Why not take a trip to London over your long summer break—English student or not—and relax into the Renaissance atmosphere of the Globe. Let his poetic words ripple over you, be entertained by the bawdy comedy, and just enjoy the open-air experience of sun and theatre combined. If you’re at a loose end this summer, a trip to The Globe might prove the perfect antidote to holiday boredom.

If you just missed Shakespeare's dark comedy Measure for Measure on the 20th June, then act fast to catch the end of the fantastic performance of King John, that ends on 27th June: tickets are running out fast so make sure you book to avoid missing out.

If you’re looking for humour and a happy-ending, As You Like It remains one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies and is featuring at the Globe until September 5th. Explore the green world of the Forest of Arden as love, disguise and confusion converge to become ‘all the world’. Another comedy, Much Ado About Nothing is also worth watching, and is on tour and at The Globe for much of the summer (August 10th to September 12th). A hilarious folly of love between scorners of passionate emotion, Benedick and Beatrice, a comedic riposte to their loved-up friends. The audience is drawn into a battle of the sexes as the couple find themselves perpetually locked in tongue-twisting wit, trying to outdo one another but ultimately succumbing to the force of love. An unmissable comedy, particularly if the Digital Theatre Edition with David Tennant and Catherine Tate is anything to go by!

However, if you really don’t want a summer of re-enacted love stories and have simply had enough of the ‘Rom-Com’ genre, why not go back in time with one of the history plays? If you do miss King John, Richard II is also on later in the summer season, being shown from 11th July. Not only can you appreciate the luxury of Shakespeare’s more refined prose, but you can also take a trip into the past and learn about the rulers of bygone England. Richard III will also take to the stage, albeit with the added quirk of being performed in Mandarin (with synopses in English). So if you fancy comparing the two Richards, debating the progress of history, or considering how Shakespeare’s dramatic technique and language over the course of his career (and picking up a bit of Mandarin in the process...) these performance could be for you.

The so-called ‘problem play’ of Measure for Measure—exploring the entanglements of the Viennese justice system—strikes a balance between quick-witted comedy and macabre, death-dealing tragedy, riddled with both comedic bed-plots and tragic reflections on the death-penalty. This play is perfect if you can’t decide where your taste for Shakespearean genres lies, providing the opportunity to indulge simultaneously in both sides of the coin, as well as perhaps expanding your own moral integrity in the process. This brings the values of chastity, virtue, religious duty, family and the self to the fore, both within the context of Shakespearean England and today.

Overall, an intriguing selection of the Globe’s summer line-up: some unusual histories (not the popular and well-known Henry IV with the follies of Falstaff), some classic love comedies to boost any summer romance, and the generic intermingling of Measure for Measure. Whether you decide to take a trip back to historical Britain, to laugh along with the folly of man, or to question theatrical representations of the justice system, a visit to see a show at The Globe is certainly something to be ticked-off your bucket-list. So why not be proactive this summer, enjoy the sunshine, have fun with friends, and relish some cultured art in an open-air performance in the centre of a dramatic Globe.