RSC to Mark 400th First Folio Anniversary With New Podcast

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) will mark the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio with the launch of a new five-part podcast series hosted by Gregory Doran (RSC Artistic Director Emeritus). 

My Shakespeare, The Folio Roadshow: The People, History and Stories of Shakespeare's First Folioexplores the remarkable history of the Folio, arguably the most famous secular text in the world, through Gregory’s expert eyes. Greg, seen as ‘One of the great Shakespearians of his generation’ (Sunday Times), has made it his mission to visit as many of the copies of the First Folio in existence today travelling to libraries, museums and private collections in 10 countries in the anniversary year.  

All episodes will be available to download later this month for free via the RSC website, as well as multiple podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes).

Commenting on his journey, Greg Doran said; “My Folio Roadshow came about when I realised just how many extraordinary stories connect the 235 surviving copies, and I decided to see as many of them as I could and to share those stories. 

“There’s the one with the bullet wound; one with muddy cat paw prints, or a rusty imprint of a pair of scissors, or a child’s rather rude drawing. The one owned by an eighteenth-century sculptor, and a millionaire in 1920’s Hollywood. The owner who died on the Titanic, and the owner who wrote the lyrics to Spider-Man. The perfect copy in Germany, and the grubby copy in Skipton which might have been read by the Brontës. And the one shown to me at Windsor Castle by HRH King Charles III, once owned by his predecessor Charles I, and read before his execution. 

 “My journey has introduced me to the people who look after these precious volumes, who try to interpret them in a modern context, and who often grapple with the colonial legacy of Shakespeare. It’s been a fascinating journey of exploration, in the Folio’s quartercentenary year.”

Beginning in Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon, the five-part podcast will examine the history and significance of the First Folio, charting its diverse history of ownership across the centuries and delving further into the unique and fascinating stories that populate the pages. 

In 2023, Greg directed his 50th production for the RSC, Cymbeline. This also marked the culmination of Greg’s personal journey through Shakespeare’s canon, having either directed, worked on or produced every single play in the Folio during his career.

Image Credit: RSC