First published: 12 May 2008

Arguably the capital’s most accessible al fresco theatre, this is the sixth year that theatre company Steam Industry has utilised the amphitheatre next to City Hall, which holds 1,000 people, to present theatre for free throughout the summer months.

Federico Garcia Lorca’s Blood Wedding, which runs from 31 July to 7 September, is a tale of Spanish passion.

A rural Andalusian village is abuzz with wedding preparations, but a midnight ride sees the bride escape with her childhood sweetheart, who is not the groom. Desire, repression, jealousy and forbidden love bubble in the Spanish heat and the whole community is drawn into the pursuit of the lovers.

Lorca’s drama is told in a translation by former Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, which is acclaimed for the way it recreates the spirit of the original. The play was last staged in London in 2005, when Hollywood star Gael Garcia Bernal led the production at the Almeida.

Petite Rouge – A Cajun Red Riding Hood is a lively family musical based on Mike Artell’s best-selling children’s book.

Relocating the well known fairytale to Louisiana, Petite Rouge and her cowardly cat TeJean have to dodge the wily, sharp-toothed alligator Claude as they make their merry way through the swamp on the way to Grandmère’s house.

Joan Cushing’s comic musical mixes puppetry, dance, jazz and sultry Cajun beats to tell the tale of Petite Rouge’s perilous journey. Petite Rouge – A Cajun Red Riding Hood plays from 13 August to 7 September.

MA