Royal Shakespeare Company Announces Upcoming Theatrical Events

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) returns to the Barbican in November with Henry V, followed by a major theatrical event in January 2016 to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death - with performances of all four productions of Gregory Doran's history plays in repertoire.

The season brings together the previously production of Richard II (premiered in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in October 2013) with the recent Henry IV Parts I & II and the new production of Henry V straight from its acclaimed run in Stratford.

Running from 11 November 2015 to 24 January 2016, the repertoire includes the majority of the original cast members. David Tennant reprises the title role of Richard II; Antony Sher and Jasper Britton return as Falstaff and Henry IV respectively in the Henry IV plays and Alex Hassell reprises his role as the young Hal and reaches maturity as King in Henry V.

RSC Shakespeare on Screen
9-31 January 2016
Barbican Cinemas 2 & 3

In January 2016, alongside the work onstage at the Barbican, a special festival of RSC Shakespeare on Screen has been created to complement the King and Country plays.

Curated by John Wyver, RSC Director of Screen Productions, in association with the Barbican, RSC Shakespeare on Screen will uncover highlights from 50 years of Shakespeare in performance. Nine titles have been selected from the huge archive of RSC work captured on stage or reconceived for film and television, and include Trevor Nunn's iconic 1979 production of Macbeth with Ian McKellen and Judi Dench, originally performed at The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon, Peter Hall's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1959) with Charles Laughton as Bottom in a rarely-seen partial recording of Hall's staging which was filmed on three cameras for American television in the theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and Gregory Doran's production of Hamlet (2009) filmed on location in an abandoned seminary in North London, with David Tennant in the title role. Questions about the RSC's involvement with film and television and the challenges of translating stage productions to the screen will be discussed with current RSC artistic director Gregory Doran and other guests to be announced.

Talks and Debates

A programme of talks and debates explores Shakespeare's portrayals of Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V. Guest panellists will include Alex Hassell, Julian Glover and David Tennant amongst others. The talks will be held in the Frobisher Auditorium 1 in the Barbican.

Further information here: www.kingandcountry.org.uk/events/talks/

Education

An Education programme will run alongside the RSC season, exploring Henry V and the King and Country cycles. RSC Education and Barbican Creative Learning teams will also work with experts from the Museum of London on an active workshop on Shakespeare's Histories. For more information on the RSC Education workshops visit: http://www.kingandcountry.org.uk/productions/henry-v/education/

Barbican Box 2016

From November 2015

RSC associate directors will be supporting the Barbican Box education programme for schools and colleges. The project involves a portable box containing tools and stimuli to encourage young people in their personal and imaginative approach to the arts. Joining the programme, schools also get mentoring, teacher training courses, tickets to the Centre's performances and opportunities to perform at the Barbican - among other benefits.

First Encounter: The Famous Victories of Henry V
19 November 2015

Following its opening in Stratford-upon-Avon in June 2015, and its tour to school halls and theatre spaces across the country, The Famous Victories of Henry V comes to the Barbican for one performance only. Directed by Owen Horsley and using Shakespeare's original language, the production condenses the three great plays of Henry IV Parts I & II and Henry V into a 90 minute adventure for 8 - 13 year olds.

Exhibition

This Realm, This England - the RSC's free exhibition will be on display in the Barbican Mezzanine Foyer from 6 November 2015 - 24 January 2016. The exhibition features a new lighting installation developed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, inspired by Stephen Brimson Lewis' design for the King and Country cycle of plays.

International King and Country tour

Following the Barbican season, Henry IV Parts I & II and Henry V tour to China and are then re-joined by Richard II in Spring 2016 for an exclusive season in New York, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).

J.P. Morgan is the Global Tour Premier Partner for all four productions, and will be supporting the upcoming tour from London to China and the US.

Live from Stratford-upon-Avon

Henry V will be broadcast 'Live from Stratford-upon-Avon' to cinemas in collaboration with Picturehouse Entertainment on 21 October 2015. For details on screenings http://onscreen.rsc.org.uk/

As well as streaming the shows live into cinemas around the world, the RSC also offers another unique opportunity to schools across the UK to experience the Company's productions for free in classrooms, with a live Q&A following the screening. Henry V will be screened in schools on Thursday 19 November 2015.

This hugely popular initiative is made possible through collaboration with Ravensbourne College. Alongside the webcast, the RSC has created an extensive package of online resources for use by teachers and students in the classroom, both in the lead up to the broadcast and for use as follow up materials afterwards.

For full cast and production information www.kingandcountry.org.uk

For further information about the season, please contact Philippa.harland@rsc.org.uk

For press tickets for King and Country: Shakespeare's Great Cycle of Kings, please contact Olivia.farrant@rsc.org.uk Please note that there is only a press performance for Henry V (11 November, 7pm). Thereafter we will be offering press tickets for those media who are reviewing all four plays in the tetralogy during the cycle starting on 12 January 2016

The £5 ticket scheme for 16-25 year olds gives access to £5 tickets for all RSC productions in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and on tour. £5 Tickets for productions at the Barbican can be booked in advance on the phone or in person with some available for sale on the day of the performance. £5 tickets for 16-25s and the 16-25 Shakespeare Pass are generously supported by BP.

Press images from Richard II, Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V are available via www.rsc.org.uk/press.images

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A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Play for the Nation

A co-production between the Royal Shakespeare Company and amateur companies across the UK.

This is an arrangement developed between the RSC and Equity.

Between 17 - 21 May 2016, the RSC and the Tower Theatre Company will perform the nation's favourite Shakespeare play as never before; intertwining professional and amateur actors, who play Bottom and the mechanicals. Following its run in Stratford-upon-Avon and UK tour, the show will arrive at the Barbican, where school children from East London will play Titania's fairy train.

On Midsummer's Day this year, the RSC announced the 14 amateur companies from around the UK who will be joining the professional company on their journey. Meet the Bottoms in the trailer and visit the Dream 2016 website to get to know the Tower Theatre Company.

http://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/dream2016/trailer-meet-the-bottoms.aspx

http://www.dream2016.org.uk/

The Barbican Weekender

The RSC will take part in the Barbican Weekender in March 2016 filling the Barbican Centre's spaces with playful experiences, interactive workshops, insightful talks, fun installations and performances with a difference, offering something for everyone, young and old, families and friends.

Marking the 400th anniversary celebrations in 2016, the next Weekender, PLAY ON, which is a free event, will take place on Sat 5 & Sun 6 March 2016, with Shakespeare being a starting point for featured artists and their modern responses to the playwright's world which will take centre stage.

NOTES TO EDITORS

To book tickets call the RSC on 01789 403493 or the Barbican on 020 7638 8891 or online at the RSC's dedicated London website www.kingandcountry.org.uk/

The Royal Shakespeare Company

The Royal Shakespeare Company creates theatre at its best, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world.

Everyone at the RSC - from actors to armourers, musicians to technicians - plays a part in creating the world you see on stage. All our productions begin life at our Stratford workshops and theatres and we bring them to the widest possible audience through our touring, residencies, live broadcasts and online activity. So wherever you experience the RSC, you experience work made in Shakespeare's home town.

We encourage everyone to enjoy a lifelong relationship with Shakespeare and live theatre. We produce an inspirational artistic programme each year, setting Shakespeare in context, alongside the work of his contemporaries and today's writers. We have trained generations of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. We reach 530,000 children and young people annually through our education work, transforming their experiences in the classroom, in performance and online.

Registered charity no. 212481 www.rsc.org.uk

Supporters:

The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION

The work of the RSC Education department is generously supported by THE CLORE DUFFIELD FOUNDATION, PAUL HAMLYN FOUNDATION, THE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER FOUNDATION and CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION

Henry V is supported by the Mark Pigott KBE family

Live from Stratford-upon-Avon is generously supported by SIDNEY E. FRANK FOUNDATION

The Royal Shakespeare Company in America is presented in collaboration with The Ohio State University.

The RSC is supported using public funding by Arts Council England

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