Latest news with #StratfordUponAvon
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Outlander's Sam Heughan to play Macbeth in Royal Shakespeare Company debut
Outlander star Sam Heughan is to play Macbeth in his debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). The British theatre company has announced its programme of events for 2025/2026, including a raft of plays that will be staged in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of famous playwright William Shakespeare. In the RSC's latest version of Macbeth, Scottish actor Heughan, 45, known for playing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in romance drama Outlander, will star opposite The Day Of The Jackal actress Lia Williams, as Lady Macbeth. Heughan said: 'At age 18, standing on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, playing 'spear-carrier number 2' (essentially a glorified extra) in a production of Macbeth, I could only dream of one day playing the infamous title character. 'It feels full circle to be returning to the stage, after over a decade working primarily in television and film. 'Not only is Macbeth my favourite Shakespeare play: intense, immediate and unsettling, it also happens to be famously Scottish. 'The RSC has always been at the pinnacle of my ambition and I feel deeply honoured and thankful to be working alongside some enormously talented and creative people. 'The Other Place is the perfect space to create an intense, intimate production and, like Lady M, we will be calling upon the spirits of the RSC's highly acclaimed past productions for their blessing.' David Tennant, Sir Ian McKellen, and Ralph Fiennes are among the actors who have played the famous character who, consumed by greed and power, murders the king to take the Scottish throne for himself. The new production will be shown at The Other Place theatre from October 9 to December 6. Elsewhere, four of Shakespeare's most famous characters have their stories revisited across two performances, also being staged at The Other Place, from January 2026. The first performance in All Is But Fantasy explores the story of Lady Macbeth, who is consumed by guilt after plotting to murder King Duncan, and Emilia, a character in tragedy play, Othello. The second performance looks at the story of Juliet, from tragic romance story Romeo And Juliet, and Richard III, who uses manipulation to become king in the eponymous play. Olivier award-winning actor Adrian Lester will play the title role of Cyrano de Bergerac in a new version of Edmond Rostand's play about the novelist and playwright, showing at the Swan Theatre from September 27 to November 15. Over at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Harry Potter star Alfred Enoch will star as Henry V in a play running from March 14 to April 25 2026. Other highlights include an 80-minute staging of King Lear and a two-part adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels, The Forsyte Saga, both playing at the Swan Theatre later in the year, with the former also going on tour. The RSC is also staging plays in the West End and recently announced the UK premiere of Liz Duffy Adams's Born With Teeth, which will play at Wyndham's Theatre, previewing on August 13 with a final performance on November 1. The production follows rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe, played by Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa, and Shakespeare, played by Killing Eve's Edward Bluemel. Over in North America, Lolita Chakrabarti's acclaimed stage adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning novel Hamnet embarks on a three-date tour of the US in Spring 2026. RSC co-artistic directors Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans said: 'From Malawi or Manhattan, through French fields, Scottish heaths, mythical lands and Giant country, our 2025/26 programme celebrates what we believe a 21st Century RSC can and should be: global in ambition and outlook, open and collaborative in nature and continuously redefining how Shakespeare and great storytelling can bring joy, connection and improve our understanding of one-another. 'We are delighted to welcome so many artists in their RSC debuts this season, including internationally renowned acting talents Adrian Lester, Sam Heughan and Lia Williams, playwrights Debris Stevenson, Richy Hughes, Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan, alongside the visionary theatre-makers of tomorrow, Lynette Linton, Simon Evans, Josh Roche and Whitney White to name a few.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Outlander's Sam Heughan to play Macbeth in Royal Shakespeare Company debut
Outlander star Sam Heughan is to play Macbeth in his debut with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). The British theatre company has announced its programme of events for 2025/2026, including a raft of plays that will be staged in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of famous playwright William Shakespeare. In the RSC's latest version of Macbeth, Scottish actor Heughan, 45, known for playing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser in romance drama Outlander, will star opposite The Day Of The Jackal actress Lia Williams, as Lady Macbeth. Heughan said: 'At age 18, standing on the main stage of the Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, playing 'spear-carrier number 2' (essentially a glorified extra) in a production of Macbeth, I could only dream of one day playing the infamous title character. 'It feels full circle to be returning to the stage, after over a decade working primarily in television and film. 'Not only is Macbeth my favourite Shakespeare play: intense, immediate and unsettling, it also happens to be famously Scottish. 'The RSC has always been at the pinnacle of my ambition and I feel deeply honoured and thankful to be working alongside some enormously talented and creative people. 'The Other Place is the perfect space to create an intense, intimate production and, like Lady M, we will be calling upon the spirits of the RSC's highly acclaimed past productions for their blessing.' David Tennant, Sir Ian McKellen, and Ralph Fiennes are among the actors who have played the famous character who, consumed by greed and power, murders the king to take the Scottish throne for himself. The new production will be shown at The Other Place theatre from October 9 to December 6. Elsewhere, four of Shakespeare's most famous characters have their stories revisited across two performances, also being staged at The Other Place, from January 2026. The first performance in All Is But Fantasy explores the story of Lady Macbeth, who is consumed by guilt after plotting to murder King Duncan, and Emilia, a character in tragedy play, Othello. The second performance looks at the story of Juliet, from tragic romance story Romeo And Juliet, and Richard III, who uses manipulation to become king in the eponymous play. Olivier award-winning actor Adrian Lester will play the title role of Cyrano de Bergerac in a new version of Edmond Rostand's play about the novelist and playwright, showing at the Swan Theatre from September 27 to November 15. Over at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Harry Potter star Alfred Enoch will star as Henry V in a play running from March 14 to April 25 2026. Other highlights include an 80-minute staging of King Lear and a two-part adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels, The Forsyte Saga, both playing at the Swan Theatre later in the year, with the former also going on tour. The RSC is also staging plays in the West End and recently announced the UK premiere of Liz Duffy Adams's Born With Teeth, which will play at Wyndham's Theatre, previewing on August 13 with a final performance on November 1. The production follows rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe, played by Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa, and Shakespeare, played by Killing Eve's Edward Bluemel. Over in North America, Lolita Chakrabarti's acclaimed stage adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's award-winning novel Hamnet embarks on a three-date tour of the US in Spring 2026. RSC co-artistic directors Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans said: 'From Malawi or Manhattan, through French fields, Scottish heaths, mythical lands and Giant country, our 2025/26 programme celebrates what we believe a 21st Century RSC can and should be: global in ambition and outlook, open and collaborative in nature and continuously redefining how Shakespeare and great storytelling can bring joy, connection and improve our understanding of one-another. 'We are delighted to welcome so many artists in their RSC debuts this season, including internationally renowned acting talents Adrian Lester, Sam Heughan and Lia Williams, playwrights Debris Stevenson, Richy Hughes, Shaun McKenna and Lin Coghlan, alongside the visionary theatre-makers of tomorrow, Lynette Linton, Simon Evans, Josh Roche and Whitney White to name a few.'
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Shakespeare statues appear along Birmingham-Stratford rail route
Statues honouring the world-famous playwright William Shakespeare have been installed on train platforms along a West Midlands railway line. A total of 18 stations between Birmingham Moor Street and the birthplace of Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon, have been connected to a different one of his plays, with 34 statues placed along the of the pairings include, Yardley Wood and Twelfth Night, Wood End and The Merchant of Venice, as well as Henley-in-Arden and Romeo and Juliet. Students from King Edward VI School in Stratford, which Shakespeare attended, marked the unveiling of their town's statue with a short performance of an extract from As You Like It. Nick Abbey, the school's head of English, said: "Shakespeare remains a central part of the English curriculum, not least because of the power and beauty of his language, but also because the characters he creates and the emotions they experience still feel fresh and relevant to today's students". 'The statues put the line on the map' A spokesperson for Network Rail said the project had been made possible as a result of funding from Friends of the Shakespeare Line (FoSL), Network Rail, West Midlands Railway and Chiltern Wiseman, from West Midlands Railway, said: "The West Midlands is rich in literary history and we are sure these new artworks will bring a sense of local pride to the millions of passengers who pass through these stations each year".The stations have a flower box alongside each statue to provide information to locals and visitors about the play it is connected to and the story of Shakespeare in Warwickshire. Neil Morgan, treasurer of FoSL, added that the statues had put the line "well and truly on the map". Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Mastermind rivals find love after nail-biting final
It is one of few prime-time game shows that forfeits teamwork for solo acumen so Mastermind was the last place the contestant Claire Reynolds expected to find a romantic partner. However, after just missing out on the top score in the final of the 52nd series, it was the season's victor — John Robinson, a teacher at Bishop Challoner Catholic College in Birmingham — who became Reynolds's team-mate in life. Reynolds, 42, from Stratford-upon-Avon, was beaten by Robinson by a single point in the last seconds of the show, which requires contestants to answer questions on a specialist subject of their choice and another round on general knowledge. Reynolds, an actuary with National Farmers Union Mutual society, said the single-point loss would always bother her.
Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Stereolab: Instant Holograms on Metal Film review — delightful and original
Back in 1996 Stereolab were on the bill at the now defunct Phoenix festival, an unpleasant rock/dance/rap affair that took place on an airstrip near Stratford-upon-Avon. The sound and perhaps sight of three women and two men in Sixties modernist clothing playing polite electronic pop influenced by European arthouse cinema, brutalist architecture and Marxist politics appeared to offend the beery, thuggish crowd. They were there chiefly to wait for members of the hip-hop collective the Wu-Tang Clan to take to the stage. Stereolab managed to get through three songs, including their peerless classic French Disko, before giving in to the shower of bottles, cans and sexually loaded insults coming their way. It must be a sign of progress that since then, Stereolab have become one
