INTERVIEW: American playwright Ken Ludwig on why he’s given a huge donation to help save Hall’s Croft

Renowned American playwright Ken Ludwig has donated £1 million to The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.. Described as transformative, the unprecedented contribution marks the largest private donation in the Trust’s 177-year history and will significantly support the ongoing conservation of Hall's Croft, once home to William Shakespeare’s daughter, Susanna. Good humoured and super chatty Ken talked to Gill Sutherland about his love of Shakespeare while on a visit to Stratford last week.

Tell us about the circumstances of how your donation came about.

Certainly. I have loved Stratford all my life. When I was at Cambridge as a student, I would come here all the time, and was already a huge lover of Shakespeare, I’d spend time here and see shows at the RSC, and then I’d visit the birthplace, and see all the properties because they’re so moving.Although I studied various things, I always wanted to be a playwright… and this is the source. There’s no other place like this – nowhere in the world where Shakespeare’s footsteps appear.He walked here all around the town. I loved it so much and it meant so much to me.I fell in love with everything to do with Shakespeare here in Stratford. I was here in March, when I did a presentation to children from Birmingham during Shakespeare Week, trying to teach them some Shakespeare. And so more and more I’ve become just in love with Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and what it does.I overheard Charlotte Scott [the Birthplace’s director of knowledge] talking to a colleague about the fact that Hall’s Croft was literally falling down and what are we going to do to save it.Overhearing that, somewhat impulsively, but really with my full heart, I said, well, what can I do to help? And it ended up being this donation to keep Hall’s Croft standing and open it as a centre that they can do anything they want: use it as a teaching place or bring visitors back into it. It’s a gorgeous building with this beautiful garden.I think it’s really the prize of all of the five buildings.