The Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Spent an evening with the family to see Othello. Not much more to add than has already been mentioned. The evening is entirely about the performance, however the staff are friendly, the views from our seats in the upper circle were terrific and the overall atmosphere conducive to a cultured night out.

I went to go visit my daughter in England and our first stop was in Stratford Upon Avon. We went to where Shakespeare was born, Anne Hatheway’s cottage, Holy Trinity Church and just happened upon The Royal Shakespeare Theatre while out for a walk. We went into the gift shop, found out there was a play that night, bought tickets, went to eat dinner at a nearby pub, then came back & watched the show. It was amazing!!! Our seats were at the very top but we could see everything so well! The stage was so cool. The actors were great & we thoroughly enjoyed it! I’d love to go again!

I really like this theatre. It’s a comfortable space and we have never been disappointed with anything we’ve seen. Imaginative use of space, live musicians, top performers. It really is a treat.

Review #700.
I know it has been almost five years but the RSC will forever remain at a very special place in my heart, which is why I am saving my 700^th Unilocal review for it.
I only stayed in Stratford for a weekend, but it was such a surprisingly delightful trip. I got to see Shakespeare’s birthplace (the room where he was born) and his tombstone. When I visited the town, I remember seeing lots of buildings under construction for some reason. It is a beautiful town for strolls. The theater is right next to the river.
I don’t remember much of the theater itself other than being seating in the second row. I saw the production «As You Like It» and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I do remember getting a fantastic view of the stage. The actors are professional and world-​renowned. They even got invited to perform on Broadway several years back. Overall, highly recommended!

Booked tickets to see Love’s Labour’s Won aka Much Ado About Nothing. I have always loved the witty banter between Beatrice and Benedict, and the two actors portraying these characters, were great. However for the first time, I realize how badly Claudio treated Hero, something I hadn’t really realized in previous readings/​theatre dramatizations of this play.
Wonderful physical comedy, esp by the constable (Dogberry!) He was the highlight and gets a special mention because you can understand his malapropism and lack of mental acuity in the context of PTSD (the play set design has «Shakespeare’s comic romance play out amidst the brittle high spirits of a post-​war house party,» (direct quote from website).
We had really excellent seats in the upper circle, dead front of the stage, but omg, the seats themselves are SO uncomfortable! They are hard, with little space in front to stretch out ones legs without hitting the back of the seat of the person sitting in front of you. So while the play was magical, I really felt the awkwardness of the seats as realized bum+legs were cramped during the intermission. And that’s why it’s only 4 stars and not 5. But, I would definitely go see another play here again — what’s a little bit of cramping when weighed against the magic of such wonderful acting and the thrill of seeing the Bards plays in his hometown theater.

We saw Henry IV at the theater and it was well done. The theater was renovated a few years ago and they did a nice job. That said, the seats are close together and don’t have arm rests, and there are obstructed views in the second and third level balcony seats. Nonetheless, the venue is intimate and the voices carry well. It’s a great place to see theater. I did not eat or drink here although there is food and alcohol available.

The Shakespeare Theater is a wonderful venue for plays, restaurant, and museum. This should be a must-​see for every tourist and a frequent ‘hot spot’ for even the fortunate locals who live here!
It’s beautifully set on the river. And if you enjoy a bite to eat there, you’ll overlook the river and all the activities and back and forth around it.
The food at the restaurant is wonderful (order the Caesar Salad) and if you dine here, there’s a piece of the old wall still standing and now part of the interior and plastered with cool posters.
It’s also worth taking a walk around the perimeter and noting the old along with the new.
«To be, or not to be» here is the only question.

I went to see Peter Pan at the Royal Shakespeare theater. Of course I had the seat where the pole was blocking the stage. It was entertaining and much funny than I had anticipated. The staff was kind here. The prices are relatively fair. I was expecting to pay a lot more. This is a must do for tourists.

Quality theatre in a quality space, and at quality prices.
Not only are the shows absolutely top notch — I mean, it’s the RSC, can you expect any less? — the site itself is impressively spacious, well-​signed, and filled with all sorts of hidden ‘treasures’ by way of costume/​prop/​history exhibits interspersed throughout. The staff, also, are lovely, and happy to answer any questions that you may have, both about the theatre and the shows playing within.
The auditorium itself is split into three levels: ground/​floor, circle, and upper circle. Even though we were seated at, literally, the highest/​furthest away possible place in the theatre, we still had a great view of the stage. This was because the seats in the back rows of the upper circle region are ‘high chairs’, and allow you to perch on the edge of them/​crane your neck over to get a good look. Acoustics were great as well, though this is obviously also due to the calibre/​abilities of the actors. The audiovisuals in the theatre are very modern and high-​tech, with a cool variety of lighting effects that were readily observable by everyone in the space.
Last, but not least, I paid a mere £17 to see a professional, world-​reknowned company perform Hamlet (argued by some as Shakespeare’s greatest play, but I’m not buying it. Still, a great one, and a ‘must see’). If that, alone, isn’t worth the trip to Stratford, I don’t know what is.

Did my heart love til now?
I am now completely in love with the RSC and the grounds too. I went to see The Merry Wives of Windsor yesterday and had a day to remember forever. A friend of mine from drama school from Coventry took me to Stratford Upon Avon and I’m still gassed about it now. The production was wonderful, the staff were friendly, the yoghurt coated rasberries we had in the interval were also delicious! Just an absolute treat! everyone must go here!

A superb venue. I caught two performances here during my time in Stratford, and both were outstanding, especially the performance of Julius Caesar re-​imagined as a tale in modern Africa.
There’s barely a bad seat in the house, and even the semi-​obstructed views are still fantastic; you may just have to lean forward a bit!

One of the great experiences of my life.
I have always been fond of Shakespeare, even if I don’t always understand it. I think it’s my affinity for things outside the norm of my day to day life. It’s an escape.
When we visited Stratford upon Avon in central England, we knew that being the birthplace of Shakespeare that it would likely be touristy, and it is. But not overblown. The town does a decent job of staying with it’s roots.
But one must see sight (other than his actual home) is the Royal Shakespeare Company’s theater right on the river here, that puts on plays year round.
I have never seen a Shakespeare play in person, acted by professional Shakespeare actors. I f you’ve seen a local community show, or an adaptation somewhere, you haven’t really seen Shakespeare either, unless you see it here.
The day we were here they were performing Twelfth Night. I didn’t know the play well, but that didn’t matter. This company is expert at conveying the story to you in multiple ways. Even if you don’t speak English, I think you could get the gist of the story and really enjoy it. The actors know the material so well and act out every line not only in words but in facial expressions, emotions, gestures, etc. I’m not a huge play guy, but somehow I felt like I was in the story.
If you are ever in this part of England, do yourself a favor and set aside an evening to attend a play here. (call ahead for tickets. It’s a small theater and it sells out fast)

I’m not sure if this listing is for the company itself or for the theater or for their productions, but I am going to talk about one experience that I had here at the Swan Theatre. Obviously, the work of the Royal Shakespeare Company over the years speaks for itself.
I came to England in August 2006 with my mother, and the reason that we chose those dates was to see The Tempest at the Swan, as part of the RSC’s Complete Works Festival. The Tempest is one of my three favorite Shakespeare plays, and Sir Patrick Stewart was playing Prospero. He is an excellent actor; my mother and I were Star Trek: The Next Generation fans, and I’ve enjoyed his work in other films since then.
We were thrilled to be there, and overall the experience was great. Let’s be honest though – the old Swan was not a great theater. It was a bland proscenium stage with vertiginously steep seating in the upper levels (Chicagoans, think Auditorium Theater), and our seats in the upper left corner were pretty bad. Thankfully, they are building a new theater.
But the show was great, and we had no complaints about the production. Patrick Stewart was the obvious standout in the cast, but I also really liked the Ferdinand (Nick Court). Julian Bleach as the white-​faced Ariel was amazing. I had never seen a menacing and sinister Ariel before; the effect was quite powerful.
I also loved the set design. They set the play on an icy island rather than a tropical one as is customary, a brilliant concept executed very well. Prospero wore ragged furs and blew on his hands when he came in from the storm.
The Complete Works festival was a ambitiously marvelous idea, and I’m sorry that I could see only one play. I hope that they were all as high-​quality as their Tempest. I look forward to seeing another RSC production on future visits.