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Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company.svg
Abbreviation RSC
Predecessor Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Ltd.
Formation 23 April 1879
Founder Peter Hall
Founded at Stratford-upon-Avon
Type Charity
Legal status Charity incorporated under royal charter
Purpose Promote Shakespeare's plays to a truly diverse audience and their relevance to today's society.
Headquarters Stratford-upon-Avon
Location
King Charles III
Queen Elizabeth II until her death in September 2022
Interim Executive Directors
 Sandeep Mahal and Vicky Cheetham
Main organ
 Board of Trustees
Expenses (2019) £82.98 million
Endowment (2019) £86.43 million
Staff (2019)
 1205

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a famous British theater group. It is based in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, which is William Shakespeare's hometown. The RSC has over 1,000 staff members and puts on about 20 new plays each year. They perform in London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and tour around the UK and other countries. The company performs plays by Shakespeare and other classic writers. They also create new plays by modern artists.

The RSC's main home is in Stratford-upon-Avon. They have renovated their Royal Shakespeare and Swan theatres. This big project cost £112.8 million. The theaters closed in 2007 for the work and reopened in November 2010.

History of the Royal Shakespeare Company

Royalshakespearetheatre-080911
The renovated Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2011
Stratford RST
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2003

Early Years of Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon

People have performed plays in Stratford-upon-Avon since Shakespeare's time. The first recorded Shakespeare play there was Othello in 1746. It was a charity show to help fix Shakespeare's monument.

The first permanent building for Shakespeare's plays was a theater built in 1827. It was in the gardens of New Place, but it is gone now.

The RSC's story really began with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. A local brewer, Charles Edward Flower, had the idea. He gave 2 acres of land by the River Avon. In 1875, he started a global effort to build a theater in Shakespeare's birthplace.

The theater opened on April 23, 1879. It was a Victorian-Gothic building with over 700 seats. The first play performed was Much Ado About Nothing.

This first theater was made of red brick. Some critics did not like its design. In 1919, under William Bridges-Adams, the New Shakespeare Company became very well-known. The theater received a royal charter in 1925, which gave it special status.

Fire and Rebuilding

On March 6, 1926, a fire broke out at the theater. The wooden parts inside quickly caught fire. By the next morning, the theater was a burnt shell. The company moved its plays to a local cinema.

People started raising money to rebuild the theater. Many generous donations came from America. In January 1928, Elisabeth Scott, a 29-year-old architect, was chosen to design the new theater. Her design was the first important building in the UK by a female architect.

Her modern art deco plans faced some criticism. But the new building opened successfully on Shakespeare's birthday, April 23, 1932. This building was used constantly until 2007. Then it closed for a major renovation inside.

Key Dates for the RSC Theatres

  • 1932 – The new Shakespeare Memorial Theatre opens.
  • 1961 – The company and the Stratford theater are renamed 'Royal Shakespeare'.
  • 1974 – The Other Place, a small studio theater, opens in Stratford.
  • 1986 – The Swan Theatre opens, built inside the old 1879 Memorial Theatre shell.
  • 1991 – A new, purpose-built Other Place opens.
  • September 2004 – Plans for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre's big renovation are announced.
  • July 2006 – The temporary Courtyard Theatre opens.
  • November 2010 – The Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres reopen after their transformation.
  • March 2016 – The Other Place is reopened as a 200-seat studio theater.

Forming the Royal Shakespeare Company

In 1959, Peter Hall became the director of the Memorial Theatre. He wanted to create a permanent group of actors. He believed Shakespeare's plays needed a special style and unity in acting and directing.

On January 14, 1960, Hall also suggested getting a second theater in London. This would be a place to show selected plays from Stratford. The RSC was officially created on March 20, 1961. The royal family announced that the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre would be called the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The company would be known as the Royal Shakespeare Company.

At first, some people, like the Royal National Theatre, did not want the RSC to have a London base. They wanted to be the only major theater company in London. But the RSC made a deal and set up the Aldwych Theatre as its London home.

In 1982, the company moved its London shows to the Barbican Centre. They used the Barbican Theatre and The Pit studio space. The RSC helped design these two venues. In 2002, the RSC left the Barbican. The artistic director at the time, Adrian Noble, wanted the company to focus more on touring. Since then, the RSC has not had a regular London home.

New Ideas and Growth

The RSC needed a smaller theater space. In 1971, they used a rented space in London called The Place. They built their own theater there for 330 people.

In 1973, Buzz Goodbody, the company's first female director, planned a new studio theater in Stratford. It was called The Other Place. It opened in 1974 and could seat 140 people. The name was chosen because it meant an "alternative" theater. It is also a quote from Hamlet.

In 1976, Trevor Nunn directed Macbeth at The Other Place. It had a very simple set and no break. This made the audience focus on the characters' feelings. Ian McKellen and Judi Dench were praised for their acting. In 2004, RSC members voted Dench's performance as the best by an actress in the company's history.

In 1986, Nunn and Terry Hands opened The Swan, the RSC's third theater in Stratford. It has a special stage that sticks out into the audience. It seats 450 people and feels very close and personal. This theater was meant for plays by Shakespeare's friends, European writers, and some of Shakespeare's own plays. It opened with The Two Noble Kinsmen.

Costumes and Props

The RSC has the largest in-house costume-making workshop in British theater. It is famous worldwide. In 2021, the RSC raised over £8 million to update its costume and prop departments. The old space was very old-fashioned. The head of costume said they had to move everything if it rained.

The prop-makers design and create many of their own props. Most props are made in a special "Prop Shop" in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Challenges and Changes

Terry Hands became the artistic director in 1986. He faced tough times for the company. He decided to stop the RSC's shows at The Barbican Theatre in London for a winter season. This was to help the RSC get more funding.

After Hands, Adrian Noble became the artistic director. The company had serious money problems. Noble decided to end all RSC connections with the Barbican Centre. This decision was not popular. He also had a big plan called "Project Fleet." This plan aimed to save the RSC by replacing the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with a "Shakespeare Village." It also wanted to change how the company performed.

A New Era in the 21st Century

None of Noble's big plans happened. He left in 2003. Michael Boyd then took over. The RSC had a debt of £2.8 million. Boyd worked hard to improve the company's plays and manage money carefully.

He held a year-long Complete Works of Shakespeare Festival in 2006. This helped rebuild the company's finances and reputation. In 2007, he started the long-awaited theater renovations in Stratford. This included building the temporary Courtyard Theatre.

In March 2008, the RSC started a campaign called 'Stand up for Shakespeare'. It aims to help children and young people have a good experience with Shakespeare. The campaign's ideas, "Do It on Your Feet, See It Live, Start It Earlier," guide the Education department's work.

In 2010, the RSC opened new education spaces. In 2011, BP started helping to fund a £5 ticket scheme for young people aged 16 to 25.

In 2012, the RSC put on the World Shakespeare Festival. This celebrated Shakespeare as a global playwright. It worked with many UK and international arts groups.

The RSC also started broadcasting its plays in cinemas worldwide. They also stream them into schools. This project began in November 2013 with Shakespeare's Richard II, starring David Tennant.

In 2016, the RSC opened its first permanent exhibition, called The Play's The Thing. On April 23, 2016, the RSC performed a special show called 'Shakespeare Live!'. It was broadcast on BBC Two to mark 400 years since Shakespeare's death. Many famous actors took part, including David Tennant and Judi Dench.

In 2019, the RSC announced it would end its partnership with the oil company BP. This decision came after many young people said the sponsorship was a barrier to them engaging with the RSC.

In 2023, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey became the new joint Artistic Directors.

Artistic Directors

  • Peter Hall (1960–1968)
  • Trevor Nunn (1968–1978)
  • Trevor Nunn and Terry Hands (1978–1986)
  • Terry Hands (1986–1991)
  • Adrian Noble (1991–2003)
  • Michael Boyd (2003–2012)
  • Gregory Doran (2012–2022)
  • Erica Whyman (2021–2023) (Acting Artistic Director)
  • Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey (2023– )

Theaters of the RSC

The RSC has three permanent theaters in Stratford-upon-Avon:

  • The Royal Shakespeare Theatre: This theater has 1,060 seats. It has a thrust stage that extends into the audience. It reopened in November 2010 after a big renovation.
  • The Swan Theatre: This is a smaller theater with a thrust stage. It can hold 461 people.
  • The Other Place: This is a studio theater, rehearsal room, and development space. It reopened in April 2016.

The Courtyard Theatre was a temporary theater. It was built while the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre were being renovated. It was a test version for the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre's design. It seated 1,045 people. It was also used for the World Shakespeare Festival in 2012. The Courtyard Theatre was replaced by The Other Place in 2016.

In July 2021, a temporary outdoor theater was built in the Swan Gardens. It was called the Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre. This was built because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It allowed plays to return safely, starting with The Comedy of Errors.

The RSC has also performed in many London theaters. These include the Aldwych Theatre, The Place, the Donmar Warehouse, and the Barbican Centre. They have also had seasons at the Mermaid Theatre, Almeida Theatre, Roundhouse, Young Vic, Playhouse Theatre, Novello Theatre, and Gielgud Theatre.

The Theatre Royal in Newcastle upon Tyne is also a main home for the Royal Shakespeare Company. It is alongside Stratford-upon-Avon and London.

Famous Plays and Productions

Notable Actors

Many famous actors have performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Some of them include:

See also

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