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OUR FIRST L O N D O N PAT R O N S ’ E V E N I N G AROUND CORIOLANUS S E E PA G E 6 F O R D E TA I L S

Issue 05 / May 2017 Photography by Paul Stuart

PATR ONS

Contents

In this edition of Patrons’ News

02

A note from Gregory Doran

Page 3

Hamlet UK tour 2018

Page 4

Mischief Festival September 2017

Page 5

– Read about the UK tour of Hamlet in 2018 with Paapa Essiedu reprising the title role

– Detail of the second Mischief Festival of 2017

London Patrons’ Evening

Page 6

Discover More

Page 7

Patrons’ Events Schedule – A full calendar of Patrons only events – don’t miss out!

Pages 8 and 9

Ovid – Shakespeare’s Favourite Poet

Page 10

Matilda The Musical UK tour

Page 11

Creative Voice – Miranda’s Story

Pages 12 and 13

Patrons’ Voice – Patrons Linda and Paul Sivelle reflect on seeing Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket

Page 14

Leaving a Legacy – Hear from David Suchet CBE about the importance of legacies

Page 15

Stay in Touch – Nina Battleday shares her memories of seeing over 400 RSC productions

Page 16

– Come and be part of our first ever Patrons’ Evening in London on 10 November 2017

– There are many ways to get closer to the programme at the RSC. Learn more about some of the events coming up

– Find out more about a series of events celebrating Ovid the Story Teller

– Read about venues and dates for the 2018 UK tour of Matilda The Musical

– Read about Jenny Rainsford’s experience of playing Miranda in The Tempest

A note from Gregory Doran

03

Welcome to your May newsletter. We recently announced the transfer to London of our current Rome season, as part of our ongoing relationship with the Barbican Centre, and I hope you will be able to join us for many of the performances there. In particular, I hope you will be able to come to our first ever Patrons’ Evening in London on 10 November which includes a performance of Coriolanus as well as a pre-performance reception with our Executive Director, Catherine Mallyon and the opportunity to meet Angus Jackson, Sope Dirisu and the rest of the company and the creative team after the show.

In this newsletter, we focus on our commitment to share our work with audiences around the country and you will find details of two productions, Hamlet and Matilda The Musical that will tour the UK in 2018.

Paapa Essiedu reprises his role as Hamlet in 2018 as we take this landmark production to Manchester, Plymouth and London to name a few places. If you did not manage to see the production in Stratford-upon-Avon last year I hope that you will be able to enjoy it at a theatre near you next year. All the details can be found on page 4.

And our much-loved, multi-award-winning production of Matilda The Musical starts its journey in March 2018 in Leicester, and will continue around the UK before finishing in Cardiff over Christmas and the New Year.

I hope you’ll also enjoy the interview with Jenny Rainsford about playing Miranda in our production of The Tempest which opens in London at the Barbican Theatre at the end of June.

It was a pleasure to see so many Patrons in Stratford-upon-Avon on 22 and 23 April celebrating Shakespeare’s Birthday and attending the town parade, at my annual Artistic Director’s Dinner and, of course, enjoying the productions in the Swan and Royal Shakespeare Theatres.

I cannot thank all of you enough for your support during what is already an extraordinary year for us – so much of the work we do is only possible through your involvement.

I continue to enjoy the stories from Patrons about the years they have attended productions and supported the RSC. The back page of your newsletter is a small insight into some of these, so please do continue to share your memories with us.

Thank you again. I hope you will be able to visit us again soon.

Artistic Director Royal Shakespeare Company The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by THE DRUE HEINZ TRUST

Photo by Jillian Edelstein

Introduction

Hamlet UK tour 2018

Hamlet UK Tour 2018

Hamlet has the world at his feet. Young, wealthy and living a hedonistic life studying abroad.

Then word reaches him that his father is dead.

Returning home he finds his world is utterly changed, his certainties smashed and his home a foreign land. Struggling to understand his place in a new world order he faces a stark choice. Submit, or rage against the injustice of his new reality.

Simon Godwin (The Two Gentlemen of Verona 2014) directed Paapa Essiedu as Hamlet in Shakespeare’s searing tragedy which played in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon to great acclaim throughout summer 2016. It was also screened around the world as part of our Live From Stratford-upon-Avon series. It will embark on a major tour in 2018, with Paapa reprising the title role.

26 January - 3 February SALFORD The Lowry Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ 0843 208 6010 www.thelowry.com tickets on sale 12 May 2017

20 - 24 February NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Northern Stage Barras Bridge, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 7RH 0191 230 5151 www.northernstage.co.uk tickets on sale June 2017

6 - 10 February PLYMOUTH Theatre Royal Plymouth Royal Parade, Plymouth, PL1 2TR 01752 267222 www.theatreroyal.com tickets on sale July 2017

27 February - 3 March NORTHAMPTON Royal and Derngate 19-21 Guildhall Rd, Northampton, NN1 1DP 01604 624811 www.royalandderngate.co.uk tickets on sale 11 May

13 - 17 February HULL New Theatre Kingston Square, Hull, HU1 3HF 01482 300 306 www.hulltheatres.co.uk tickets on sale 12 May 2017

www.rsc.org.uk/hamlet

All photos by Manuel Harlan - photos from Stratford-upon-Avon 2016 production

04

6 - 31 March LONDON Hackney Empire 291 Mare Street, London, E8 1EJ 020 8985 2424 www.hackneyempire.co.uk Patrons’ Priority Booking for Hackney Empire opens 18 May 2017 Public Booking opens 23 May 2017

Mischief Festival September 2017

05

Mischief Festival September 2017

IN ADDITION TO THE DOUBLE-BILL OF NEW PLAYS 24 MAY TO 17 JUNE, WE NOW CONFIRM DETAILS OF THE SECOND FESTIVAL IN 2017, RUNNING IN THE AUTUMN.

THE STUDIO THEATRE

SEPTEMBER 2017 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

F E S T I V A L 2017

KINGDOM COME “I THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN SILENT. BUT THIS IS A TIME OF WAR.” GEMMA BROCKIS AND WENDY HUBBARD 7 – 30 SEPTEMBER

Kingdom Come is set at the bitter end of one political order and in the struggle towards something new. The year is 1640. Parliament is rebellious. There are mobs on London’s streets. England, Ireland and Scotland are on the brink of a devastating civil war.

In Whitehall, supported by the newest theatrical machinery, King Charles I is playing a god.

As the world turns upside down women preach, poor men lead, and radical ideas illuminate the carnage. But the puritan state starts to tighten its grip, and making theatre could soon be a capital offence.

Gemma Brockis is a founder member of pioneering immersive

AT THE OTHER PLACE

theatre company Shunt. She is also a director, writer and performer. Recent projects include the lead in feature film No Light and No Land Anywhere.

Wendy Hubbard is a director and dramaturg.

Recent directing work includes Chris Goode’s Men in the Cities (Royal Court 2015).

PATRONS’ PRIORITY BOOKING OPENS MONDAY 22 MAY PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS WEDNESDAY 24 MAY TICKETS £15 For disabled people who need the services of a companion, the companion’s ticket is free Free Post-Show Events in Susie’s Cafe Bar Join us after the performance for free live music (Thursday 7 September) and spoken word (Friday 15 September) in The Other Place foyer. No need to book, just stay on and enjoy the atmosphere.

Thursday

7

7.30pm

F

Friday

8

7.30pm

Saturday

9

7.30pm

Sunday

10 No performance

Monday

11

7.00pm

P

Tuesday

12

7.30pm

Wednesday 13

1.30pm

M

7.30pm

Thursday

14

7.30pm

Friday

15

7.30pm

Saturday

16

1.30pm

M

7.30pm

Sunday

17 No performance

Monday

18

7.30pm

Tuesday

19

7.30pm

Wednesday 20

1.30pm

M

7.30pm

Thursday

21

7.30pm

Friday

22

7.30pm

Saturday

23

1.30pm

M

7.30pm

Sunday

24 No performance

Monday

25

7.30pm

Tuesday

26

7.30pm

Wednesday 27

7.30pm

Thursday

28

1.30pm

M

7.30pm

Friday

29

7.30pm

Saturday

30

1.30pm

M

7.30pm

L

KEY F = First Performance P = Press Night = Pre-or Post-Show

L

= Last Performance

London Patrons’ Evening

06

Announcing our First London Patrons’ Evening, Friday 10 November at the Barbican, London

production, mixing with the Acting Company and Creative Team post show, and finding out what it is like to perform with the RSC. Do join us for our wonderful London Patrons’ Evening which will include a pre-show canapé reception, the performance of Coriolanus and post-show festivities with the Acting Company.

These evenings are great way to meet other Patrons and we welcome you to come along, on your own or as a couple or a group, to celebrate the Rome Season arrival in London.

Tickets are £175 per person and are bookable online via your Patrons’ Room or by contacting Kate Perry on 01789 403467.

All photography by Gina Print

We are thrilled to announce that we will be hosting our first London Patrons’ Evening around Coriolanus, with the marvellous young rising talent Sope Dirisu in the title role.

We have held Supporters’ Evenings in Stratford-upon-Avon for over 10 years and we have been delighted to welcome so many Patrons, who enjoyed a great evening, seeing a

Discover More

07

Discover More

We know Patrons enjoy discovering more about the plays, the creative process and the creative team at the RSC. There are many ways to get closer to our programme. All of these events are public events and can be booked online or by calling the Box Office.

2017 Draw New Mischief

Stratford-upon-Avon A free exhibition to accompany our Rome Season, exploring 250 years of Shakespeare and political cartoons.

Director Talks

The exhibition will be running until 15 September 2017.

Public Exhibition.

PACCAR Room, Level 2.

FREE ENTRY.

Wednesday 17 May – Vice Versa Friday 26 May – Mischief Festival Wednesday 7 June – Salomé Monday 3 July – Titus Andronicus Saturday 9 September – Kingdom Come Tuesday 19 September – Dido, Queen of Carthage Wednesday 20 September – Coriolanus Wednesday 8 November – Twelfth Night Saturday 2 December – Imperium Parts I & II Tuesday 5 December – A Christmas Carol

Public Event.

Open Understudy Rehearsals

29 September 2017 – Coriolanus 3 October 2017 – Dido, Queen of Carthage 20 December – A Christmas Carol 10 January – Twelfth Night

Public Event.

Post-show Talks

Monday 5 June – Mischief Festival Tuesday 13 June – Mischief Festival (BSL*) 26 September – Coriolanus 17October – Dido, Queen of Carthage (BSL*) 11 January – Imperium I 17 January – A Christmas Carol (BSL*) 30 January – Imperium II 15 February – Twelfth Night

Public Event.

Stratford-upon-Avon These pre-show, onstage events in Stratford-upon-Avon offer a chance to hear the director (and writer where relevant) in conversation. They are a fascinating insight into the creative process.

Stratford-upon-Avon Our new Open Understudy Rehearsals are not formal performances. Tickets will go on sale two weeks before each event.

Stratford-upon-Avon Stay on after the show for a free discussion with members of the Acting Company and ask them questions.

Barbican Wednesday 15 November – Coriolanus Friday 5 January – Titus Andronicus Wednesday 10 January – Julius Caesar Friday 12 January – Antony & Cleopatra (BSL*)

Shakespeare’s Rome

Stratford-upon-Avon A series of debates exploring the power dynamics of Rome as depicted by Shakespeare, through the lens of modern society. The panels will include political commentators and the play’s director.

RSC Friends Events

Stratford-upon-Avon Join the RSC Friends special events, including Q&As with actors and directors.

Thursday 20 July – Titus Andronicus with Blanche McIntyre Friday 4 August – Antony & Cleopatra with Iqbal Khan Thursday 5 October – Coriolanus with Angus Jackson

5.15pm – 6.00pm Tickets: £5

Tickets: £10

Tickets: Free, with a performance ticket. *British Sign Language interpreted event.

Public Event.

Further event details at www.rsc.org.uk/ debates Tickets: £8

Friday 9 June – RSC Friends: Alex Waldmann.

RSC Friends’ and Patrons event.

4.00pm-5.00pm Tickets: £6

Patrons’ Event Schedule

Date / Time

Event

2017 & 2018 Thursday 15 June 6.30pm – 8.30pm

Simon Russell Beale in conversation – This evening of insight with one of our best loved actors will begin with a drinks reception and include the opportunity to ask questions following the talk.

Saturday 17 June 1.30pm – 5.00pm

A Day of New Writing The Earthworks and Myth with a post-show insight from Erica Whyman and members of the Festival Creative Team.

6.30pm – 10.30pm

Vice Versa pre-show drinks with Assistant Director Emma Butler, prior to the performance.

Tuesday 20 June Midday – 5.00pm

Vice Versa Open Understudy Rehearsal – Playwright Phil Porter will give a unique insight into his new play prior to the Open Understudy Rehearsal performance. Followed by refreshments with the Acting Company.

Wednesday 12 July 6.30pm – 7.15pm

The Tempest pre-show drinks with insight from a member of the production’s Creative Team.

Saturday 15 July 10.00am – 4.00pm

Showcase Day – The day will focus on our Rome Season, with an introduction from Season Director, Angus Jackson, and members of the Julius Caesar company, and will include a rhetoric workshop with acclaimed performer and rhetoric coach Benet Brandreth, and an insight into the casting process with our Head of Casting, Hannah Miller.

Friday 10 November 6.00pm – Midnight NEW EVENT

London Patrons’ Evening – Join us to celebrate the Rome Season’s arrival in London with a limited run of the highly anticipated Coriolanus with Sope Dirisu in the title role.

Our first ever London Patrons’ Evening will include a pre-show canapé reception, hosted by our Executive Director Catherine Mallyon and Season Director Angus Jackson, followed by the performance of Coriolanus and post-show festivities with the Company.

Friday 17 November 5.00pm – Midnight

Supporters’ Evening – Enjoy dinner with members of the Company before a performance of Twelfth Night, followed by post-show festivities with the Company.

Wednesday 13 December 6.30pm – 7.15pm

A Christmas Carol pre-show mince pies with an insight from the members of production’s Creative Team.

Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 February 2018 6.30pm – 7.15pm

Imperium Part I - Conspirator and Part II - Dictator pre-show drinks with an insight from members of the production’s Creative Team.

Please note that as a registered charity some of these events are charged to cover costs. All timings for events are also subject to change.

Full details of these events are available online. Please visit your Patrons’ Room, www.rsc.org.uk.

For further ticket information please contact Kate Perry at invitation@rsc.org.uk or 01789 403467

08

Patrons’ Event Schedule

09

Location

Booking

Patron Level

London The May Fair Hotel

Tickets: £25 per person.

Tickets bookable online via your Patrons’ Room.

ALL PATRON LEVELS

Tickets: Free with the purchase of performance tickets for either performance. Please contact Kate Perry to reserve places and tables (see below).

ALL PATRON LEVELS

Stratford-upon-Avon Swan Theatre

Tickets: £20 per person.

Tickets bookable online via your Patrons’ Room.

Contact Kate Perry (see below).

ALL PATRON LEVELS

London Barbican

Tickets: Free with the purchase of a performance ticket. Contact Kate Perry (see below).

ALL PATRON LEVELS

Stratford-upon-Avon The Other Place

Tickets: £40 per person.

Tickets bookable online via your Patrons’ Room.

ALL PATRON LEVELS

London Barbican

Tickets: £175 per person.

Tickets are bookable online via your Patrons’ Room.

ALL PATRON LEVELS

Stratford-upon-Avon The Other Place

Tickets: £160 per person.

Tickets bookable online via your Patrons’ Room.

ALL PATRON LEVELS

Stratford-upon-Avon Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Tickets: Free with the purchase of a performance ticket. Contact Kate Perry (see below).

ALL PATRON LEVELS

Stratford-upon-Avon Swan Theatre

Tickets: Free with the purchase of a performance ticket. Contact Kate Perry (see below).

ALL PATRON LEVELS

Stratford-upon-Avon The Other Place Swan Theatre

All Gold Patrons are invited to join us for Press Nights in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

All Artist Circle Supporters are invited to join us for Press Nights in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Swan Theatre and London. Full details and dates are available on the website in your Patrons’ Room.

Ovid – Shakespeare’s Favourite Poet

10

SWAN THEATRE | OCTOBER 2017 No other Greek or Roman classic has influenced European art – including Shakespeare – more than Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Full of myths both familiar and forgotten, Ovid’s great work tells of love, violence and transformation. 2,000 years after his death, we celebrate

the wonderful tales of one of Shakespeare’s greatest inspirations with events across three weeks, from storytelling to readings from RSC Actors.

Sunday 8 October, 2.30pm £10, £5 OVID AND SHAKESPEARE

Thursday 12 October, 7.30pm £10, £5 DEAD OR ALIVE POETRY SLAM

Artistic Director Gregory Doran introduces our series of events with a conversation exploring Ovid’s modern relevance and his influence on Shakespeare’s writing, with Guardian journalist Charlotte Higgins and historian Michael Wood.

Sunday 8 October, 4pm £20, £15 TALES FROM OVID BY TED HUGHES

A selection of Ted Hughes’ famous retelling of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, chosen by Gregory Doran, and read

by RSC Actors past and present.

Tuesday 10 and Thursday 12 October, 10.30am and 1.30pm £10, £5 THREE TALES FROM OVID RETOLD BY AMBER HSU Staged readings for KS2 students featuring three of Ovid’s tales retold by Amber Hsu, and including characters that we continue to meet throughout Shakespeare’s plays. Specially created education resources and workshops will also be available.

Witness a battle of words and wit as three of the UK’s leading slam poets challenge Ovid, Horace and Virgil in three-minute performances in front of a panel of judges. A collaboration with Apples & Snakes.

Thursday 19 October, 7.30pm £20, £15 MUSICAL TRANSFORMATIONS

A concert of music and text, inspired

by Ovid, featuring works by Benjamin Britten, William Walton and the world premiere of a new piece by the 2017 RSC Resident Composer, Sarah Llewellyn.

Tuesday 24 October, 7.30pm £5 (all tickets) THE METAMORPHOSES BASED ON THE POEMS BY OVID BRAD BIRCH

A rehearsed reading of playwright Brad Birch’s (2013 Edinburgh Fringe First winner for Gardening: for the Unfulfilled and Alienated) fresh, contemporary look at stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

An RSC commission.

Photo by Sam Allard

A SERIES OF EVENTS CELEBRATING SHAKESPEARE’S FAVOURITE POET

Photo by Sam Allard

The Wondrous Imagination of Ovid The Storyteller

Friday 27 October, 7.30pm £10, £5 METAMORPHOSES STORYTELLING Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton retell stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses in a performance for young people and adults.

Saturday 28 October, 1.30pm £5 (all tickets) METAMORPHOSES STORYTELLING Daniel Morden and Hugh Lupton retell stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses in a performance for children aged 8 and over.

PATRONS’ PRIORITY BOOKING OPENS MONDAY 22 MAY PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS WEDNESDAY 24 MAY To book please call your Ticket Hotline or visit www.rsc.org.uk/ovid Lower price is for disabled people or children only

Matilda The Musical UK tour

11

Photgraphy by Manual Harlan

Matilda The Musical UK and Ireland Tour Now On Sale

AS ANNOUNCED IN THE LAST ISSUE OF PREVIEW, MATILDA THE MUSICAL WILL TOUR THE UK AND IRELAND IN 2018.

CATCH IT IN A TOWN NEAR YOU! 5 - 24 March 2018 LEICESTER

Curve Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1SB 0116 242 3595 www.curveonline.co.uk

4 - 28 April 2018 DUBLIN

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Grand Canal Quay, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2, Ireland 0844 248 5101 www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

8 May - 2 June 2018 SUNDERLAND

Sunderland Empire High Street West, Sunderland SR1 3EX 0844 871 3022 www.atgtickets.com/venues/ sunderland-empire

5 - 30 June 2018 MILTON KEYNES

Milton Keynes Theatre 500 Marlborough Gate, Central Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK9 3NZ 0844 871 7652 www.atgtickets.com/venues/ milton-keynes-theatre

3 July - 8 September 2018 BIRMINGHAM Birmingham Hippodrome Hurst St, Southside, Birmingham, B5 4TB 0844 338 5000

calls cost 4.5p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge

www.birminghamhippodrome.com

u k . m ati l da t hemusica l. c o m/t o ur Booking fees apply

18 September - 24 November 2018 MANCHESTER Palace Theatre 97 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6FT 0844 871 3019 www.atgtickets.com/venues/ palace-theatre-manchester

4 December 2018 - 12 January 2019 CARDIFF Wales Millennium Centre Bute Place, Cardiff, CF10 5AL. 029 2063 6464 www.wmc.org.uk

The tour will continue into 2019 and we will keep you updated on tour dates and venues in future editions of PREVIEW.

Creative Voice – Miranda’s Story

12

Miranda’s Story Jenny Rainsford returned to the RSC to play the part of Miranda in The Tempest after a successful run as Miss Prue in Love for Love in 2015. We spoke to her in the last weeks of The Tempest in Stratford-upon-Avon in January 2017 to find out more about her experience.

Jenny read English at university and while there wrote an essay on the theme of weather within Shakespeare. While studying for the essay, she considered Miranda as a very young girl.

‘Having being cast in comedy and new writing for the most part it was not a part I ever thought I’d play’, Jenny says.

As she began to dig into Miranda’s psyche, Jenny says there were two things that struck home – the idea of a father/ daughter relationship and her experience as a new mother.

‘I am very close to my dad so that was something I always thought I’d find emotional.

During the rehearsal process Simon used to come to my

Jenny Rainsford as Miranda in The Tempest

house fairly regularly. I’ve got a little baby and one evening my son was sick all over me, my bedding, the baby’s bedding, everything. And I remember looking at Simon and thinking Prospero had to do this all on his own. Their bond must have been amazing despite his loneliness.’

‘Miranda also misses women a lot. She talks a lot about her grandmother, her mother and the women who tended her. When the masque comes along, there are three beautiful goddesses and they are the first women she has ever seen.

Another mind blowing moment’.

The relationship between Miranda and Prospero was something that was focussed heavily on in rehearsals.‘ As the play developed I came to realise Miranda sees Prospero as an addict. In Miranda’s eyes he sees his stick in the same way an alcoholic sees a bottle. He seems always in thrall to his next high.

There is not one moment where Miranda says anything positive about his magic because I think she loves him most without it.

Their relationship is built upon the fact their brains are similar,

The Royal Shakespeare Company in collaboration with Intel and in association with The Imaginarium Studios.

The role of Miranda is generously supported by Miranda Curtis.

13

Photography by Topher McGrillis

they love books, they are both intellects, they love learning.

She’s happiest when Prospero’s feet are on the ground’.

Working on live theatre which involves such a large element of technology is a new experience to Jenny. However, when in the rehearsal room, the cast treated it like any other play. Had there been no motion capture technology used, the play would still have felt complete. ‘Mark would run around the room and play Ariel so beautifully that we were quite wary going into tech. We had the play. And Gregory imbued the work with such integrity that we felt very passionately about what we had without any technology.

‘But we watched it grow and develop in tech. There were times where I remember thinking this is the luckiest audience

Creative Voice – Miranda’s Story in the world. The technology combined with Simon’s humanity was beautiful.’

The actor support team also proved invaluable for Jenny, especially working with Movement Director Lucy Cullingford. ‘You often have rehearsals that creep up on you that will unlock something and you don’t see it coming.

Lucy and I had two hours in the Ashcroft Room one evening, one on one. The sun was setting and there was a beautiful light in the room. For an hour and a half we just went wild and explored Miranda’s island. Lucy would talk and I just moved. We went through the sea, the land, felt the wind and heard the noises.

We just moved and went to a different place for an hour and a half. That hour and a half gave me focus for the whole run’.

The cast are now looking forward to the production transferring to London.

‘I’m quite excited about the feeling in London. A lot of the audience will have come from work and I like that vibe, where you have to get them in the first fifteen minutes’.

Stratford-upon-Avon is a very different environment to London and Jenny has enjoyed returning to the RSC. ‘You are very enabled here.

I love everyone, our stage managers are always exquisite.

You are always supported.

I don’t know why I feel free here, it may be partly due to the countryside, but it’s also Shakespeare’s language. It’s like having beautiful pillars around you that you can hang off. It’s a privilege to say his words. I pinch myself every day in this job’.

Patrons’ Voice

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Linda and Paul Sivelle – Silver Patrons Reflections on Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing These innovative productions really gripped us as the plays sit so well together. The battle of the sexes was clearly alive and well in the 16th century.

Shakespeare’s exposition on this theme was masterfully demonstrated by Christopher Luscombe’s direction. Setting both plays in 1914/18 emphasises that Shakespeare is for all time as the text travels so well.

Some scenes we will never forget. In Love’s Labour’s Lost, the rooftop scene was so cleverly constructed squeezing every ounce of comedy, Berowne’s ‘affections men at arms’ speech lovingly delivered by Edward Bennett. Who would not enjoy the Nine Worthies in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan.

The final minutes of Love’s Labour’s Lost hit hard and did not get easier even after seeing it eight times, poignancy heightened by setting the play just before the First World War. In Much Ado About Nothing, the gulling scene with the Christmas tree was pure comedy.

In our first performance the tree caught fire, a man with a fire extinguisher appeared and we realised it was real. The interrogation scene was comic genius but with such pathos, Dogberry’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder sympathetically played by Nick Haverson.

The emotional and intimate scene between Beatrice and Benedick after the explosive wedding scene

Photography by Gina Print

Linda and Paul enjoy attending a Supporters’ Evening

was powerfully played by Lisa Dillon/Michelle Terry and Edward Bennett.

Nigel Hess’s music was so appropriate and live singing on stage gave atmosphere. How clever to use Latin translation of ‘Come live with me’ for the wedding anthem. The set was inspired and the costumes were exquisite. We saw some being made when we visited the costume department in 2014.

Then we also saw the prototype for Pompey’s boat and talked to Alan about the challenge of construction - what creativity.

Thank you to everyone involved for making these plays speak to us plainly in the 21st century.

They encapsulate what it is to be human and in love.

Leaving a Legacy

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Share your love of Shakespeare Dear Patrons, The first live theatre I saw was a pantomime. It was the first time I’d ever sat in a theatre and it was with my Grandmother in London.

It was all about St George and the Dragon and I remember vividly the suits of armour and costumes, and thinking this was magic.

I couldn’t have been more than about five, and I was completely transported.

That experience at such a young age ignited my love of theatre. I ask you to cast your mind back to the first RSC performance you saw, when you first fell in love with Shakespeare, and to

think about the performances that have moved you, made you laugh or cry.

I believe passionately that everyone should have opportunities to enjoy Shakespeare and that early encounters with his plays must be vivid, accessible, exciting and enjoyable. I am proud of the wonderful work the RSC does inspiring over 500,000 young people every year and ask you to consider joining me in supporting this life-changing work by leaving a gift in your will.

A gift to the RSC will transport a young person, the younger you, to somewhere magical, start a

lifelong love of Shakespeare and theatre in language and performance and create memories that last a lifetime.

To share your memories and for more information about leaving a gift in your will to the RSC, please contact Rebecca Preston, Development Director 01789 403473, rebecca.preston@rsc.org.uk Yours sincerely, David Suchet, CBE RSC Associate Artist

Stay In Touch

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Still a sense of excitement My first visit was as a theatre mad young teenager in 1954.

I immediately decided that I wanted to spend a week there and see every play in the repertoire. It wasn’t until the mid 1990s that I achieved this.v In between, I visited occasionally, but generally went to the Aldwych, where I enjoyed productions like David Warner’s Hamlet, the Marat Sade and a lot of Shakespeare.

In the 1990s my late husband and I enjoyed the lovely days when it was possible to attend eight or nine plays in a week – helped by the fact that we stayed at cottages just close to the Dirty Duck. Highlights of this The Big Year celebrates 2016 with photos and stories from behind the scenes, giving an insight into what it took to create this celebration of Shakespeare’s legacy.

Nina Battleday

Buy your copy now from the RSC Shop or online at www.rsc.org.uk/shop.

144–page paperback, RRP £15.

We would love to hear from you Please keep in touch. It would be great to hear from you if you have a story, if you want to share your memories or tell us why you support the RSC, or if you just have some feedback.

Get in touch Pete, Rosie and Michele at Queens Patrons’ lunch.

Individual Giving Team: Pete Warman, Michele Cottiss and Rosie Kew Tel: 01789 403470 Email: patron@rsc.org.uk

period were the Henry VI plays at the Swan Theatre and, of course, never to be forgotten, the complete history cycle at The Courtyard Theatre.

And then came the excitement of the new theatre! Beautiful, and to me magical, especially with its ghosts of the old one. I regret not having kept a detailed record of all I have seen at the RSC although it must number well over 400 productions.

You have given me a great love of Shakespeare and enormous enjoyment and entertainment.

And I still experience that sense of excitement when making my visits!

Nina Battleday, Bronze Patron