SUPPORT THEATRE AT ITS BEST RSC MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS PRIORITY BOOKING DATES INCREASE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TO TO SHAKESPEARE’S CIRCLE FROM £100 AND: PRIORITY PLUS FROM THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER ENJOY A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FULL MEMBERS ONLINE & TELEPHONE FROM MONDAY 21 SEPTEMBER WORLD’S BEST KNOWN THEATRE COMPANY ASSOCIATE MEMBERS ONLINE & TELEPHONE FROM MONDAY 5 OCTOBER DIRECTLY SUPPORT OUR WORK PUBLIC BOOKING FROM MONDAY 19 OCTOBER ON STAGE AND IN CLASSROOMS BENEFIT FROM PRIORITY PLUS BOOKING ATTEND EVENTS WITH ARTISTIC TEAMS FOR INFORMATION OR TO JOIN CONTACT MICHELE COTTISS ON 01789 272283 OR EMAIL [email protected] THANK YOU We are proud of, and grateful to, our many supporters and partners. Their support ensures that we can continue to stage the work of Shakespeare, his contemporaries and the most exciting new writers and performers of today, making every play an event. PUBLIC FUNDERS CORPORATE SUPPORTERS ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND NATIONAL LOTTERY THROUGH Supports £5 tickets for 16--25s ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND CREATIVE LEARNING PARTNERS WWW.RSC.ORG.UK Official Brand Partner 01789 403493 THEATRE AT ITS BEST IMAGE CREDITS: COVER BIRTHDAY FIREWORKS, LUCY BARRIBALL | A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM: DESIGN BY RSC VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS | HAMLET: JOHN COOPER/ARCANGEL | CYMBELINE: PETER JOHNSTON/ARCANGEL | DOCTOR FAUST: HANKA STEIDLE/ARCANGEL | DON QUIXOTE: JACK’S MAN WILLIAM, A MODERN SANCHO PANZA, REMINGTON, FREDERIC (1861-1909) / PRIVATE COLLECTION / PHOTO © CHRISTIE’S IMAGES / BRIDGEMAN IMAGES | THE ALCHEMIST: MIGUEL ANGEL MUNOZ/ARCANGEL NEW FOR 2016: TOP LEFT: PAUL ROBESON IN OTHELLO, 1959 PHOTOGRAPH BY ANGUS MCBEAN © RSC | TOP MIDDLE: COSTUME DESIGN FOR THE TEMPEST, 1978 BY RALPH KOLTAI © RSC | TOP RIGHT: VIVIEN LEIGH AND LAURENCE OLIVIER IN MACBETH, 1955 PHOTOGRAPH FROM ANGUS MCBEAN © RSC | | PreferredPreferred Hotel Partner for Matilda The Musical,, LondonLondon BOTTOM LEFT: HELMET FOR ALAN HOWARD AS CORIOLANUS, 1977. DESIGNED BY FARRAH BOTTOM MIDDLE: SIR FRANK BENSON AS CALIBAN IN THE TEMPEST, 1897 | BOTTOM RIGHT: DRESS WORN BY JULIET STEVENSON AS TITANIA IN A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, 1981, DESIGN BY MARIA BJORNSON FEBRUARY– AUGUST 2016 DISCOVERY TOURS PAGE TOP: ELLIE KURTTZ © RSC | BOTTOM: SARA BEAUMONT © RSC | VISIT SHAKESPEARE’S STRATFORD: CRAIG STEPHENS EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS: SCOTT WALKER | WHAT’S ON EVERYWHERE: JILL MARCUS © RSC STRATFORD-UPON-AVON LIVE FROM: LUCY BARRIBALL | TICKET PRICES: ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE: PETER COOK | SWAN THEATRE: SASHA GUSOV RSC REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 212481 PRINTED AUGUST 2015 WWW.RSC.ORG.UK 01789 403493 2016 promises to be an extraordinary year as we celebrate Shakespeare’s continuing legacy 400 years after his death. This season runs across the first half of the year in Stratford-upon-Avon, with an incredible range of work by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. We kick off in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Play for the Nation. This ground-breaking production, directed by my Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman, sees our company of 18 professional actors work alongside amateur actors who play Shakespeare’s Mechanicals. Starting in Stratford, the show will tour the 12 regions and nations of the UK, working with local amateur companies in their home towns, before returning to Stratford for Midsummer, alongside a fantastic programme of summer events. Simon Godwin returns, following his infectiously enjoyable production of TO The Two Gentlemen of Verona with a vibrant, contemporary production of Hamlet. I’m delighted that Paapa Essiedu will take on the title role. Joining Hamlet in repertoire will be Cymbeline, as we continue our journey through all of Shakespeare’s plays. Melly Still returns to the company to direct Shakespeare’s rarely-performed romance. In the Swan Theatre, Maria Aberg brings her exhilarating style to Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus before we mark two other significant anniversaries. Cervantes died on the same date as Shakespeare, so it’s appropriate in 2016 that we stage a new version of his great genre-defining novel, Don Quixote. James Fenton’s new version will be directed by Angus Jackson following his acclaimed production of Oppenheimer earlier this year. Finally, we stage Jonson’s masterpiece, The Alchemist. 2016 is also the 400th anniversary of the publication of Jonson’s folio of his own collected works. Without this, it’s entirely possible that John Hemmings and Henry Condell would not have published a folio of their great friend Shakespeare’s works. Without that first folio, published in 1623, half of his plays would have been lost to us. Beyond our work on stage, we have a host of events and exhibitions, as well as programmes for students and teachers throughout the year. We will also complete two major capital projects, opening The Other Place and our new Swan Wing Exhibition. There will never be a better time to experience HE WAS NOT OF AN AGE, Shakespeare’s work in Stratford-upon-Avon. Later in the year, I will direct King Lear with Antony Sher in the title role. BUT FOR ALL TIME! That production will go on sale in the New Year together with another Shakespeare production that I’m not yet able to announce, but promises to be a truly fitting culmination of our celebrations. I hope that you will join us. Gregory Doran #RSC2016 Artistic Director ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE 17 February – 5 March & 15 June – 16 July 2016 RSC COMPANY TO BE ANNOUNCED IN AUTUMN 2015 DIRECTOR ERICA WHYMAN DESIGNER TOM PIPER LIGHTING CHARLES BALFOUR MUSIC SAM KENYON SOUND ANDREW FRANKS MOVEMENT SIÂN WILLIAMS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR In 2016, together with amateur SOPHIE IVATTS companies from across the UK, we ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR KIMBERLEY SYKES take you on a very special Midsummer adventure with a unique production DIRECTOR TALK of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. TUE 23 FEBRUARY Onstage | 5.15-6pm | £5 The nation’s favourite Shakespeare PRODUCTION UNWRAPPED SAT 27 FEBRUARY play is his love letter to amateur Onstage | 10.15-11.15am | £5 theatre and is performed as never POST SHOW TALK BACK before; magically intertwining THU 3 MARCH (evening) Onstage | FREE professional and amateur actors. A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY FOR ALL EVENTS For this production, directed by AND AMATEUR THEATRE COMPANIES ACROSS THE UK www.rsc.org.uk/events Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman FOR ALL EDUCATION (Hecuba 2015 and The Christmas Truce RESOURCES AND EVENTS www.rsc.org.uk/education 2014), our professional actors are AUDIO DESCRIBED joined by amateur theatre companies PERFORMANCES as Shakespeare’s Mechanicals. SAT 5 MARCH (matinee) & SAT 2 JULY (matinee) The production will also tour all CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES 12 regions and nations of the UK from FRI 4 MARCH & March to June 2016, with a different THU 30 JUNE (matinee) local amateur company joining our The Mechanicals will be played by amateur theatre companies from across the UK SEMI-INTEGRATED THE NONENTITIES | THE BEAR PIT | THE CASTLE PLAYERS | THE PEOPLE’S THEATRE BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE professional actors in their home THE CITIZENS DREAM PLAYERS | POULTON DRAMA | LEEDS ARTS CENTRE INTERPRETED location prior to all of the companies THE CANTERBURY PLAYERS | THE COMMON LOT | LOVELACE THEATRE GROUP PERFORMANCE CARNON DOWNS DRAMA GROUP | TOWER THEATRE | EVERYMAN THEATRE | THE BELVOIR PLAYERS WED 22 JUNE re-forming in Stratford at Midsummer. This is an arrangement developed between the RSC and Equity ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE 12 March – 13 August 2016 LIVE IN CINEMAS ON 8 JUNE 2016 COMPANY INCLUDES PAAPA ESSIEDU DIRECTOR SIMON GODWIN DESIGNER PAUL WILLS LIGHTING PAUL ANDERSON SOUND CHRISTOPHER SHUTT DIRECTOR TALK MON 21 MARCH Onstage | 5.15-6pm | £5 POST SHOW Hamlet has the world at his TALK BACK feet. Young, wealthy and living WED 20 JULY Onstage | FREE a hedonistic life studying abroad. PRODUCTION Then word reaches him that his UNWRAPPED SAT 30 JULY father is dead. Onstage | 10.15-11.15am | £5 Returning home he finds his world FOR ALL EVENTS www.rsc.org.uk/events is utterly changed, his certainties SIXTH FORM smashed and his home a foreign CONFERENCE land. Struggling to understand WED 13 APRIL his place in a new world order INSIGHT DAYS THU 14 APRIL & he faces a stark choice. Submit, WED 10 AUG or rage against the injustice of Onstage | 10.15 -11.15am his new reality. FOR ALL EDUCATION RESOURCES AND EVENTS www.rsc.org.uk/education Simon Godwin (The Two Gentlemen of AUDIO DESCRIBED Verona 2014) directs Paapa Essiedu PERFORMANCES as Hamlet in Shakespeare’s searing SAT 16 APRIL (matinee) & WED 25 MAY tragedy. As relevant today as when CAPTIONED it was written, Hamlet confronts HAMLET PERFORMANCES each of us with the mirror of our THU 21 JULY (matinee) WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE & WED 10 AUGUST own mortality in an imperfect world. ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE 29 April – 12 August 2016 Cymbeline is ruler of a divided Britain. When Innogen, the only living heir, marries her sweetheart in secret, an enraged Cymbeline banishes him. Distracted by Innogen’s marriage, Cymbeline is blind to the actions of a powerful figure behind the throne who is DIRECTOR plotting to seize power by murdering MELLY STILL them both. DESIGNER ANNA FLEISCHLE In exile, Innogen’s husband is LIGHTING tricked into believing she has been PHILIP GLADWELL unfaithful to him and in an act of DIRECTOR TALK impulsive jealousy begins a scheme MON 9 MAY to have her murdered. Warned of Onstage | 5.15-6pm | £5 the danger, Innogen runs away POST SHOW TALK BACK from court in disguise on a journey THU 26 MAY fraught with danger that will Onstage | FREE eventually reunite Cymbeline PRODUCTION UNWRAPPED with a lost heir and reconcile SAT 6 AUGUST Onstage | 10.15-11.15am | £5 the young lovers. FOR ALL EVENTS Shakespeare’s rarely performed www.rsc.org.uk/events romance is directed by Melly Still FOR ALL EDUCATION RESOURCES AND EVENTS who designed Tales from Ovid www.rsc.org.uk/education and Midnight’s Children for the AUDIO DESCRIBED RSC and whose directing credits PERFORMANCES SAT 23 JULY (matinee) include The Cunning Little Vixen CYMBELINE & THU 11 AUGUST for Glyndebourne Opera, CAPTIONED The Coram Boy and The Revenger’s WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE PERFORMANCE SAT 4 JUNE (matinee) Tragedy for the National Theatre.