Royal Shakespeare Company Stratford Upon Avon
The Centre of the Shakespearean Universe
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| RSC Stratford |
Royal Shakespeare Company Official Web Site
The Royal Shakespeare Company, founded in 1960 by Peter Hall, boasts the finest actors and directors working on great plays in some of the best theatre spaces in the world. If you are a serious actor in England, this is the place to be and be seen.
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| Stratford Overview |
| Shakespeare's |
| Birthplace |
| New Place |
| Halls Croft |
| Anne Hathway's |
| Mary Ardens |
| Holy Trinity Church |
| RSC |
| Other Stratford |
| Getting To Stratford |
| Public Transport |
| Tours |
| Within An Hour |
| Warwick Castle |
| Oxford |
| Cotswolds |
Unlike many other international theatre companies, the RSC operates a repertoire system under which actors take on several roles in a range of plays - nowhere but with the RSC can you see an ensemble of actors facing the challenge of so many different demanding roles across a season.
The Royal Shakespeare Company tours extensively with many performances in London, but Stratford the home of Shakespeare is the place to come.
The RSC currently performs in two theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon: the 432-seat Swan Theatre and The Courtyard Theatre, which has a thrust stage and seating for 1000 people.
The Courtyard Theatre will be the Company’s main performance space until 2010 whilst the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is closed for transformation.
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| Day Tours Including .... |
| Tour Overview |
| Stonehenge |
| Bath |
| Stratford Upon Avon |
| Cotswolds |
| Oxford |
| Windsor |
| Canterbury & Leeds Castle |
| Paris |
| Multi Day Tours |
| Cotswolds & Bath |
| Edinburgh / Highlands |
| Paris |
| Most Popular Tours |
| Bath & Stonehenge |
| Windsor, Bath, Stonehenge |
| Stonehenge Afternoon |
| Lunch in Cotswolds |
| Independent Trips |
| Stonehenge |
| Bath |
| Windsor |
| Salisbury |
| Avebury |
| Lacock |
| Glastonbury |
| Oxford |
| The Cotswolds |
| Stratford & Warwick |
| Canterbury & Leeds Castle |
| Paris |
| Tour Operators |
| Premium Tours |
| Evan Evans Tours |
| International Friends |
| Anderson Tours |
| Car Private Tours |
| Mini Bus Private Tours |
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The new auditorium when opened will bring the audience much closer to the stage.
RSC Theatre Location
The theatres are right in the heart of Stratford itself by the River Avon.
There are plenty of pubs and restaurants in the vicinity.
Shakespeare's Stratford Upon Avon
Other Properties & Attractions
There are five houses in or near Stratford-upon-Avon connected with William Shakespeare and his family. There is also Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) that perform plays.
The Shakespearean properties offer a unique experience of the Stratford world in which the famous dramatist and poet was born, lived and died.
Open all year round, these sixteenth-century houses feature rare period furnishings and domestic items. Aspects of Tudor life, are on display, all set in attractive gardens and grounds.
You can buy a single ticket giving access to all properties.
The Stratford Upon Avon hop on hop off bus connects them all and offers combo tickets combining the bus service with admission to either 3 or 5 of the Shakespeare properties.
The five properties are:
Shakespeare's Birthplace - Where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and grew up. Exhibition centre.
New Place / Nash's House - Shakespeare's home from 1597 until his death in 1616.
Hall's Croft - Where Shakespeare's eldest daughter (Susanna) lived.
Anne Hathaway's Cottage - Before marrying William Shakespeare in 1582, Anne Hathaway lived here.
Mary Arden's House - The house that Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, grew up in.
Stratford Upon Avon Hop on Hop Off Bus
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| Stratford Upon Avon Hop on Hop Off Bus |
Like so many towns and cities with a lot of visitors, a hop on, hop off open top sightseeing bus operates in Stratford.
At Stratford its particularly useful as a couple of Shakespeare attractions, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's House are well outside walking distance from the town centre.
The bus has ticketing options which includes admissions to the Shakespeare properties. The main starting point of the buses is by the bridge next to the main Tourist Information Centre. For independent visitors there is also a stop very close to the train station.
Frequencies are broadly every 30 minutes with increased frequencies, every 15/20 minutes at the peak times in summer and weekends. During the summer months live guides are available, at other times audio guides are provided (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, German and Kid's Commentary)
There are 12 stops including all 5 Shakespeare properties, Holy Trinity Church and the RSC theatres.
You can also purchase a ticket that combines the Ho Ho service with a river cruise on the River Avon.
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