Stratford-upon-Avon

As Shakespeare may, or may not have said, I bid thee welcome to Stratford-upon-Avon! There’s nowhere quite like this gorgeous little riverside town with its quaint streets named after sheep and scholars, its Elizabethan half-timbered houses and its ever-present connections to the world’s greatest playwright. We’ll visit all the places connected to Shakespeare, from birthplace to grave and immerse ourselves in Stratford’s theatre culture, from backstage to box office via the dressing rooms and favourite haunts of the actors who keep his story alive in 21st century Stratford.

The 3 episodes in our City Breaks Stratford-upon-Avon mini-series bring you all the background history and culture you need to fully understand this delightful little town. In short, here is all the research you’d do yourself if only you had the time.

Each episode centres around a podcast, available here or on all the usual providers. As a minimum, you’ll also find an introductory summary plus useful links and ideas for further reading. Eventually, there’ll be full blogpost with lot more information and pictures.

Stratford-upon-avon : HISTORY & CULTURE

Shakespeare's Birthplace © Stratford-Upon-Avon © Marian Jones

EPISODE 1: Introduction to Stratford-Upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon, with its Tudor gabled houses, riverside setting, swans and boats, is really all about one thing – Shakespeare – and we’ll be ‘meeting’ him and ‘touring’ all the places connected to him. So, with no more ado and as the great man himself might have said, shall we wend?

Shakespeare Stratford-Upon-Avon taken at Shakespeare's Birthplace by Marian Jones

Episode 2: FINDING SHAKESPEARE IN STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

Stratford has many charms – its Tudor ambiance, its riverside setting – but really there’s only one reason why it attracts up to 6 million visitors in a year. Shakespeare. And this episode is dedicated to him: a little biography, focussing mainly on his Stratford years and a run-down of all the places in the town where you can ‘find’ him today.

Royal Shakespeare Theatre Stratford-Upon-Avon Wikimedia Creative Commons Attribution: River Balcony by J Scott

Episode 3: EXPLORING THEATRE IN STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

If you wish to find Shakespeare’s theatre connections in Stratford there are more possibilities than you might think. All of his 37 plays have been performed in the town by the Royal Shakespeare Company, but did you know that they have three theatres in Stratford?