Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon
Everywhere in Stratford-Upon-Avon Shakespeare is erected in stone likenesses, in names of shops, in reliefs, and in all sorts of merchandise. It’s so prominent, in fact, that it’s easy to forget that Shakespeare was made in this small town, instead of the other way around. Between Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Birthplace Trust Reading Room, RSC Archives, The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, New Place, King Edward VI Grammar School, and Hall’s Croft, there is no shortage of well-preserved and accessible history available. In fact, those who live there seem to breathe Shakespeare. The Tudor architecture and small-town feel of the streets add to the sense that everyone else, like me, was there for the living memory of Shakespeare’s slice of England. Nick Walton, a truly inspired historian and speaker also helped to breathe life into the Bard of Avon with lectures about the history of performances in preparation for seeing them at the RSC. To me, he seemed to embody the love I see in Stratford, and honestly, I can’t conceive of a town more enlivened by the history of one individual.
Submitted by Nathan
Dr. Nick Walton
Nick was one of our instructors when we were working with The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. He grew up about an hour away from Stratford-upon-Avon and ended up coming here because of school. Growing up he was into both the ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’ aspects of theater, and although he enjoyed both the dramaturgical and literary aspects of theater he eventually chose to pursue teaching Shakespeare. When I asked him what his favorite Shakespeare play was, he said that it changes all the time, although he did say he prefers tragedies over histories and comedies. When I pinned him into a corner asking what his favorite Shakespeare play is right now he answered King Lear or Timon of Athens. His work does often cross paths with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Although the two organizations are different, he works with actors to help them break down the text. Most recently he helped us explore previous A Midsummer Night’s Dream productions, to help us prepare for our performance back on campus.
Richard, Owner of Quilt & Croissants B&B
Richard grew up in Stratford-Upon-Avon and attended school here. After graduating he worked in Quarries as an Asphalt Technician and stayed there for a while. He was a Freelance Technician which meant that he was often traveling out of the country. Some highlights of this traveling were when he went to Jordan, at a Quarry by the Dead Sea. Later St. Lucia. It was supposed to be a yearlong contract, but he finished the job in 6 months (very impressive).
After meeting his future wife, they married in Prague right when the country split, which made the wedding even more memorable. After all these memorable adventures, Richard decided that he wanted to return home to his roots. He quit his job and bought a B&B business that was being sold. He felt that as a Stratford-upon-Avon local he could really tell people what there was to do. This also allowed him to be more involved with his children. And it allowed him to reconnect with Shakespeare because he used to watch the shows with his dad all the time. So, he could do the same with his kids. Richard even joined the Town Hall because of his appreciation of Shakespeare but also because his dad was Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon twice. Richard has always felt a deep connection with Stratford-upon-Avon and wanted to share that connection with other people.
Submitted by Sebastian
David, RSC Tour Guide
During our time in Stratford-upon-Avon, we took a guided tour of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. On top of getting to tour such a wonderful theatre, we had quite the amazing tour guide. David guided us through our tour and told us all about the building and his own experiences with performance.–Like his tear-jerking story of how when he was 12 he saw Judi Dench, and instantly fell in love, however, his love was not requited and the famous actress didn’t pay him any attention.
He took us all around the backstage of the theatre, showing us all kinds of rooms and inner workings (some of which he told us we technically weren’t allowed to see), and giving us the run-down of how things worked. He even told us that the floorboards in the lobby were the boards that had originally made up the theatre’s stage, but they were now repurposed as the lobby floor. It was lovely having him as our tour guide and getting to hear all about him and the theatre.
Submitted by Jonathan
Amelia and Will
It was a sunny yet cold day in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England. The abroad group had time to grab dinner before doing some evening activities in preparation for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A part of our group had become accustomed to eating at “Mackies” (McDonalds) because of its affordable price and consistency. I had partaken in this for a while but found myself craving something of a higher caliber. Directly next to McDonalds is a restaurant called “The Encore” which I stumbled into after passing Mackies. I found myself in a crowded pub environment where I slinked by to grab a table to myself that overlooked the River Avon. I then went to order some fish and chips from the bar and found myself thrust into a conversation with two of the bartenders. One was an older woman named Amelia and a younger chap named Will. We talked for a little bit after I ordered my food and joked about how unintelligent young people are. It was mostly Amelia making fun of Will, but I defended him and young people everywhere the best I could. It was a fun conversation that I didn’t expect but found it really fascinating. Will was also a University student, so I found some empathy in my heart for him and his work grind. I then went back to my table after some more conversation and enjoyed some of the finest fish and chips that I had while abroad.
Submitted by Josh