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British Shakespeare Company
history
The British Shakespeare Company is the best known
and most successful open-air Shakespeare company in Great Britain.
As a performer of Shakespeare's works, we are second in size and reputation
only to the RSC. Since its inception the British Shakespeare Company
has achieved critical acclaim for its productions both throughout Great
Britain and internationally.
The tradition of open-air theatre is deeply rooted
in British culture. For over a thousand years companies have created
theatres in the centre of towns, erecting a pageant wagon or scaffolding
stage where they performed great historical and classical drama for
a mass audience. It is the spirit of these open-air acting troupes
that inspires the British Shakespeare Company.
Motivated by these traditions, and a desire to take
Shakespeare out of theatres and into sites that would make it more
vibrant, accessible and exciting for a modern audience, actor-manager Robert
J Williamson set about creating a festival in his home
town of Leeds. Now in its 14th year, it is the largest professional
Shakespeare festival in the UK, attracting 15,000 people.
As well as being "Britain's largest and best
loved open-air Shakespeare Company" (the BBC), we have performed
in London's West End, at major repertory theatres and even at Royal
Palaces. Constantly seeking new challenges and looking to bring our
work, as did Shakespeare himself, to different audiences the BSC have
also produced Shakespeare Festivals at Edinburgh
Castle, Wadham College
- Oxford, Aston Hall - Birmingham, Chiswick House – London, De
Montfort Hall – Leicester,
Kenwood House – Hampstead – London, Marble Hill House – Richmond,
Nottingham Castle, Nottingham Playhouse, Royal Pavilion & Preston
Manor - Brighton, Rochester Castle – Kent, Holland Park Theatre & Royal
Botanic Gardens – London and at Arundel
Castle as part of the
Arundel Festival.
We have just completed our first film Sweet
Swan of Avon, filming across England and Norway, which will be released
internationally at the end of 2008. This includes scenes from 15 of
Shakespeare’s plays,
which means the BSC has visited more of the plays on film than any
other company.
We also put forward the idea of a National
Shakespeare Day to be held on 23 April that received
cross-party support and widespread news coverage. Our suggestion
to send out “Shakespeare Packs” to schools for children
of all ages to give them an early and fun introduction to Shakespeare
has now been taken up as government policy.
The British Shakespeare Company has performed over
1500 shows, entertained hundreds of thousands of people, employed hundreds
of actors – from
movie stars to the finest classically-trained verse-speakers – and
always aims to capture the imagination of the public by presenting
the Bard’s greatest works in a clear, engaging and dynamic
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