Royal Shakespeare Company
Shakespeare performed in the town where he was born, on the RSC's riverside stages in Stratford-upon-Avon that have drawn the finest actors for over a century.
Shakespeare performed in the town where he was born, on the RSC's riverside stages in Stratford-upon-Avon that have drawn the finest actors for over a century.
There is something quietly special about watching Shakespeare performed in the town where he was born, on stages that have drawn the finest actors in the English-speaking world for over a century. The RSC's theatres sit on Waterside, right on the banks of the River Avon in Stratford-upon-Avon, and they are close enough to the cottage that an evening performance or a Saturday matinee is entirely doable. We reckon on around forty to fifty minutes door to door, up through the north Cotswold lanes and into town, which leaves plenty of time for supper before the lights go down.
The company works across two main spaces here, each with its own character. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is the main house, where you tend to see the big productions with casts of dozens, and its thrust stage pushes the action out into the audience so you feel remarkably close even from the upper levels. Next door, the Swan is more intimate: a galleried, Jacobean-style playhouse that suits the comedies and the lesser-known plays beautifully. There is also a studio space, The Other Place, used for new writing and more experimental work. Whichever you end up in, the acting tends to be exceptional and the sightlines generous.
Our advice is to give yourselves the whole evening rather than rushing in for curtain-up. Drive over in the late afternoon, park up, and walk along the river to the theatre while there is still light on the water. Book dinner beforehand at one of the restaurants on Sheep Street or Waterside, or eat at the theatre itself: the Rooftop Restaurant looks out over the Avon and the gardens opposite, though you will want to reserve well ahead on a performance night. For a matinee, the drive home through the lanes in the golden hour is a pleasure in its own right.
If you only see one show, we would look at what is on in the Swan first. It is one of the best theatre spaces in the country, small enough that you feel part of the performance rather than watching it from a distance, and there is scarcely a poor seat in the house. That said, the main house comes into its own for the histories and tragedies, where the scale of the staging is part of the pleasure. It is worth remembering that the RSC programmes new writing and transfers alongside the Shakespeare, so even if you have seen your fill of the comedies there is usually something unexpected in the season.
The theatres are a short stroll from everything that makes Stratford worth a wander, so we tend to build the trip into a fuller day rather than driving in cold for the evening. Our guide to Stratford-upon-Avon runs through the Shakespeare houses, the riverside gardens and the best of the town's eating and drinking, and there is more to see across the wider area in our things to do guide. If you would rather make a proper day of it, Coughton Court is an easy add on the way over, and The Howard Arms at Ilmington makes a fine stop for lunch or a nightcap on the road home.
“Book the Swan if you can. It's one of the best theatre spaces in the country, and there isn't a bad seat in the house.”
All of this on the doorstep, and your own thatched cottage to come home to. Sleeps seven, less than a mile from Soho Farmhouse.