Stratford prepares to celebrate William Shakespeare’s 461st birthday
A WEEKEND of family fun and a bit of celebrity-spotting is promised when the Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations take place this Saturday and Sunday (26th-27th April).
The town will be marking Shakepeare’s 461st birthday.
There are a few changes this year, with Pragnell no longer hosting the Birthday Lunch. There will be no giant marquee set up in the Theatre Gardens, instead hosting duties for the lunch are going to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in conjunction with the Shakespeare Birthday Committee.
The parade on Saturday follows the same format as in previous years, with crowds assembling from 9.45am.
Likewise, the traditional Sunday procession to Holy Trinity Church to hand over the quill takes place ahead of the Shakespeare Sermon at 11.15am.
This year’s Pragnell Shakespeare Birthday Award goes to Cheek By Jowl theatre company founders, director Declan Donnellan and designer Nick Ormerod.
Prof Michael Dobson of the Shakespeare Institute will hand over the award to the duo during a traditional ceremony at Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall following the parade.
There the customary champagne toasts will be conducted, including the Immortal Memory toast, which will be given by Dame Harriet Walter. Other toasts include to Shakespeare and the theatre, a new toast, to William Shakespeare and Stratford, given by Professor Michael Wood, and the Worldwide Appreciation of Shakespeare toast, given by Ken Ludwig, the American playwright who recently donated £1 million to the renovation of Hall’s Croft.
Celebration timeline
Saturday
9.45am to 10.15am: Start
The band strikes up the music at the top of Bridge Street, entertaining the growing crowds before marching back to Sheep Street to lead the VIP procession.
10am: Parade mustering
Guests and participants gather at Bancroft Gardens, near the Swan Fountain, where marshals will organise the procession line-up.
10.30am: Schoolchildren’s march
Stratford’s primary school children assemble outside the Encore in Waterside. Led by the Air Training Corps Band, they march towards upper Bridge Street.
10.35am: Dignitaries prepare
Guests parade to their flag positions in High Street, Henley Street, and the sides of Bridge Street, preparing for the ceremonial unfurling.
10.40am: Arrival of the diplomats
The West Midland Fire Service Band leads a procession of diplomats and special guests from the town hall to Bridge Street for the flag unfurling ceremony.
10.46am: Mr Shakespeare arrives
Straight from his Birthplace, Mr Shakespeare – this year accompanied by daughter Susanna – enters the arena, proudly carrying the quill. He steps onto the dais, where Amelia Underwood-King will serenade him with Happy Birthday. The town criers and beadle will rally the crowd with a thunderous Hip, Hip, Hooray! Let the Celebrations Begin! As Mr Shakespeare raises the quill, a fanfare marks the moment.
11am: The flag unfurling
The Lord Lieutenant unfurls the Union Flag, followed by a synchronised flag unfurling across the town. The ceremony culminates with the National Anthem.
11.04am: The grand march begins
Students from King Edward VI School parade from Waterside towards Holy Trinity Church, led by the Air Training Corps Band. Primary school children follow behind.
11.20am: Civic procession sets off
Led by the WMFS Band, the Civic Procession, including dignitaries, guests and town representatives, makes its way through High Street, Chapel Street, Church Street, and Old Town to Holy Trinity Church.
11.28am: Invitation to Join
The compere extends an open invitation to spectators wishing to lay flowers at Shakespeare’s grave, encouraging them to join the procession as it moves through High Street.
11.40am: Tribute at Shakespeare’s Resting Place
A poignant moment as the Procession enters Holy Trinity Church, where flowers are laid at Shakespeare’s grave in a heartfelt tribute.
11.50am: Procession concludes
With flowers placed and respects paid, the official procession comes to a close.
Sunday – A Day of Reflection
11.15am: The Shakespeare Service at Holy Trinity Church begins.
The quill is placed in Shakespeare’s hand above his grave. The service also features the time-honoured Shakespeare Sermon, a moment of reflection on the legacy of the world’s greatest playwright.
Other events and entertainment
Friday
Performing Shakespeare’s Women – one-day conference
Panel of academics and creatives explore some of the most fascinating aspects of Shakespeare’s female characters. The conference will conclude with the Shakespeare Birthday Lecture (4-5pm) this year given by Dame Harriet Walter. www.shakespeare.org.uk.
Coffee, cake and Shakespeare
Holy Trinity, Stratford, 10.30am, free. Trinity Player’s annual celebration of Shakespeare’s Birthday with words and songs written or inspired by the Bard followed by the ceremonial cutting of the birthday cake.
Saturday
Silent disco
Birthplace, Henley Street, 12 to 4pm, free. Party guests can get a set of headphones and explore two different playlists of modern artists, including Taylor Swift and the Spice Girls, inspired by the female heroes and anti-heroes found in Shakespeare’s plays.
Creative workshops
Birthplace, Henley Street, 12 to 4pm, free. Drop-in craft workshops led by female artists exploring string painting and creative writing.
Shakespeare of the Deep
Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall. A new bust of William Shakespeare will be on display as part of the celebrations for the Bard’s 461st birthday. Entitled ‘Shakespeare of the Deep’ it been created by Phil Watson based on a design by competition winner Eshana Suresh, 12.
Coranto
Guild Chapel, 2pm to 3.30pm, free. Lovely Tudor tunes are promised by Stratford’s favourite renaissance music pioneers.
Own a quill of your own
The Friends of Shakespeare's Church, Holy Trinity, 6pm. Unique opportunity to experience the wonder of the church ‘out of hours’ and share a glass of fizz to toast the Immortal Memory of William Shakespeare.
The Toast to Will be given at 6.30pm by Rev Patrick Taylor, with a special ringing of the bells from 7.30pm. There will also be an auction for a unique piece of Shakespearean history: the quill. During the Birthday Parade the quill ceremony marks the occasion when the senior pupil from Shakespeare’s school, King Edward VI, places a new quill in Shakespeare’s hand in his bust in the chancel of the church. A new quill is brought each year from a goose at Mary Arden’s Farm. This year, for the first time, the quill that has been in Shakespeare’s hand for a year, will be auctioned to raise funds for the ongoing conservation of the Grade I-listed church.
Tickets are £20 each and must be purchased in advance at https://shorturl.at/q4G8W.
Female characters on stage
New exhibition, Infinite Variety: Shakespeare’s female characters in objects and words, opens at Shakespeare’s New Place on Saturday. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is offering free admission all day to birthday revellers.
Community Shakespeare Stage
Avonbank Gardens, 12 to 5pm, free. A celebration of Shakespeare on his birthday with performances from Stratford schools, community and theatre groups.
Puppet parade
Follow the puppets from the parade to the RSC’s pop-up stage in Avonbank Gardens for an afternoon of playful scenes from Shakespeare. The stage will be hosted by the RSC’s Youth Advisory Board.
Seasons of Shakespeare
Avonbank Gardens, 12.30pm, free. Four Stratford schools bring their banners from the parade and onto the stage as they perform a scene from Shakespeare, each linked to the four seasons, including excerpts from As You Like It, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter’s Tale.
Drop in Craft – Making Puppets
Avonbank Gardens, 12 to 4pm, free. Make your very own bird puppet inspired by the aerial puppets seen in Shakespeare's Birthday Parade.
Speaking Shakespeare Workshops
The Welcome Space, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm, free but booking required via www.rsc.org.uk. Explore speaking Shakespeare’s words through a combination of games, playful activities and performance in this introductory workshop.
Live music
Bell Court, 4pm-7pm.
And, of course, there is the Shakespeare Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday. It starts at 9am in Wood Street.
