Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations
This month is Shakespeare’s 444th birthday, and what better way to celebrate it than in his home town and the London theatre he loved?
Shakespeare was born on 23 April 1564 in the market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, and this year, the town is holding its annual celebrations for Shakespeare’s birthday from Wednesday 23 – Sunday 27 April. On Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 April you can see Shakespeare’s hometown with a great guide on the Stratford Town Walk or if you’re feeling brave, the Stratford Town Ghost Walk.
The bard’s birthday celebrations really kick off on Friday 25 April with a Birthday Lecture given by a major figure in the theatre and arts at the Shakespeare Institute. Saturday 26 April is the focal point of the celebrations. The day starts with English folk dancing in the town centre, followed by a procession through the town with a live band, Morris dancers, street theatre, circus performers and street entertainers. In the evening there’s a special birthday performance of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew at the Courtyard Theatre.
Sunday 27 April brings the 27th Rotary Shakespeare Marathon and Half Marathon to the town, and the Royal Shakespeare Company will be hosting a number of special events in the Birthday Pavilion.
If you can’t make it to Stratford-upon-Avon for the bard’s birthday, head to the Globe Theatre in London, where you’ll find some great events on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 April. Explore Shakespeare’s London on Saturday 19 April with Mark Rylance’s Sonnet Walks. You can choose from 2 tours of Tudor London and you’ll be entertained by 12 sonneteers as you stroll to Shakespeare’s Globe.
On Sunday 20 April the Globe throws open its doors for the Birthday Open Day. This free event includes the internationally renowned Footsbarn, who will give you a taster of their new show, A Shakespeare Party. There will also be musicians, performers and activities all around the theatre and you’ll even have the opportunity to tread the boards and recite a few of your favourite Shakespeare lines.
On Wednesday 23 April, the Globe is hosting a special birthday event – it’s launching its 2008 theatre season: Totus Mundus, with a production of Shakespeare’s King Lear, directed by the Globe’s Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole.
More information:
• Stratford-upon-Avon celebrations: Shakespeare Birthday Trust – Birthday Celebrations (www.shakespeare.org.uk/content/view/279/279/).
• The Globe celebrations: Shakespeare’s Globe (www.shakespeares-globe.org/).