The Royal Shakespeare Company is to celebrate Shakespeare’s 451st birthday with a range of free activities for families and a Birthday Bash musical concert.
On Saturday 25 April, there will be storytelling sessions, stage-fighting workshops and the chance to discover how fake scars and bruises are created.
Admission to most of the theatre skills workshops, held in a marquee in the Bancroft Gardens, will be free. Former RSC head of wigs and make-up Brenda Leedham will lead Blood, Guts and Gore from 12 noon to 12:45PM. Some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters will be revealed in Introducing Shakespeare from 2 until 2:45PM and a storytelling session will feature Henry V from 3 until 3:45PM.
Workshops in the Clore Learning Centre include stag fighting from 12 noon until 1PM and again from 3:15 until 4:15PM and Working with Text with voice coach Michael Corbridge from 2:15 until 3PM.
Other attractions include the Flying Buttresses with puppet street theatre outside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 12:45 until 1:30 and 3:30 until 4:15PM and Sonnets from the Tower, spoken by RSC actors, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Tower from 1:30 until 4:30PM.
The Birthday Bash on Sunday 26 April at 4PM will feature music written for RSC productions interspersed with speeches and extracts from Shakespeare performed by actors who have a close association with the RSC.
Further information is available at the RSC web site.