Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Review
Louis Gaunt (Tommy Albright) & Danielle Fiamanya (Fiona MacLaren) in Brigadoon. Photo by Mark Senior
Written by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Note on Access: The website states that the theatre is a ten minute walk from Baker Street tube station. As there is currently repair work being carried out on the bridge that is the access point for Regents Park, a diversion adds a good 10-15 minutes to the walk, something to bear in mind for any visitors with limited mobility. There is also very little signposting and lighting, so navigating the park at the end of the performance can also be a challenge.
Over the past few years, classic musicals have enjoyed something of a renaissance as a part of the Regents Park Open Air Theatre’s summer season. Last year’s production of Fiddler on the Roof was the most nominated show at the 2025 Olivier Awards and, following a limited run at the Barbican earlier this summer, has now embarked on a UK tour.
This year, Regents Park offers us a new adaptation of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s Brigadoon. It’s set in the Scottish Highlands and tells the story of two Americans who stumble across a village that only appears once every hundred years. As they arrive, two bonnie sisters are preparing for a wedding. The story is accompanied by a truly beautiful score full of soaring melodies. It’s 35 years since Brigadoon was staged in London, so it’s certainly ripe for a revival.
As the final production in his first full season as Artistic Director, Drew McOnie directs and choreographs a new adaptation of the story, from Scottish writer Rona Munro. She has stayed true to the basic story but with some simple changes that make this fantastical tale rooted in folklore and “miracles” resonate with a contemporary audience. The two Americans were tourists in the original script. Munro has moved the action back a couple of years, making them World War II Airmen, crash landed and injured in the Highlands. As the mists part to reveal a village that for some reason doesn’t appear on their map, something in the air improves their health and their spirits as they are welcomed by the community, who seem oddly oblivious to the war raging across the world, and free of any technology or modern dress. This slight tweak to the timeline is very effective. The clash between old and new is heightened with the wartime setting that gives a firm context, and the idea of stepping away from modern society with its current troubles – be they political, social or environmental – is an appealing one.
The “miracle” that keeps Brigadoon in the shadows has a few conditions that are necessary for the plot to make any sort of sense (for example, the locals can’t leave but a newcomer can only stay if they find true love), but the execution is so charming and magical that it’s not difficult to suspend disbelief.
The show is perfectly suited to its venue. As the sun sets, there’s a light breeze rippling through the trees that surround the auditorium, and Basia Binkowska’s set beautifully recreates the Scottish landscape with sloping levels dressed with foliage in gorgeous tones of green and gold and dominated by purple heather, and with a brook bubbling around the front of the stage. It’s an idyllic setting, and as the show begins, actors David Colvin and Robin MacKenzie come through the auditorium playing bagpipes, accompanied by drumming, to draw us into Brigadoon’s enchanted world. The bagpipes play again as the action unfolds. Along with flashes of Gaelic in the dialogue, Sami Fendall’s gorgeous and authentic costumes and choreography that leans into traditional Scottish dance, we are transported from the heart of busy London to a rural Scottish location that is instantly recognisable. The knowledge that modern city life is going on just outside the theatre and the park makes the staging feel even more special.
McOnie makes fantastic use of the stage, giving a great sense of the scale of the hilly area by having his cast leap across the set’s various layers, moving with dancers’ grace and a healthy exuberance – notable in our American Airmen who seem to have miraculously recovered from the crash that led them to Brigadoon in the first place, our first hint of the miracle that the villagers speak of but are reluctant to explain. Once we learn the story behind the village, all of this becomes clear, but with the reveal not coming until near the end of the first act, there’s quite a lot to take in very quickly, perhaps a minor flaw in the show’s structure.
The central characters of Tommy Albright and Fiona MacLaren were played at this performance by Louis Gaunt and Danielle Fiamanya (across the run, Fiamanya splits the role with Georgina Onuorah). Fiamanya in particular has a fantastic presence and lights up the stage, giving us a recognisably strong and independent woman despite living in a (very!) remote 18th century village
Between them they have the bulk of the show’s best-known songs, including “Almost Like Being in Love”, a song that became a popular standard on its release back in the 1940s, in this production closing the first act. Their voices are strongest with the dramatic crescendos, blending beautifully on the high notes, but possibly a little disconnected in the build up.
The standout vocal performances came from two contrasting characters. As love-struck groom Charlie Dalrymple, Gilli Jones has a stunning voice. “Come to Me, Bend to Me”, his passionate call to his bride-to-be Jean, played by Jasmine Jules Andrews, was a highlight, with their love story played out in his song and through lyrical and romantic choreography. As local free spirit Meg Brockie, Nic Myers offered great vocals, timing and fantastic energy with the show’s comic numbers, lightening the atmosphere as the overall tone moves into somewhat darker territory.
McOnie’s choreography is outstanding – blending traditional Scottish dance with contemporary movement that tells us as much about what the characters are thinking and feeling as the dialogue that they share. Feelings of joy and heartbreak are heightened in spellbinding sequences with the glorious sound from the orchestra, under Musical Director Laura Bangay, adding to the emotional impact of these scenes.
Staged in the middle of London in a heatwave, it was perhaps fitting that we needed a show stop to mop rain from the stage – the unexpected rain shower transporting us to Scotland’s unpredictable climate! Handled superbly by Stage Management and cast, it did not have any impact on the performance.
This new production of Brigadoon is utterly charming – a delight for the ears and eyes. With a beautiful score, stunning choreography, and engaging characters, this adaptation really works and gives this lesser-known musical a new lease of life. Its ending is a little ambiguous, which is a great decision – leaving it up to the audience’s imaginations to ultimately balance the mix of fantasy and reality that is at the heart of the show.
In line with the miracle around which the story is based, I hope we don’t have to wait another 100 years for Brigadoon to reappear, or indeed another thirty-five as we have done for this revival. It’s a wonderful piece of escapism that we all need right now and it’s well worth losing yourself for a couple of hours in this magical and musical community.
Brigadoon runs at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until Saturday 20th September 2025. Find out more and book tickets here.
★ ★ ★ ★
