The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) today released full details of its Summer 2024 activity in Stratford-upon-Avon which includes free community theatre running for six weeks in The Holloway Garden Theatre, the new Riverside Terrace dining area, family-friendly workshops and activities throughout July and August and a new interactive sound and lighting installation, The Glasshouse.  
 
The Holloway Garden Theatre 
The Holloway Garden Theatre will be home to a brand-new season of free performances by community and youth groups running from Saturday 20 July to Sunday 1 September.  
 
The Open Stage programme brings together a wide range of student, community and semi-professional productions, performances, workshops and stories. Visiting companies include Silhouette Youth, Lucid Spark Theatre, Lying Lips Theatre Group and Cotswold Players.  
 
The free performances join the previously announced productions of As You Like It directed by Brendan O’Hea and The Two Gentlemen of Verona with our Next Generation Act young company, directed by Paul Ainsworth, which runs from Thursday 18 July to Sunday 1 September and Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 August respectively.  
 
Full details of Open Stage events can be found here
 
Family Friendly activities and workshops 
Visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon can also enjoy The Glasshouse; a free, family friendly interactive light and sound installation which arrives in Stratford on Thursday 8 August for three days. This dynamic exhibit changes itself depending on your proximity to it, creating a unique experience for audiences every time.  
 
Running alongside this are family-friendly workshops in storytelling, composition and speaking Shakespeare, from Tuesday 30 July to Wednesday 7 August plus the opportunity for visitors to design their own part of The Glasshouse’s final showcase.

Full details of The Glasshouse activities can be found here

Visitors can also step inside to discover more than 100 years of theatre-making magic with the free exhibition The Play’s The Thing.
 
Situated inside the Swan Wing of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre building, The Play’s The Thing offers unique insights into the history of theatre-making at the RSC which has one of the most significant Shakespeare and Theatre collections in the world. No advance booking is required, and doors are open every day from midday.  
 
Summer Schools for young people and life-long learners  
Budding actors and theatre enthusiasts can take part in a week-long immersive programme for ages 8 and upwards.   
  
Summer School for 8 to 14-year-olds takes place from 19 to 23 August and participants will create their own short production of As You Like It culminating in a special performance for families. From 12 to 16 August, the week-long Summer School for 18 to 25-year-olds returns, with masterclasses, careers talks and practical workshops across the RSC. Featuring a session with the RSC casting team, this Summer School is perfect for actors, directors or Shakespeare enthusiasts early in their career, or those looking to find their way into the theatre industry. 
 
This year we will also be hosting our 77th annual RSC Summer School. Suitable for anyone over 18, it is run in association with the Shakespeare Institute and will be hosted in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Monday 12 to Friday 16 August. Guest speakers to include Alfred Enoch, Tamara Harvey and Samantha Spiro.  
  
Further booking information on all Summer Schools can be found here
 
Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Creative Learning and Engagement said:
“Creativity belongs to all of us and can happen anywhere; indoors, outdoors, in a classroom, in a theatre, in a park. The RSCs summer programme is an invitation to participants and audiences of all ages to come together to make art, connect, discover and learn in different kinds of ways and different kinds of spaces. Whether that’s through our Open Stage programme, through the brilliant Glasshouse installation, in one of our workshops or events or through seeing performances. We hope there is something that ignites creativity in everyone at every age and stage of their lives.”  

Eating and Drinking 
A new dining experience is now open at the RSC situated beside the River Avon. The Riverside Terrace allows visitors to take in the river views from 11.30am selecting from an all-day menu, which includes salads, meze platters and ice cream sundaes. 
 
A new summer menu is soon to be announced to allow full pre-theatre dining on the terrace during the warmer months.  
 
On Stage
On stage The Merry Wives of Windsor stars double Olivier award-winner Samantha Spiro as Mistress Meg Page, with Blanche McIntyre returning to the RSC to direct.  
  
The rest of the previously announced season includes a major revival of The School for Scandal directed by Tinuke Craig, Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy’s Kyoto directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin and the RSC’s directorial debut of Tamara Harvey, Pericles, which stars award winning actor Alfred Enoch