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RSC Unveils Theatres & Marks 50th Homecoming

As the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon reopen to the press today (23 November 2010), and the public tomorrow, "on time and on budget" following a three-and-a-half year £112.8 million transformation, the Royal Shakespeare Company has announced its 50th birthday programme of productions, which will be performed by two ensemble companies playing across both theatres from 14 April to 5 November 2011.

As previously reported, the anniversary programme will include a review of “50 years of RSC commissions”, including major new productions of Marat/Sade (first performed in 1964), directed by Anthony Neilson, and Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming (premiered by the RSC in 1965), directed by David Farr.

Amongst the season’s other highlights are: a reimagining of Shakespeare’s Don Quixote-inspired “lost play” Cardenio, directed by RSC chief associate Gregory Doran; the first major outing for Philip Massinger’s 1632 comedy The City Madam in nearly 50 years; a reprisal of David Greig’s recent hit Dunsinane; and new productions of The Merchant of Venice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth, directed by, respectively, Rupert Goold, Nancy Meckler and artistic director Michael Boyd.

The RSC describes the opening season as a “combustible mix of Shakespeare, classical plays, new work and revivals from its extraordinary back catalogue of commissions by some of the greatest names in British theatre.” Speaking today, Boyd said: “When Peter Hall first founded the company in 1961, he made a commitment to collaborative, contemporary theatre-making. The company has helped shape British theatre ever since and that commitment remains at the heart of what we do today.”

Prior to the full new season, visitors are invited to explore the new buildings behind-the-scenes with a series of events and exhibitions, while this past year’s productions of King Lear and Romeo and Juliet will return for a short repertory run in February and March to bed down the new facilities. As part of the anniversary programme, the series 1961-2011: Fifty years of great play-making will present script-in-hand readings of other landmark productions from the past, while the online and in-theatre exhibition History of the RSC in 50 Objects will retrace key events via key objects.

For full production dates and further information, visit www.rsc.org.uk.

- by Terri Paddock

Related Content

Booking Tickets & Show Listings
	Cardenio Listing Page
	The Homecoming Listing Page

Internal Links
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	RSC Launches £1m Transforming Theatres Appeal - 1st Sep 2008 News
	RST Opens After £112m Refit with Lear & Romeo - 1st Sep 2010 News
	RSC Expands Stratford Refit as Funds Top £100m - 19th Apr 2007 News
	RSC Details Plans for Transforming Stratford Base - 14th Jun 2006 News
	Back in Black: RSC Hits £1.7m Surplus in 2004/5 - 24th Nov 2005 News
	RSC Builds Temporary 1000-seat Theatre for 2007 - 16th Dec 2004 News
	Boyd Eliminates £2.8m Deficit in RSC Annual Report - 12th Nov 2004 News
	RSC Revisits Roundhouse, London Home on Hold - 30th Sep 2009 News
	The Homecoming (RSC) - 4th Aug 2011 reviews
	Cast for RSC 50th Revival of Pinter's Homecoming - 27th Jun 2011 news
	Cardenio (RSC, Stratford) - 28th Apr 2011 reviews
	'Lost' Shakespeare Moves to New Charing Cross - 8th Feb 2011 news
	Stewart & Goold Reunite for RSC's 50th Birthday - 31st Jan 2011 news
	Union Revives 'Lost' Shakespeare, Opens 21 Jan - 17th Jan 2011 news