Visit to the RSC in Stratford

摘要

A party from the West Midlands Region visited the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) at Stratford upon Avon, which has a whole complex of buildings on land beside the tranquil River Avon. The land was donated by the Victorian Stratford Brewer Charles Flower, who also financed the building of the first theatre. Up to this time, despite William Shakespeare's connections with Stratford, the RSC had been based in London. The original Victorian Theatre completed in 1879, was destroyed by fire in 1926 and a new Art Deco theatre was built in the early 1930s, and in 2011 Queen Elizabeth formally opened the theatre which has been completely redeveloped at a cost of over £112 million. The Art Deco facade for the main entrance area has been retained. In addition to the main theatre is the smaller Swan Theatre. Both the main and Swan Theatres are modelled with the stage in the centre and the audience in tiers around the sides. In addition, at a little distance is yet another smaller theatre known as 'The Other Place' which also provides rehearsal space for the main theatres.