The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has today released further details for its new programme of offstage events and activities taking place throughout the Spring. Upcoming highlights include free puppet-making and performance workshops to celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday, a newly expanded programme of theatre tours plus the opportunity to experience over 100 years of theatre-making with the newly revamped The Play’s The Thing exhibition, now seen by over 50,000 visitors per year.  

The RSC will celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday with a free programme of themed activities, workshops and performances taking place on Saturday 26 April. The festivities begin with the town’s Shakespeare Birthday Parade, which is free to join from 10am on 26 April, and leaves from the Bancroft Gardens. The event features contributions from Bridgetown, Shottery, Bishopton and Stratford Primary Schools who have worked with the RSC’s Creative Learning team to create a series of four banners, which will be on display and accompanied by large aerial puppets inspired by the animals depicted in their designs.   

In the Avonbank Gardens, families can take part in free puppet-making workshops, whilst enjoying performances by local community groups taking place throughout the day. A new Family Activity Trail is also available to pick up on arrival at the theatre. Further details of the family activities throughout the birthday weekend can be found here.  

The Play's The Thing, the RSC’s award-winning, free exhibition re-opens to coincide with Shakespeare’s Birthday and includes a selection of new items celebrating over 100 years of theatre-making history in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the heart of the exhibition will be a new film which follows the creation of the RSC’s 2024 production of King Lear, which premiered in The Other Place and was created in partnership with the Theatre Studio of Internationally Displaced People (IDP) Uzhik; which is formed of people displaced during the war in Ukraine including teachers, students, labourers, salesmen, doctors and others who sought refuge in the town of Uzhhorod during the conflict. 

Located in the Swan Wing of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre building, the newly launched exhibition has been co-curated in collaboration with the Theatre Studio of Internationally Displaced People (IDP) Uzhik, Bradford College and Welcome Here Ukrainian Refugee Network. The Play’s The Thing re-opens to visitors on Saturday 26 April and is free to attend with no advance booking required. 

Visitors of all ages can enjoy the best in British food overlooking the beautiful River Avon at the Riverside Terrace, as well as in front of the main building this Spring. The expanded Riverside Terrace opens with the launch of a refreshed All-day Menu on Saturday 12 April, including full English breakfast and American style pancakes as well as a popular lunch menu featuring range of freshly prepared burgers salads, flatbreads and ice cream sundaes. 

Elsewhere in The Other Place, Susie’s Café re-opens for business, serving up a range of deli sandwiches, flatbreads, baked potatoes delicious home-made cakes and barista-made coffee. Further information about the Riverside Cafe and Terrace can be found here.  

Visitors can immerse themselves in the little-known history of Shakespeare’s theatres throughout the centuries, with the launch of the RSC’s new Riverside Tour. Taking in the stunning views of the river at the site of the current Royal Shakespeare Theatre, these fully accessible, 60-minute walking tours are available to book alongside the RSC’s hugely popular Theatre, Scenic Workshop and Costume tours, plus a newly expanded Ghost, Gore and Folklore tour, in which audience members can learn about theatre superstitions and supernatural sightings over the Company’s 140+ year history. Full details of all RSC tours can be found here.  

For a chance to delve deeper into the RSC’s upcoming productions of Much Ado About Nothing and Titus Andronicus, the RSC’s popular Discover Days series returns on 17 and 24 May. Taking place from 10.15am to 3.45pm at the Clore Learning Centre, participants will explore the meaning behind the text and share ideas around bringing it to life on stage through a series of interactive talks and workshops, bringing audiences closer to the many teams that work across the RSC. Full details of our Discover Days can be found here.