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Shakespeare’s Avon, Act 3: David Garrick’s Jubilee
The Jubilee pavilion on the banks of the River Avon, 1769 The story of Stratford’s rise from being a typical market town into an international tourist destination is often said to start in 1769 when...
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Lunching with Shakespeare: Stratford’s Birthday Celebrations
It’s recently been announced that Stratford’s traditional Birthday Luncheon for 500 people will not be held this year. It’s an event that has been part of the annual festivities for as long as I can...
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Taking to the streets with Shakespeare’s characters
The Procession at the Jubilee at Stratford upon Avon [London, 1769]. From the collections of the Lewis Walpole Library, Yale UniversityShakespeare celebrations in Stratford have taken many forms over...
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Picturing Shakespeare’s characters
My last post was about processions of people dressed as Shakespeare’s characters, especially in relation to David Garrick’s The Jubilee. It’s as if they have a life independent of the plays, so nobody...
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Fireworks for Shakespeare
Nothing is more likely to appeal to people regardless of age, language, or politics than a firework display, and the one that’s to be put on from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on 23rd April will be an...
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Great Shakespeare performances: David Garrick’s Richard III
Hogarth’s painting of Garrick as Richard III Few dates in the history of Shakespeare on stage are as significant at 19 October 1741. Then the young David Garrick (billed as “A gentlemen who never...
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Shakespeare’s mulberry and New Place
Shakespeare’s mulberry My current research on the development of celebrations for Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon has really focused my attention on the importance of the historic mulberry tree and...
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David Garrick’s Jubilee
The story of Stratford’s rise from being a typical market town into an international tourist destination is often said to start in 1769 when the greatest actor of the day, David Garrick, put on a...
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Stratford-upon-Avon’s historic Town Hall
Stratford Town Hall from High St Standing at the busy junction of Sheep Street, Chapel Street, Ely Street and High Street is Stratford’s Town Hall. From the outside it’s a dignified building built of...
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BBC Theatre Month now on
Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins in The Dresser On Saturday 31 October 2015 the BBC screened a new adaptation of Ronald Harwood’s play The Dresser, famously made into a film. It tells the story of one...
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The rain it raineth every day
The 2007 flood Over the last few weeks the news has been dominated by the dreadful and repeated flooding in parts of northern England and Scotland as a series of storms have swept across the UK. Cities...
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Shakespeare at Holy Trinity Church 2016
Holy Trinity Church Now we’re into April and events relating to the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death are beginning in earnest. Holy Trinity Church is always a focus during the Birthday...
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Shakespeare’s Birthday: the Garrick Ode and Edward’s Boys
I’m writing this on the eve of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and 452nd anniversary of his birth, having just begun the weekend of celebrations in the best possible way with a wonderful...
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Commemorating Shakespeare in metal and print
Garrick Jubilee medallion Whenever we come to commemorating a Shakespeare anniversary, the question is always about how this should be done, that perhaps comes down to what exactly we are celebrating....
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David Garrick at 300
A print of David Garrick as Richard III Events to mark the 300th anniversary of David Garrick’s birth have been taking place all year. Born in 1717, Garrick burst onto the London stage in 1841 in the...
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Coventry, UK City of Culture 2021
There have been great celebrations since Coventry was been named as the 2021 UK City of Culture. It was an unexpected winner, most people’s view of the city being based on the confusing road network...
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Hamlets onstage then and now
David Ricardo-Pearce as Hamlet, Bolton Octagon 2018 This week David Ricardo-Pearce has joined the mighty list of actors who have taken on Shakespeare’s most famous part, Hamlet. Until 10 March 2018...
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“This is the day!” Garrick’s Jubilee at 250
David Garrick 250 years ago today, on Weds 6 September 1769, David Garrick’s Shakespeare Jubilee began in Stratford-upon-Avon, the first Festival celebrating Shakespeare in the world. Even before it...
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David Garrick’s Jubilee Ode, 1769
Garrick’s Jubilee Amphitheatre, illustrated by Robert Bell Wheler in 1806 Today, 7 September 2019, is the 250th anniversary of the highlight of David Garrick’s Shakespeare Jubilee. In the...
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Remembering Garrick’s Jubilee in Stratford-upon-Avon
The statue of Shakespeare donated by David Garrick Imagine the scene in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 9 September 1769, the morning after the night before, indeed after the three days of David...
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