RSC ANNOUNCES FURTHER ACTIVITY FOR 2022
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In the week that the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) new season opens in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Company today released further details of its 2022 activity including three new Shakespeare productions that speak directly to our world today, the launch of TikTok Tickets - a major new partnership with the global entertainment platform TikTok to inspire the next generation of theatre audiences wherever they live, plus details of how people can participate in 37 Plays: a nationwide search to write the stories of today co-created in partnership with the RSC’s network of 12 regional theatre partners, over 200 Associate Schools and freelance artists who together form the Royal Shakespeare Community.
The Company also renewed its commitment to ensuring every young person has access to an arts-rich education and will create a new Shakespeare curriculum available free for all to use from 2023. Evidence clearly shows the impact that an arts-rich education has on young people to support their development, accelerate language acquisition, improve attitudes to learning and their life chances.
- Arthur Hughes to play the title role in a new production of Richard III directed by Gregory Doran in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
- Blanche McIntyre to direct All’s Well That Ends Well for the social media generation in a new production exploring themes of romantic fantasy, toxic masculinity and consent.
- First Encounters with Shakespeare: Twelfth Night a new production directed by Robin Belfield created in partnership with young people from communities across the English regions to tour to UK theatres and schools including Stratford-upon-Avon.
- TikTok Tickets: a new initiative to open access to high quality theatre for young people targeted particularly at those living in communities facing structural disadvantage. The £10 TikTok Tickets are available for all RSC productions for any 14 -25 year olds, students and state schools.
- 37 Plays: Writing the stories of our nation: Details released for adults and young people to participate in a major new national playwriting project to capture the stories of today.
Erica Whyman, Acting Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company said:
‘I am delighted to announce this bold creative programme, spanning a groundbreakingly ambitious partnership project to find the UK’s plays of today, investment in our collaborations with young people and the very proud completion of the canon of Shakespeare's plays we began in 2012.
‘Across ten unforgettable years, our commitments to partnership, to inclusion and justice, and to innovative ways to share our work have deepened and evolved. All three are demonstrated in this announcement, and our new collaboration with TikTok perfectly illustrates our determination to entice new audiences. I'm delighted to welcome back the visionary Blanche McIntyre for All’s Well That Ends Well, and thrilled by the pairing of Arthur Hughes and Gregory Doran who together will breathe new life into Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Richard III’.
In Stratford-upon-Avon and on tour
Richard III
Gregory Doran directs Shakespeare’s final instalment of the vivid and enthralling story of the brutal struggle for the English crown, Richard III, running in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Thursday 23 June to Saturday 8 October 2022.
This premiere features Arthur Hughes in the title role of Richard following his RSC debut in Wars of the Roses on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage in Spring 2022.
Arthur is best known for his roles as Ryan McDaniel in supernatural Netflix series The Innocents, Ruairi Donovan in BBC Radio 4 series The Archers, and was most recently seen in Jack Thorne’s Channel 4 care-home drama Help with Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham. Arthur’s previous stage credits include La Cage Aux Folles (Park Theatre), Our Town (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London) The Solid Life of Sugar Water (NT/Graeae Theatre Company), Saint Joan (Donmar Warehouse), Vassa (Almeida), Julius Caesar and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Sheffield Crucible).
Arthur was recently announced as a co-lead in the ground-breaking new disabled civil-rights drama Then Barbara Met Alan which will air on BBC Two and iPlayer in Spring 2022. Written by multiple Bafta-winner Jack Thorne, and award-winning actor-turned-writer Genevieve Barr, the film tells the story of two disabled cabaret performers, Alan Holdsworth (Arthur) and Barbara Lisicki (Ruth Madeley) who met at a gig in 1989 and would go on to become the driving force behind DAN - the Direct-Action Network, whose fearless and coordinated protests pushed the campaign for disabled rights into the spotlight.
Arthur said:
‘It’s no exaggeration to say that playing Richard at the RSC is a dream come true. Richard is the most murderous and charismatic character in Shakespeare's plays, and… he’s disabled! I’m thrilled not only to be playing this title role at the RSC, but also that a major production of this play is putting disability centre stage. It’s sadly rare in many plays to find a leading disabled character, and with this production I hope we prove that disabled talent deserves to be in the spotlight."
Gregory Doran’s recent RSC productions include Measure for Measure (2019), The Boy In The Dress (2019) Troilus and Cressida (2018), The Tempest (2016), King Lear (2016), Death of a Salesman (2015), Henry V (2015), Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 (2014) and Richard II (2013). Set and Costume design is by Stephen Brimson Lewis.
Gregory remains on compassionate leave from his role as Artistic Director. He is currently co-directing Henry VI: Rebellion with Owen Horsley which opens in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on 1 April 2022.
All’s Well That Ends Well
Playing in repertoire with Richard III in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre this summer will be Blanche McIntyre’s contemporary take on William Shakespeare’s enduring dark comedy All’s Well That Ends Well, in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Tuesday 16 August to Saturday 8 October 2022.
Blanche McIntyre’s directing credits span Shakespeare’s Globe, the National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Almeida Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Headlong Theatre, Nuffield Theatre, English Touring Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange, among many others.
Blanche’s previous RSC productions include Titus Andronicus (2017) and The Two Noble Kinsmen (2016).
Recent directing credits include Measure for Measure and Bartholomew Fair (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) Hymn (Almeida/Sky Arts), Botticelli In The Fire (Hampstead Theatre) and Tartuffe (National Theatre).
All’s Well That Ends Well is Designed by Robert Innes Hopkins, who previously collaborated with Blanche McIntyre on the RSC’s Titus Andronicus (2017).
Blanche said:
'I am so excited to have the chance to direct Shakespeare’s most modern comedy at the RSC. All’s Well that Ends Well, as full of grief and nostalgia as romance and adventure, with its story of sexual politics, class prejudice and generation gaps, would always have felt contemporary. But the fantasy relationships and fake identities in the play make it a perfect match for our anxious, idealistic, lonely, social-media-addicted age.
‘I’m thrilled to be working again with designer Robert Innes Hopkins for our second RSC collaboration. We can promise a fleet footed, inventive, contemporary, colourful production, with one foot in real life and one in the online world. I look forward very much to bringing it to audiences, and I hope they will have a thought provoking as well as entertaining evening.'
Gregory’s production of Richard III, playing in repertoire with Blanche’s production of All’s Well That Ends Well, fittingly mark the final productions, in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, of the Company’s ten-year pledge to produce all of Shakespeare’s collected plays for the stage. Screen adaptations of both Richard III and All’s Well That Ends Well will be captured, completing a unique collection of Shakespeare on stage, produced by one Company across one decade.
First Encounters with Shakespeare: Twelfth Night
Touring to UK theatres and schools in their community in the autumn, Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identity First Encounters with Shakespeare: Twelfth Night receives a 21st Century update in a new production edited and directed by Robin Belfield, co-created with the RSC’s partner theatres and Associate Schools.
Driven by the passion that young people have for the environment and their concern about climate crisis, this new production of Twelfth Night has been created with a focus on sustainable practice: from the way it is made to the way it tours. The production, designed by Georgie White, will feature a set made by students from Birmingham Ormiston Academy using reclaimed and recycled materials.
First Encounters productions give 7-13 year olds a fantastic first experience of Shakespeare whilst also being brilliant introductions for anyone new to his work. Using edited versions of the original language, they bring the plays to life in 90- minute productions for audiences of any age.
Twelfth Night will tour to theatres and schools in Birmingham, Northampton, Cumbria, Blackpool, Bradford, York, Hull, Nottingham and Suffolk before returning to Stratford-upon-Avon for performances from Thursday 10 – Saturday 12 November. See listings for full touring information.
TikTok Tickets
The RSC and TikTok want to inspire the next generation of theatre audiences, developing a lasting commitment and love of theatre and live performance. Developed in consultation with the RSC’s Youth Advisory Board, TikTok Tickets opens further opportunities for young people to see RSC shows for £10, whether they are booking independently or visiting with their school. The collaboration will deliver unique creative and educational experiences for young people and students.
TikTok Tickets are available to all 14–25-year-olds, with a focus on increasing access to theatre regionally across the country and state school sector. The RSC will work with TikTok to provide subsidised travel, information and support to encourage young people’s access to RSC productions and to help develop diverse audiences of the future.
From June 2022, young people and full-time students can see an RSC show in Stratford-upon-Avon or London for £10 (£5 for reduced-price previews), while state schools can also book £10 TikTok Tickets for group visits in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Although open to any 14 – 25-year-old, the partnership will particularly engage those communities most in need. Work with the RSC’s Associate Schools network will deepen young people’s engagement with theatre and live performance ensuring state schools are encouraging students to book tickets independently as well as organising group visits.
Rich Waterworth, General Manager, UK & EU, at TikTok said:
‘Creativity and the arts have always been at the heart of our community on TikTok. Every day, we are the stage to theatre renditions, comedy performances or modern-day plays, performed and imagined by creators from every part of the UK. By partnering with the Royal Shakespeare Company to provide greater access to the work they do, we hope to inspire more young people to enjoy, experience and participate in theatre and the arts in all its forms.’
The RSC and TikTok will create engaging and relevant content to ensure young people can see connections between the plays and their own lives and experiences including regular TikTok takeovers, behind-the-scenes access and special events. Each young person can purchase two TikTok Tickets per booking and can book the tickets as part of a mixed group with friends and family.
Tickets will be available to book for Richard III and All’s Well That Ends Well from Monday 7 March.
Our Royal Shakespeare Community
The Royal Shakespeare Community incorporates 1,000 schools, 1,500 adults and over half a million young people across the nation, enabling them to learn about, participate in, challenge, and make performances of Shakespeare’s plays.
37 Plays - Writing the stories of our nation
Anybody from anywhere in the UK can participate in 37 Plays, a nationwide project to capture the stories of today. Working with the RSC’s 12 regional partner theatres, the newly launched website 37plays.co.uk will offer playwriting support and advice to those who are writing a play for the first-time, as well as emerging and professional writers throughout 2022.
This ambitious endeavour is supported by award-winning playwrights Juliet Gilkes Romero and Mark Ravenhill as ambassadors and senior consultants. The website will launch with a new podcast series hosted by Mark and featuring contributions from some of the most inspiring voices currently working in the UK.
Taking inspiration from Mark’s acclaimed 101 Notes on Playwriting, published on Twitter throughout Spring 2021, each 15-minute episode will explore two playwriting tips and will feature guest contributions from Lolita Chakrabarti, Danusia Samal, Chinonyerem Odimba, James Graham, Winsome Pinnock and Hannah Khalil.
The first episode is now live with a further five episodes to be released throughout February and March.
Submissions for 37 Plays will open on 1 January 2023 and close on 31 January 2023. Submitted plays will be read by a national panel selected by the RSC’s network of Associate Regional Theatres: The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, The Grand Theatre Blackpool, Hull Truck Theatre, Hall for Cornwall, Intermission Youth Theatre, The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, Northern Stage, Norwich Theatre, Nottingham Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, The New Vic Theatre, Stoke, Silhouette Youth Theatre and York Theatre Royal.
The chosen 37 plays will be announced in April 2023 and will be performed script-in-hand, across the UK and online in autumn 2023.
From five-act plays to short-form monologues, plays performed on stage, in classrooms or on the streets, to untried and emerging formats, 37 Plays invites children, young people, and adults, including established and first-time writers to write the comedies, tragedies and untold histories of our time.
37 Plays is open to anyone in the UK who wants to submit a play with the simple brief of creating a piece of drama that can make people laugh, smile, cry or think. The project will explore who we are as a society and inspire conversation about what the future of dramatic writing might look and feel like, on and off our stages.
Play submissions divide into three age categories of up to 11 years old, 12 to 17 years old and 18 years old and above. Multi-authored plays may nominate a lead writer or average age of writers.
Submitted plays must be predominantly written in English, or in British Sign Language, with a translation provided for any text not in English language*. Entries must not be less than one A4 page and cannot be more than a hundred A4 pages. Plays must be a complete original story, not a sample of a story or an adaptation of a story. Submitted plays must not have had a professional production or be under commission at the time of submission.
* For Makaton users, plays can be submitted in Communication Print with a written English translation to accompany. The RSC welcomes BSL entries and does not require a translation to be provided.
All of the 37 plays selected will be awarded a fee for publication, performance and/or broadcast. Any submission subsequently commissioned for production will be subject to usual commission processes approved by the Writer’s Guild of Great Britain.
Full details of Terms and Conditions of entry and associated FAQs can be accessed via 37plays.co.uk
A new Shakespeare curriculum for all
The RSC has one of the UK’s largest arts learning programmes and believes that all young people should have access to an arts-rich education. Research highlights the uneven playing field with some young people having regular access to proven life defining arts opportunities, whilst others miss out completely.
In 2023 the RSC will launch a new online Shakespeare curriculum. Developed with the RSC Youth Advisory Board, young people, teachers and artists nationally, the curriculum will be available free and online for all UK primary and secondary schools to provide inspiration and resources for teachers and young people to make and shape their own Shakespeare curriculum at Key Stage 3.
The RSC will also expand the Company’s teacher professional development activity using proven performance-based approaches to teaching Shakespeare to support young people’s development, accelerate language acquisition and improve attitudes to learning.
Work on the curriculum begins now and will be developed throughout 2022. The RSC’s ambition is to influence the teaching of Shakespeare in every secondary school in the country once the curriculum launches in 2023.
Jacqui O’ Hanlon, Director of Learning and National Partnerships said:
‘A new Shakespeare curriculum is needed that enables young people and their teachers to explore, test and challenge the relevance of Shakespeare’s work to our lives and world today. Our society needs students who can wrestle with complexity, problem solve, interpret, analyse; who can tell the difference between good arguments and bad; who can see and appreciate different points of view.
‘Exploring Shakespeare’s plays as actors and directors do in the rehearsal room can create these kinds of outcomes for all learners. Current curriculum guidance states that students should study two plays by Shakespeare and analyse the language. We know there are so many more powerful learning opportunities with Shakespeare’s work. We look forward to collaborating with young people, teachers and artists to create a Shakespeare curriculum for the 21st Century.’
Other RSC Learning activity to support young people and teachers includes:
- The return of the RSC’s annual Summer School for lifelong learners, which will run online from Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 August with an inspiring mix of online and in-person sessions soon to be announced, a week-long
- Playmaking Festival from Monday 11 – Friday 15 July taking place in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and bringing together over 440 young people aged 5 to 18 from the RSC’s national Associate Schools network
- New on demand online conference programme for GCSE English students running from Tuesday 26 – Friday 29 April where schools can sign up to a programme of on demand and live content to support students as they prepare for their GCSE exams.
- Sixth Form Student Conference on Friday 16 September exploring Richard III which will provide unique insights into the production and the interpretive choices made by the company
The Clore Learning Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon will re-open from Tuesday 3 May with a programme of in person workshops and conferences for young people and teachers throughout the summer term and next academic year.
This year also marks the launch of a new Teacher Hub as part of the RSC’s award-winning Shakespeare Learning Zone website: a bespoke resource for students aged 11-18 years visited by over 3 million+ users worldwide annually.
The new Teacher Hub is a fully personalised learning space to enable teachers to save content, store their favourite resources and create their own lessons using videos, activities and images from across the learning zone site. To access the Shakespeare Learning Zone, visit rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone
Swan Theatre Update
During 2022, the Swan Theatre will undergo essential construction and maintenance work to improve the experience of the auditorium for audiences, with new seats and improved access, including additional seating with level access and a total of 11 wheelchair positions, a new hearing loop and improved auditorium lighting.
The inside of the Swan Theatre will be stripped back to its wooden frame, and a new structural grid installed to take the weight off the ceiling. At the same time, a new infrastructure for lighting, sound and video streaming will be installed, as well as cleaning and repairing the wood and brickwork. These essential works will increase the technical flexibility of the theatre and help us to make productions more sustainably. We expect the Swan Theatre to reopen in early 2023.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Kate Evans (Media and Communications Manager), kate.evans@rsc.org.uk
07920 244434
Priority Booking
Major Supporters, Production Circle, Artists Circle and Gold Patrons: 21 February
Silver Patrons: 22 February
Bronze Patrons: 23 February
Members: 28 February
Subscribers: 3 March
Public: 7 March
Listings Information:
Richard III
Thursday 23 June – Saturday 8 October 2022
Press Night: Thursday 30 June, 7pm
Directed by Gregory Doran
‘Conscience is but a word that cowards use’
Young Richard of Gloucester uses the chaos of the Wars of the Roses to begin his unscrupulous climb to power. Despite being manifestly unfit to govern, he seizes the crown, as King Richard III. But how does he do it?
How do we let tyrants get away with it? How does it happen? How do they find their way to power? Who enables them? Why do we buy in to it? And how can it be stopped?
Richard III is a darkly comic analysis of the exercise of power. It reminds us both of the dangers of tyranny, and of our duty not to let it go unchecked.
Directed by Gregory Doran and featuring Arthur Hughes as Richard, this is the thrilling climax to Shakespeare’s first great history cycle.
All’s Well That Ends Well
Tuesday 16 August – Saturday 8 October 2022
Press Night: Tuesday 23 August, 7pm
Directed by Blanche McIntyre
‘The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together.’
Low-born orphan Helena is convinced that she and image-conscious Bertram are couple goals. He’s not so sure.
After engineering their betrothal, Helena will go to any length to bring her idealised version of romance to life. But what happens when the reality of their relationship doesn’t match up to the fantasy she envisioned? And do the ends always justify the means?
This summer, Director Blanche McIntyre brings a modern resonance to All’s Well That Ends Well, Shakespeare’s enduring dark comedy.
Twelfth Night
Edited and Directed by Robin Belfield
20 September – 12 November 2022
Shipwrecked and separated from her twin brother, Viola washes up on a strange shore and into an even stranger situation. Disguising herself as a man called Cesario, Viola finds work with Duke Orsino, only to fall head over heels in love with him. But Orsino is in love with Olivia, who is grieving for her brother and refusing all offers of romance. Until, that is, she sees Cesario for the first time.
Add one ambitious butler and some practical joking servants and you have a hugely entertaining story of hoaxes, heartbreak and hidden identities.
Our First Encounters with Shakespeare productions are created to give 7-13 year olds a fantastic first experience of Shakespeare whilst also being brilliant introductions for anyone new to his work. Using edited versions of the original language, they bring the plays to life on stage in just 90 minutes.
Tour dates:
Birmingham
Nelson Mandela Primary School, 20-21 September
Northampton
Silhouette Youth Theatre, 23-24 September
Cumbria
Dowdales School, 27 September
Blackpool
Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School, 28 September
Grand Theatre Blackpool, 29 September - 1 October
York
Fulford School, 11 October
York Theatre Royal, 12 October
Bradford
Bellevue School, 14 October
Hull
Hull Truck, 18-19 October
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Springhead Primary School, 3-4 November
Suffolk
Ormiston Sudbury Academy, 7-8 November
Stratford-upon-Avon
The Other Place, 10-12 November
Notes to editors:
Associate Schools - The Associate Schools programme is the RSC’s long-term partnership programme with schools and regional theatres across England. It is open to primary, secondary and special state-maintained schools in England, with a specific focus on schools serving areas of structural disadvantage. It is built around the principle of schools working in local partnerships to develop communities of practice.
Each local partnership consists of a Lead Associate School, who in turn recruits up to ten Associate Schools. In many cases, these local partnerships include a regional theatre as well as the RSC. See the below list of our Associate Regional Theatres and Lead Associate Schools. More information HERE
The RSC is supported using public funding by Arts Council England
The RSC is generously supported by RSC America
The work of the RSC is supported by the Culture Recovery Fund
Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III and All’s Well That Ends Well are supported by Season Supporter Charles Holloway
All’s Well That Ends Well is kindly supported by ICBC (London)
37 Plays is supported by Jon and NoraLee Sedmak
TikTok Tickets sponsored by TikTok
The work of the RSC Learning and National Partnerships is generously supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, The Clore Duffield Foundation, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, GRoW@Annenberg, The Polonsky Foundation, The Wyfold Charitable Trust, Stratford Town Trust, The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity, Teale Charitable Trust, The Grimmitt Trust, George Fentham Birmingham Charity and The Misses Barrie Charitable Trust.
The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and The Kovner Foundation
The work of the RSC Literary Department is generously supported by The Drue and H.J. Heinz II Charitable Trust
The RSCs Associate Regional Theatres are:
The Grand Theatre, Blackpool; The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford; The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; Hall for Cornwall; Hull Truck Theatre, Hull; Intermission Youth, London; New Vic Theatre, Stoke on Trent; Northern Stage, Newcastle; Nottingham Theatre Royal, Nottingham; Norwich Theatre; Silhouette Youth Theatre; York Theatre Royal, York.
Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
The Royal Shakespeare Company creates world class theatre, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world, performing plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as well as commissioning an exceptionally wide range of original work from contemporary writers. Our purpose is to ensure that Shakespeare is for everyone, and we do that by unlocking the power of his plays and of live performance, throughout the UK and across the world.
We believe everybody’s life is enriched by culture and creativity. We have trained generations of the very best theatre makers and we continue to nurture the talent of the future. Our transformative Learning Programmes reach over half a million young people and adults each year, and through our Placemaking and Public Programme we create projects with and for communities who have not historically engaged with our work. We are a leader in creative immersive technologies and digital development.
We have a proud record of innovation, diversity and excellence on stage and are determined to grasp the opportunity to become an even more inclusive, progressive, relevant and ambitious organisation.
We are committed to being a teaching and learning theatre – in which we create world class theatre for, with and by audiences and theatre makers of all ages. We provide training for emerging and established theatre makers and arts professionals, for teachers and for young people. We share learning formally and informally. We embed training and research across our company, work and processes.
We recognise the climate emergency and work hard to embed environmental sustainability into our operations, creative work and business practice, making a commitment to continually reduce our carbon footprint.
Keep Your RSC supports our mission to create theatre at its best, unlocking Shakespeare and transforming lives. Thousands of generous audience members, trusts and foundations and partners supported Keep Your RSC in 2020 and, alongside a £19.4 million loan from the Culture Recovery Fund, we are thrilled to be welcoming audiences back. It will take time to recover, to reopen all our theatres, and many years to repay the loan and the support and generosity of our audiences is more important than ever. Please donate at rsc.org.uk/donate
Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk