Charlecote Park, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom

Anne Hathaway's cottage is a must see when you visit Stratford.

Thomas Edwin Mostyn (English, 1864-1930)

Stratford Church and the River Avon

Alex Kingston attends the Shakespeare Birthday lunch hosted by Pragnell at Avonbank Gardens on April 22, 2023 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. 📷: Dave Benett

Me, an hour ago: since I've seen the show twice and I want to keep a memory of it, I'll write down a short review for Ben and Imo.

Me, now: the review is three pages long and still needs to be uploaded on Canva, along with images. It's gonna be a hell of a post that no one will probably ever read. I'm doing this for myself and myself only.

Sometimes life can be fucking hard so you end up taking Thursday off and have an impromptu trip to the most Shakespeare city near you so things are not that shit 💩🤷🏻‍♀️

I went out earlier today and saw The Banshees of Inisherin. A) It’s really good. People should see it. B) Kerry Condon. OMG, she’s so beautiful. So, so beautiful. (sigh)

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shottery

Stratford-upon-Avon

June 2022

Read the latest small book on The Bard, “The Little Book of Shakespeare” (2022).

It’s mainly a book of Shakespeare quotes that (literate) people (vaguely) recognize, complemented by some sparse facts about his life and times.

Not a must. I own plenty of books that do the same thing better and with more originality.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkBnw9kDzOY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A Touch of the Bard…

I’m a Shakespeare fan, no doubt about it. Two trips to The Globe Theatre in the last few years, an amazing diatribe of the best insults ever, great wit and stage presence. When my mother suggested a girls trip to Stratford-upon-Avon I was sooooo up for it! Sadly we aren’t seeing Loves Labours Lost this evening, though I’d love to, I can see something else another time, today is for my…

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Sports Injuries that can be Cured with Massage Therapy

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Nestled on the River Avon, Stratford is a mecca for theatre-goers.

Stratford-upon-Avon, England, United Kingdom

Kirsten Drew

Alex Kingston makes a return to the RSC after first joining the company the early 90s. Since then, she has dazzled in a plethora of cracking roles for stage and screen. Now she's storming back as the first female Prospero to tread the boards in Stratford. Here, she talks about her work and how delighted she is to be in this 'healing' and climate crisis-caring production of The Tempest.The Tempest has its opening night tonight, how did the first preview go last week?

The Tempest has its opening night tonight, how did the first preview go last week?

AK: It was nice having an audience in. On the first night I was quite surprised because when I first came on the stage I could hear a lot of schoolchildren in the audience, so I thought this is going to be quite difficult. They were a bit noisy to begin, but then they were silent throughout, it was extraordinary – they were so engaged. I think the way we have set it and the contemporary approach means it’s less alienating to an audience. The whole production is about the care or lack of care that one has with another but also with the world and the environment.

How are those environmental themes being put across?

AK: Immediately when they enter the theatre the audience will see a stage that looks like it’s broken down – there’s grass growing through the floorboards. There’s also the sound of the sea and they know that it is an island – there’s a shack. There’s somebody that’s living there that is trying to make a life in this space. But the stage is also littered with rubbish – rubbish that was actually gathered from around Stratford. We all know walking along a riverbank or a seashore you cannot escape the trash. Immediately the audience knows the world they are entering into. Magically, through the course of the play, the rubbish starts to be eliminated. That’s the message that we are trying to send – that there is hope. We can change if we set our minds to it. That’s changing the landscape and bad relationships. It’s about power and how it can corrupt but it’s also about forgiveness. It takes a lot of strength to forgive.

[full interview available to subscribers only 😢]

12th October

Stratford Mop Fair

All the Fun of the Runaway Mop. Source: Mark Williamson/ Stratford-upon-Avon Herald

Today Stratford-upon-Avon holds its annual Mop Fair. Dating back to 1216, the fair retains elements of the medieval feast it once was in that a whole ox is roasted in giant open air brick oven and slices of the meat are sold to the public. The “mop” refers to its traditional hiring function which dates from the fourteenth century when farm workers and domestic help were in short supply following the devastation of the Black Death. Today the event has become a large funfair, taking over the centre of Stratford for a week. The “Runaway Mop” is a smaller fair that takes place after the Mop and has its origins in disgruntled employees having second thoughts about their new employers and checking out opportunities at this second, smaller, event, bearing the implements of their trades to show they were on the market. These days, the Runaway is also a funfair.

Also today Redruth Goose Fair takes place. Like its better known Nottingham equivalent, its history is as a game trading event. In medieval times the poor of the town were served a hot meal of goose. This act of charity was somewhat undermined by the simultaneous Old Michaelmas tradition of labourers presenting their masters with a whole goose at this time of year. A typical ruling class scam of giving with one hand and taking twice as much with the other.

Shakespeare's Enduring Legacy: The Globe Theater and Modern Theater & Acting

William Shakespeare, often referred to as the “Bard of Avon,” is a name that resonates through the corridors of time. His timeless plays, sonnets, and contributions to the world of theater continue to captivate audiences around the globe. One of the most remarkable aspects of Shakespeare’s legacy is his influence on modern theater and acting, which can be attributed in large part to the iconic…

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