Stratford upon Avon Theatre is famous all over the world renowed for its plays and the theatre in question is the The Royal Shakespeare Company(RSC).

However, the Stratford theatre is not only a place where you may think adults go to watch famous Shakespeare plays and productions.

The RSC welcomes families to its theatre as some performances are suitable for children aged five or over unless the particular production or play specifies it is not

With this in mind, the RSC family tickets are available when visiting the Stratford upon Avon theatre at discounted prices at matinee performances.

Theatre for Children

So what activities does the Royal Shakespeare Company provide for children’s visits to the theatre?

Treasure Trail: This is a fun and exciting route through the history of the theatre it makes a fun day out at the theatre for children of all ages and families. Just pick up a leaflet from the Swan Theatre or the Royal Shakespeare Theatre displayed in the foyers. Then begin your journey through the history of the theatre, as you will find stories and try to answer the clues to solve the mystery that unfolds before you.

Play Cart: The Play Cart is a innovative way for families and children to learn all about Shakespeare’s plays and also discover the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatres respectively. The Play cart is full of all sorts of activities and fun for children as you can learn all about how to make a mask, drawing or sketching a scene and creating  elaborate costumes. In addition, you could also take time out to read a Shakespeare story together or maybe borrow a book. The Play Cart is available for use all day in the Swan Reading Room and the Riverside Café and its all free.

Education and Learning programmes: Did you know that the Royal Shakespeare Company runs extensive educational services and learning programmes and classes.

From Key Stage learning to events and workshops for students through to learning performance and network. All the programmes and classes are designed specifically to enhance the knowledge of children and students alike to learn more about Shakespeare his plays and anyone interested in taking up stage acting as a career.

Key Stage 1: This course is designed for young people with the main aim to direct young people to perform Shakespeare confidently. Working with directors at the RSC you will consider the actual role of a director and approach theatre making as well.

The course also concentrates on developing young peoples language through Shakespeare and a Shakespeare Master class in drama.

Events for Students and Workshops: These courses are designed for students giving them the opportunity to explore Shakespeare’s plays as directors and actors.

You can take various courses from Theatre days where you will find out and explore current productions working closely with members of the acting company and the creative team behind the plays. You will also get the chance to ask questions about the production on that particular day. Theatre days are available on various days so you could end up been involved with productions or plays ranging from “Twelfth Night” to “The Tempest” or “Much Ado About Nothing”. Practical Workshops are held at  the RSC these are full day or half day courses which are great for exploring the creative choices behind any current Royal Shakespeare Company productions. The workshops concentrate and introduce the student to a more in depth insight into a play including the languages and characters in that particular play.

Alternatively, you can take part in Post Show Talkbacks these are specifically designed to allow 16+ students to take part in Q&A sessions with members of the Education and Artistic teams on stage with the play or performance that they have just watched on stage. Finally, you have conferences that are for sixth form and undergraduates where you can explore Shakespeare’s plays in more depth. The conference this year concentrated on the play” A Midsummer’s Night Dream”. All the conferences are run in conjunction with the SBT (Shakespeare Birthplace Trust) and you will have the chance to run a practical workshop with the productions artistic team and further explore the performance history of the play. Once the conference is over you get a ticket to the evening performance of the play.

Theatre Breaks.

Stratford upon Avon is a great place for a theatre break combining the very best in theatre entertainment at the world famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre with some great Hotels in Stratford offering you three to four star accommodations to pub accommodation or self-catering if you wish.

Plays at the Royal Shakespeare Company are world known and mainly concentrate on the works of Shakespeare but expect other productions and plays by contemporary writers or producers. As a visitor to the town for a theatre break, expect to see the best artists on stage at the RSC performing plays such as “Marat Sade” to “The Taming of the Shrew” to other plats such as “The Heart of Robin Hood”

Plus as you are on a Theatre break you can expect to get the best seats available for any production you wish to see making your Stratford break a truly unforgettable experience

There is a good selection of Hotels in Stratford that offer theatre breaks or romantic breaks in the town. A good selection of both three and four star hotels are available such as the four star rated Stratford Hotel. This hotel is great for a Stratford theatre break as well as a good base for exploring the nearby attractions that Stratford has to offer. Then you have the Stratford Manor Hotel another popular hotel for a theatre break as well as sightseeing in Stratford.

Combine your Theatre break with a pre-theatre meal at one of the many excellent restaurants in the town. Stratford restaurants cater for al tastes so you are sure too find one where you can leisurely dine before visiting the theatre.

Next year will be a very important year for the Royal Shakespeare Company as the 2012 Olympics will be taking place.As part of that the Cultural Olympiad which is a celebration of the history of the modern Olympic games including the Paralympic movement will include The World Shakespeare Festival plus the Royal Shakespeare Companies summer season for 2012.

As a family their are other options available for a night out,as for instance why not visit the local cinema in the town. The Picture House Stratford upon Avon which is located on Winsdor Street is a popular location for families. The cinema shows all the latest film releases but its more than just showing films at the Picture House in Stratford.The cinema incorporates a bar which is situated on the first floor here you can enjoy a drink from tea or coffee and some excellent beers and wines.On a summer day go out onto the all weather balcony and the bar also hosts other events from comedy nights to quizzes and live music,plus FREE Wifi is available as well for those all important business meetings. 

Therefore, Stratford upon Avon Theatre and the town as a whole has a lot to offer as in the way of education and entertainment for all.