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RSC update and plans for next year

30 September 2009

Highlights

• The Roundhouse – the RSC returns in autumn 2010, bringing a repertoire of plays performed by the current ensemble of actors, and will work with the Roundhouse to develop joint projects for young people.
• Hamlet, directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney – this new production will join a revival of The Comedy of Errors, directed by Paul Hunter, in Stratford for a special week of Young People's Shakespeare performances devoted to young audiences.
• Royal Shakespeare Theatre – countdown to the reopening.
• RSC Studio – launch of pilot programme in London and Stratford to support established artists in the early development of work, based on Michel Saint-Denis's original concept from 1962.
• RSC ensemble plays second year in Stratford-upon-Avon:
  - King Lear, directed by David Farr, Associate Director
  - Romeo and Juliet, directed by Rupert Goold, Associate Director
  - Antony and Cleopatra, directed by Michael Boyd, Artistic Director
  - Morte D'Arthur, in a new adaptation by Mike Poulton, directed by Gregory Doran, Chief Associate Director
• Twelfth Night transfers to London and two new plays premiere at Hampstead Theatre (David Greig's Dunsinane and Dennis Kelly's The Gods Weep - both previously announced).
• Annual report 2008/09 (to be presented for approval at 2 October AGM) reveals the RSC took £11.2m at the box office, sold over 530,000 tickets, played to 85% capacity overall in Stratford, London and on tour and introduced one in five of its audience to the RSC for the first time.

Artistic programme

Michael Boyd, Artistic Director, said:

"The recession has hit everyone in the UK, including theatres and the RSC: fundraising, for instance, is suddenly much harder and if we were over dependent on it we would be in difficulty. The one thing that has, if anything, got stronger in hard times is the appetite of audiences for good theatre. The sociable act of gathering in the same space to share an imaginative journey, through real time, with performers and other audience members is proving more attractive than ever. Perhaps people are seeking the authenticity of an art form which works with the full human presence, at a time when so many voices in politics and the media seem inauthentic and dehumanised. Or perhaps they are seeking a sense of community in an increasingly atomised culture.

"Audiences are feeling a growing sense of community with our second long ensemble, as the actors grow in their roles and expand their personal repertoire. This company will shortly be playing our largest Newcastle residency for many years, including a world premiere in that city. London audiences will see the fruits of more than two years' work in major seasons of Shakespeare and contemporary work in 2010 and 2011.

"In the meantime, Gregory Doran will bring our Twelfth Night company to London this winter and we will premiere two ambitious plays from leading playwrights, Dennis Kelly and David Greig. In all, we will see 28 weeks of RSC shows playing in London, over the next 18 months, even while we open the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Last year there were two contenders for the London theatrical event of the year and they were both RSC shows. We look forward to an even stronger presence in the capital once our capital programme in Stratford is completed.

"We are extending our audiences all the time. One in five was new to the RSC last year. Some of them were introduced to Shakespeare by our active teaching partnerships with schools all over the country. We've made a special commitment to young audiences next year, with a festival in Stratford of Young People's Shakespeare performances of a new cut-down Hamlet, directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney, and a revival of The Comedy of Errors directed by Paul Hunter.

"I am pleased we are piloting a new RSC Studio for the development of work by established theatre artists. Ever since Michel Saint-Denis created the original RSC Studio, we have always given actors, playwrights and directors time and resources to explore ideas, but this will be a more substantial programme of experimentation. The Studio will allow us to embrace the future of theatre, collaborating with other artists and exploring ever new ways of engaging audiences.

"The rebuilt Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford is going to be a perfect home for our aspirations and we're now planning to open the building with an events programme in late 2010. The current long ensemble will return from the Roundhouse to play the first shows in the new RST auditorium and reopen the Swan Theatre in 2011.

"2011 is the 50th anniversary of the RSC and celebrations will include major revivals of contemporary classics premiered by the company over the last half century.

"In 2012 the RSC team who produced the Complete Works Festival revisits world theatre with the World Shakespeare Festival as our contribution to the UKs cultural celebrations for the Olympics."

Stratford-upon-Avon

The long ensemble gears up for its second year in Stratford and will perform in repertoire from February to September 2010. Their current productions will come back into the repertoire from July:

King Lear, directed by David Farr, Associate Director
Romeo and Juliet, directed by Rupert Goold, in his first show as RSC Associate Director
Antony and Cleopatra, directed by Michael Boyd, Artistic Director
Malory's Morte D'Arthur, in a new adaptation by Mike Poulton, directed by Gregory Doran, Chief Associate Director
Hamlet, directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney, RSC/Warwick International Playwright in Residence
The Comedy of Errors, in association with Told by an Idiot, directed by Paul Hunter.

Noma Dumezweni, actor in the current ensemble and RSC Board member, on RSC ensemble artistic development:

"The training workshops have been inspirational. When you have people who are passionate about what they do you can't help but be enthused. We'll work with at least six different directors, a different process and vision each time. Right at this moment in time I don't want to be anywhere else. The idea that we've got two more years of this is very exciting."

London

The company then goes to London in December 2010 for a 10 week season in the ‘Roundyard' – our specially constructed thrust stage auditorium which we will reinstate within the Roundhouse. The repertoire will be drawn from the ensemble's work in Stratford and will be accompanied by a major programme for young people, jointly devised by the RSC and the Roundhouse. Play titles will be announced next year.

Marcus Davey, Chief Executive, Roundhouse, said:
"Following the great success of the RSC's Histories at the Roundhouse in 2008, we are thrilled that the RSC is returning for a further season. As part of our collaboration with the RSC, we're planning a new partnership of three high level projects with and for young people and schools in theatre, poetry and new media from across London. This work will form a central part of the RSC residency here and will enable us to provide more opportunities to inspire and engage young people through Shakespeare."

New Work

Ben Power's A Tender Thing, directed by Helena Kaut-Howson, which weaves the text of Romeo and Juliet into a new narrative of love and sacrifice, receives its world premiere in Newcastle in November 2009 as part of the RSC's regular residency in the city. This is a two-hander with Kathryn Hunter and Forbes Masson.

Roy Williams' Days of Significance, directed by Maria Aberg - this acclaimed play about the consequences of modern warfare returns and will tour Newcastle, Oxford, Coventry, Poole, Cardiff and Salford in October and November this year.

Dominic Cooke's bewitching adaptation of Arabian Nights will play as the RSC's first family show in The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford over Christmas and during January 2010.

David Greig's Dunsinane, a vision of one man's desire to restore peace in a country ravaged by war, directed by Roxana Silbert, and Dennis Kelly's The Gods Weep, directed by Maria Aberg, which focuses on the life of a CEO whose global business fragments around him, both premiere at Hampstead Theatre in spring 2010.

Roxana Silbert, Associate Director, said:
"We have just premiered two wonderful new Russian and Ukrainian plays, the first new epic work to begin life on our main stage. We will follow this with two premieres at Hampstead Theatre: Dunsinane by David Greig and The Gods Weep by Dennis Kelly are plays by writers driven by political and international curiosity, who explore the contemporary world and take us into some of the very dark corners created by recent foreign policy and globalisation. Although one is historical (Dunsinane) and one contemporary (The Gods Weep) they both connect very tangibly with the distorted moralities of this troubled world."

RSC Studio

The RSC pilots a new RSC Studio programme. This will be based in Stratford-upon-Avon and at the Company's Clapham rehearsal rooms. Inspired by the original RSC Studio, founded in 1962 by one of the RSC's founding directors, Michel Saint-Denis, as a space dedicated to the research and development of work, the Studio aims to provide established artists with the time and resources to support innovative approaches to Shakespeare, classical text, and new work.

The pilot project builds on the experimental tradition at the heart of the RSC by giving artists an exacting yet inspiring context in which to develop new ideas. Recent collaborations with artists who are continuing to make significant contributions to the aesthetic of the RSC have included work with Luk Perceval, Adriano Shaplin, and companies as diverse as Filter, LAByrinth Theatre Company, Anne Bogart's SITI company, Told by an Idiot and Little Angel Theatre.

Education/Young People's Shakespeare

Demonstrating the RSC's commitment to young audiences and as part of the legacy of Stand up for Shakespeare (SUFS), the Company is dedicating an entire week of performances in The Courtyard Theatre to its Young People's Shakespeare productions. This will feature a new production of Hamlet directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney, in association with ATC (Actors Touring Company), and a revival of The Comedy of Errors, created and performed this year in association with Told by an Idiot, and directed by Paul Hunter. This special week will include a host of workshop opportunities for young people and families, all of which take place in Waterside Space, the RSC's new centre dedicated to education and community participation, opened this summer in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Jacqui O'Hanlon, Director of Education, said:
"The Young People's Shakespeare series brings together some of the most exciting artists working in theatre today to create work for our youngest audiences, living out the commitment we've made in our manifesto Stand Up For Shakespeare to ensure more young people See Shakespeare Live. We know that high quality teaching and learning through Shakespeare can have a powerful impact on the lives and aspirations of children and young people. We'll continue to work alongside teaching professionals and artists nationally and internationally celebrating the potential that Shakespeare has to inspire and engage young people of all abilities and backgrounds."

Joshua, aged 11, who watched the Young People's Shakespeare production of The Comedy of Errors with his class, said:

"It was brilliant. I'd give it 10 out of 10. There's too many words to describe it. I want to watch more."

Tarell Alvin McCraney, RSC/CAPITAL Centre International Playwright in Residence, said:
"One day - I was about 7 - a troupe of actors and dancers offered me a gift that forever changed my life. I want to continue to offer that gift to every young person I can. The RSC's Young People's Shakespeare is a great opportunity to do that."

Corporate update

Vikki Heywood, Executive Director, said:
"We have had a great year with very strong ticket sales, taking over £11.2m at the box office and playing to 85% capacity overall. Our commitment to our audiences through our programming and our ticket schemes has paid real dividends. Almost one in five of last year's audience had never been to the RSC before – a figure which has doubled in the last three years - and we introduced over 46,000 people to Shakespeare for the first time.

"We are also working to promote the world of theatre as a place to work. Our four new apprentices in props, paintshop and scenic carpentry start work this month and over 200 young people have taken part in our work placements and taster days. So much so, that we're pulling together all this activity into a new programme – Think Theatre – which campaigns to attract the best people from the widest community into our industry.

"Our Transforming our Theatres project in Stratford–upon-Avon remains on time and budget and we are now starting to plan our return to our new home. We will begin a preview programme of events and activities in late 2010 as we move back into the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres, leading to full performances in February 2011. Our long ensemble, fresh from the Roundhouse, will perform the first shows on the RST stage.

"In a year where money is tight for everyone, we have been impressed with the creativity, generosity and commitment of our friends and supporters. Our relationships with The Mirror and Prudential plc made it possible for us to trial a family ticket scheme which was overwhelmingly successful, and which is bringing literally hundreds of families to RSC shows to experience live Shakespeare for the first time. Equally, our established relationship with our headline sponsor, Accenture, continues from strength to strength, whose expertise has helped the RSC to increase our core audience base by more than 70% since 2004. And, of course, our individual donors, the Supporters' Ensemble, support us with tremendous goodwill and energy which means a lot more to us as an ensemble company than the cash value of their donations."

The RSC's AGM will be held at The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon at 3.30pm on 2 October and the Annual Report for 2008/2009 will be submitted to the RSC Governors at this meeting. Highlights include:

• 20 productions
• £11.2m income from ticket sales
• 532,764 tickets sold in Stratford, London, Newcastle and on tour
• 11,553 16-25 tickets
• 17,448 family tickets
• 38,758 schools tickets
• 5000 people took part in our free tours
• 300 Learning and Performance Network schools working with over 2000 teachers and reaching over 65,000 children
• 19% of RSC audiences were new to the company - almost twice as many new audience members as in 2006/7
• 5% were new to live theatre

-Ends-

Press Night diary 2009/10

2009	Venue	Date
Twelfth Night	The Courtyard Theatre	21 October 2009
Days of Significance	Oxford Playhouse (tour)	27 October 2009
A Tender Thing	Northern Stage, Newcastle-upon-Tyne	4 November 2009
Arabian Nights	The Courtyard Theatre	15 December 2009
Twelfth Night	Duke of York's, London	22 December 2009
2010
King Lear	The Courtyard Theatre	2 March 2010
Romeo and Juliet	The Courtyard Theatre	18 March 2010
Dunsinane	Hampstead Theatre	17 February 2010
The Gods Weep	Hampstead Theatre	17 March 2010
Antony and Cleopatra	The Courtyard Theatre	20 April 2010
Morte D'Arthur	The Courtyard Theatre	17 June 2010
YPS Hamlet	Hamlet to press in a London school (tbc)	26 January 2010

Booking details for 2009 Season

Full Members' web booking opens Monday 19 October 2009

Full Members' telephone booking opens Wednesday 21 October 2009

Associate Members' web booking opens Monday 2 November 2009

Associate Members' telephone booking opens Wednesday 4 November 2009

Public Booking opens Wednesday 18 November 2009

RSC Ticket Hotline: 0844 800 1110
RSC Membership: 01789 403440
RSC general information: 01789 403444

Notes to Editors:

Accenture is the RSC's Global High Performance Business Partner.

The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by The Drue Heinz Trust.

The RSC Ensemble is generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and The Kovner Foundation.

Further information

For more information, please contact:

Philippa Harland, RSC Head of Press on 020 7845 0512 or philippa.harland@rsc.org.uk

Liz Thompson, RSC Director of Communications on 01789 412667 or liz.thompson@rsc.org.uk

Nada Zakula, RSC Senior Press and PR Officer on 01789 412622 or nada.zakula@rsc.org.uk

For all press ticket requests, please contact:

Dean Asker on 01789 412660 or dean.asker@rsc.org.uk

For image requests

All production shots from RSC shows are available digitally by registering on the Electronic Press Office (EPO) at www.epo-online.com

Images of members of the creative teams and the new RST can be requested from nada.zakula@rsc.org.uk or dean.asker@rsc.org.uk