sunny evenings in which to be entertained by everything from Austen to Dickens, and from Shakespeare to Lloyd Webber. From pop-up theatres in the local park to lavish, touring West End shows thousands have packed up the Prosecco, the picnic hampers and the folding chairs to enjoy the wonderfully British tradition of summer theatre shows, often staged in the most beautiful of settings.

Jenny Wren Productions have been touring their distinctive take on classic tales through their outdoor summer shows for over twenty years. 2026’s offering is a Sherlock Holmes spoof, The Mystery of the Governor’s Nose, an hilarious mash-up of two of Conan Doyle’s original Holmes stories: The Naval Treaty and The Man with the Twisted Lip. Adapted by Matthew Bassington and Aidan Mosby, the plot sees Holmes and Watson called to investigate the theft of a legendary painting, the titular Governor’s Nose. Cue comic mayhem as a cast of four, including three JWP stalwarts, present the familiar figures of Holmes, Watson, Mrs Hudson and Detective Lestrade, not to mention an assortment of shady supporting characters.

The plot ploughs a familiar Holmesian furrow: the tension between a newly married Dr Watson (Mosby) and a moping, lonely Holmes (Callum Scurfield) who are reunited by the thefts at Mary Henry’s exclusive London gallery (Stephanie Louise) where all is not quite as it seems. They are joined by the returning Nick Sudbury-Payne who, like Mosby and Louise, multi-role their way through two hours of rapid costume changes and a plethora of accents while Scurfield puts his own confident, smooth stamp on the most portrayed character in literary history.

Despite some underlying tension between the sleuthing duo as a framing device, this is a production which leans heavily into parody and spoof, with director Jenny Wicks ensuring that her cast showcase their comic and physical theatre credentials. The witty script is packed with familiar Sherlock quotes and tropes without veering into cliché, and there are some genuinely funny moments too, not least some of the world’s most celebrated artworks as you have never seen them before, and the usual unsuspecting audience participation. As with many outdoor shows, minimal staging and props are used imaginatively and creatively to suggest the tale’s different locations, while Kieran Capaldi’s arrangements and incidental score allows the cast to show off their musical talents too, especially Sudbury-Payne on banjo and the catchy Extra, Extra song which opens each act.

Cutting edge, thought-provoking theatre, this is not. But why should it be? Outdoor theatre audiences want to be entertained while munching on their houmous and carrot sticks. Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose knows this. It is daft, it is knockabout, it is a huge amount of fun. And it will keep outdoor audiences laughing throughout the summer.

★★★★☆ Tony Carke, 26 July 2026

 

Further venues in the open-air Summer 2026

Please bring a blanket and/or chair.  Suitable for all the family!

Fri July 31st – Victoria Gardens, Tewkesbury, GL20 5SW
Performance 6pm. Grounds open all day as part of The Roses Theatre Garden
Festival. Refreshments available to purchase.
Tickets £20 adults; £15 16-25s; £5 under 16s
Box Office: Roses Theatre 01684 295074
The Roses’ Garden Festival – Day Two | The Roses

Sat Aug 1st – Cotswold Sculpture Park, The Paddock, Somerford Keynes,
Cirencester, GL7 6FE
Performance 6.30pm – grounds open 5.30pm. No picnics please- hot food & drinks on sale. Please bring cushions rather than chairs.
Tickets £16 (£12 under 16s)
Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre

Sat Aug 8th – The Folk of Gloucester, 99-103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG
Performance 4.30pm – grounds open 4pm for picnics.
Tickets £15 (£10 under 16s)
Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre

Sun Aug 9th – Sue Ryder, Leckhampton Court Hospice, Cheltenham, GL53 0QJ
Performance 6.30pm – grounds open 5.30pm. Cakes and hot drinks available. 
 Tickets £15 (£10 under 16s)
Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre

Sat Aug 15th – Newent Park and Lake, Lewell St, Newent, GL18 1AR
Performance 7pm – grounds open 6pm for picnics, bar and refreshments available.
Tickets £15 (£10 under 16s) Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre

Wed Aug 19th – Grittleton House, Chippenham, SN14 6AP
Performance 6.30pm – grounds open 5.30pm for picnics.
Tickets £15 (£12 under 16s) Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre

Sat Aug 22nd – Cerney House Gardens, North Cerney, Cirencester, GL7 7BX
Performance 6.30pm – grounds open 5pm for picnics.
Tickets £16 (£10 under 16s)
Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre

Sun Aug 23rd – The Tuckwell Amphitheatre, Dean Close School, Cheltenham, GL51 6HE
Performance 5.30pm – grounds open 4.30pm. Picnic hampers available to pre-order. Café/bar refreshments on sale.
Tickets £17; Concession £15; Under 18s £10; Family of 4 £45; Family of 3 £32.
Box Office: The Bacon Theatre 01242 258002
Sherlock Holmes – And the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | The Bacon TheatreThe Bacon Theatre

Tues Aug 25th – Berkeley Castle, Berkeley, GL13 9PJ
Performance 6pm – grounds open 5.30pm for picnics.
Tickets £18 (£15 under 16s)
Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre

Sun Aug 30th – Cathedral of the Forest, Newland, Forest of Dean, GL16 8NL
Performance 5pm – grounds open 4pm for picnics. Parking – Almshouse Road Accessible toilets in Church. Ice creams for sale.
Tickets £15 (£10 under 16s)
Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre

Sun Sept 6th – The Lenches Amphitheatre, Ab Lench Rd, Evesham, WR11 4UQ
Performance 2.30pm – grounds open 1pm. Refreshments available to purchase and picnics welcome.
Tickets: Adults £20; Children £12 (4-16yrs – under 4s free); Concession (65+ years) £18; Family (2 adults + 2 children) £50; Carers go free Box Office: Buy tickets – The Lenches Amphitheatre

Fri Sept 11th – The Elms School, Colwall, nr. Malvern WR13 6EF
Performance 6.30pm – grounds open 5.45pm.
Tickets £16 (£10 under 16s)
Box Office: Everyman Theatre* 01242 572573
Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Governor’s Nose | Everyman Theatre