The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) create theatre at its very best, and with all its productions 'made in Stratford-upon-Avon'.
The RSC will premier its productions in the town of Shakespeare's birth before regularly take these to London and on tour in the UK and Ireland and, indeed, around the world.
While one can be confident of the quality of an RSC production, wherever it is staged, there is no doubt that being in the audience in one of its three theatres in Straford-upon-Avon adds an extra layer of experience.
And what better place to enjoy a Shakespeare play, particularly if one has enjoyed one of the RSC's guided tours or taken in the houses associated with the Bard that are now managed by the Shakespeare Trust.
Love's Labour's Lost
On our visit to the RSC, we were lucky enough to catch Love's Labour's Lost (playing there until 18 May 2024).
It is a sparkling, vibrant and genuinely hilarious production set in a Polynesian resort, and with images of the production by Johan Persson used here.
Love's Labours Lost has four men deciding that a year of celibacy, so as not to have women and love distracting them from study and self-improvement, will ensure they achieve their full potential.
The oath they take to this effect is quickly put to the test when a princess and her three companions arrive at the resort.
The result is farce at its absolute finest with the staging making it so easy for us to appreciate the wit, wisdom and present day relevance of the words first written by William Shakespeare over 430 years ago.
For details of Love's Labour's Lost : https://www.rsc.org.uk/loves-labours-lost
For full details on RSC productions : https://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/
To get a synopsis of all Shakespeare's plays : https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeares-plays
The RSC Theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon
The RSC has three permanent theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon :
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre
The RSC's main theatre, on Waterside beside the River Avon, is a Grade II listed building which retains many of the art deco features of the 1932 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.
The Swan Theatre
The Swan Theatre, also on Waterside, is a more intimate theatre, seating just over 450.
It will stage the work of Shakespeare's contemporaries, as well as plays by Restoration playwrights and new work by today's writers.
As such it is a favourite space for many actors, directors and audiences.
The Swan Theatre shares its front of house space with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre along with the foyer, bars and restaurant.
The Other Place
The Other Place, a short stroll from the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres, presents new writing, intimate performances and family events.
It is here you will also find Susie's Cafe Bar, which is open Wednesday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm, and has a real atmosphere..
https://www.rsc.org.uk/your-visit/our-theatres/
The Holloway Garden Theatre
This temporary, open-air theatre, set in the Swan Theatre Gardens, will also stage a programme of productions during the summer months.
Take a guided tour
The RSC's 60 minute guided tours start with an overview the theatres and their history before taking guests on a stroll through the building.
They are led by a team of enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable tour guides and ,depending on what is happening on any day, you offer the chance to see a part of the building that is not usually accessible to the public.
This could see you being led through the Royal Shakespeare Theatre to discover more about the auditorium and backstage, getting to see the Swan Theatre or the RSC's Costume Workshop
The Play's The Thing
There is also The Play's The Thing, a fascinating free exhibition of stories, props and costumes from the RSC collection.
It's a chance to chance to see a First Folio from 1623, costumes worn by Ian McKellen and Alex Kingston and a number of interactive exhibits.
The Tower
Visitors to the RSC can go up to the theatre's tower for fine views over Stratford-upon-Avon, with the towns historic buildings pointed out by the attendant.
Afternoon tea
One final recommendation.
The RSC afternoon tea is just tremendous!
Taking the Bard's trail in Stratford-upon-Avon
To truly appreciate Shakespeare's life and times in Stratford-upon-Avon, one need look no further than the four houses and one site related to his life that are owned and managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
In each, costumed tour guides provide a fascinating insight into the life and times in Shakespearian Stratford-upon-Avon.
Shakespeare's Birthplace
When it went up for sale and was purchased by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1847.
Under Trust management, Shakespeare's birthplace has been attracting visitors, from all corners of the globe, for over 250 years.
During this time it has proven a shrine for the likes of Charles Dickens, John Keats, Walter Scott and Thomas Hardy.
The place to starts is the house on Henley Street where Shakespeare was born and spent his early years.
He also spent the first five years of married life in this house with his wife, Anne Hathaway.
Shakespeare's New Place
New Place, which was Shakespeare's family home from 1597 until he died in the house in 1616, was demolished in 1759.
The site is now a designated garden with an exhibition in the adjoining Nash House, named after Thomas Nash, the first husband of Shakespeare's granddaughter.
Halls Croft
When Shakespeare died he left the house to his eldest daughter Susanna, and when she died it passed to her only child, Elizabeth.
Although she married twice Elizabeth had no children, so when she died the house fell to a descendant of Joan Hart, one of Shakespeare's sisters.
The house was owned by the Hart family until the late 18th century.
Anne Hathaway's cottage
Anne Hathaway's Cottage is a thatched farmhouse with grounds and gardens in Shottery, which is just over a mile from the town centre.
This was the Hathaway family home, and so would have been where William Shakespeare courted his future bride Anne.
See also : https://www.allwaystraveller.com/continents/europe/so-much-on-offer-in-shakespeare-s-england