A rundown of the best Shakespeare themed events.
“All the world’s a stage”: so why not join in the Shakespeare fun yourself? Here are the best events across London to help you celebrate 400 years since the death of the Bard.
Download our PDF calendar by using the link below, or see our full listings and video interviews underneath.
Calendar of Shakespeare related events in London
Listings
Event Shoreditch: The Earliest London Theatreland Talk with Julian Bowsher
Date Thur 31 March, 6.15pm
Address St. Botolph’s Hall, Bishopgate, EC2M 3TL
Station Liverpool Street
Price £5
MOLA archaeologist and Shakespearean expert Julian Bowsher discusses the theatrical landscape in London from the 1550s to the 1570s.
Event Shakespeare’s London Archaeological Archive Tour
Date Sat 2 and 16 April, 11am and 1.30pm
Address Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf, N1 7ED
Station Hoxton
Price £9
Handle bones, stage props and other 400 year-old artefacts that will transport you back to the earliest Shakespearean performances.
Event Henry V, the Curtain, Shakespeare and the Manipulation of history
Date Mon 18 April, 6.15pm
Address Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, N1 7ED
Station Hoxton
Price £5
A comparative discussion on the Agincourt campaign of 1415 and one of Shakespeare’s most politically explosive plays.
Event Shakespeare in Shoreditch Festival
Date Wed 20 – Sat 30 April, various times
Address Various, festival hub at BL-NK, 27 Curtain Rd, EC2A 3LT
Station Shoreditch High Street
Price £15.50
Celebrating the Bard’s historic connection to Shoreditch on the 400th anniversary of his death, the festival brings together four original new plays to the streets of Shoreditch alongside a series of workshops, film screenings and talks.
Event Shoreditch: a Shakespearean suburb? Walk with Julian Boswher
Date Sat 23 April, 12.15pm
Address The Stage Archaeology Space, Hewett Street, EC2A 3NN
Station Shoreditch High Street
Price £5
Take a walk with MOLA archaeologist and Shakespearean expert Julian Bowsher around one of London’s most colourful suburbs, which has a long and interesting relationship with the English bard.
Event Playing the Curtain: a talk with Dr Lucy Munro
Date Fri 13 May, 12.15pm
Address Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, N1 7ED
Station Hoxton
Price £5
The Curtain theatre was one of the first theatres outside London’s city walls, and Shakespeare’s earliest plays were often performed at there. Reader at King’s College London Dr Lucy Munro discusses how the site can help us understand Shakespeare the man today.
BEST OF THE REST
Event By Me, William Shakespeare: A Life In Writing
Date until Thur 29 May, Tues – Sun 10am – 6pm, until 8pm Thurs
Address Inigo Rooms, Somerset House East Wing, WC2R 1LA
Station Temple
Price £8 – £10
The only place to see Shakespeare’s handwriting will, Somerset House’s tribute to William Shakespeare is a remarkable exhibition of his life and work.
Event Henry V
Date Sat 26 March – Wed 6 April, Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Sat matinees 3pm
Address Middle Temple Hall, Middle Temple Lane, EC4Y 9AT
Station Blackfriars
Price £10 – £40
See Shakespeare’s Henry V against the backdrop of the First World War performed by the award-winning theatre company Antic Disposition.
Event Shakespeare on Film
Date Fri 1 April – Tue 31 May,
Address BFI Southbank, South Block, Belvedere Rd, SE1 8XT
Station Waterloo
Price Various
From Max Reinhardt’s Midsummer Night’s Dream to Roman Polanski’s Macbeth join the BFI Southbank as they celebrate Shakespeare in film.
Event Inspired by Shakespeare, the London Philharmonic Orchestra
Date Sat 9 April, 6pm
Address Royal Festival Hall, SE1 8XX
Station Waterloo
Price Free
Young musicians from the London Philharmonic Orchestra alongside dancers from the Rambert’s dance company will peform a collaborative piece inspired by the works of William Shakespeare.
Event Shakespeare in Ten Acts
Date Fri 15 April – Tue 6 September
Address 96 Euston Road, Kings Cross, NW1 2DB
Station Kings Cross
Price Free – £12
A showcase of over 200 rare items, including Shakespeare’s only surviving play script at the British Library’s landmark exhibition.
Event Visscher Redrawn: 1616 – 2016
Date until Sun 20 November 2016
Address Guildhall Art Gallery, EC2V 5AE
Station Bank
Price Free
Take a look at the work of artist Claes Jansz Visscher, whose works shine a light on London’s topographical setting before the Great Fire of 1666. Enjoy a rare view of Shakespeare’s London.
Reporting Team: Alex Jackson, Ginger Jefferies, Emmanuella Kwenortey, Isabel Togoh
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