The Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival celebrates its 57th year when it takes place this summer from Wednesday 14 July - Sunday 1 August. Presented by The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the Festival is a celebration of poetry in the town of the greatest poet and features a range of superb events with well known actors.
Highlights will include a special evening in celebration of the Holy Trinity Church 800th anniversary, a Poetry Mass, a special evening with RSC director Greg Doran and ends by opening the door of the Mermaid Tavern on Shakespeare and his contemporaries.
A 'Young Person's Poetry' evening will take place on Wednesday 14 July (6.00pm) at The Shakespeare Centre featuring poems written by local school children to celebrate Shakespeare's Birthday. The poems, along with some Shakespearian stories will be read by David & Ali Troughton, members of Stratford's most distinguished theatrical family.
Anton Lesser and Janet Suzman will give a recital at a 'Soul of the Age: A celebration of 800 years of Holy Trinity Church' on Sunday 18 July (6:45pm) at the Holy Trinity Church. The evening will feature verse, prose and music drawn from early and recent times in the life of Holy Trinity Church. The superb church organ will make a resounding contribution, along with choirs from the musical life of Stratford.
A Poetry Writing Workshop, presented in partnership with Writing West Midlands and professional writer Roz Goddard will take place on Tuesday 20 July (2pm - 4.30pm) at The Shakespeare Centre. Using creative writing games and exercises, the workshop will help new and experienced poets develop their art and craft in a friendly and constructive atmosphere.
Wendy Freeman, a local writer and artist, will present a Local Poets' Evening on Tuesday 20 July (7.30pm) at The Shakespeare Centre. Local poets are invited to come along and share their own work or read a favourite poem by any writer.
Poetry Mass will take place on Thursday 22 July (7.30pm) at The Guild Chapel with The Reverend Helen Cameron. The evening will celebrate Holy Communion based largely on a liturgy of appropriate poems by writers over many centuries.
Greg Hicks, Mariah Gale, Jane Lapotaire and Richard Griffiths come together for Candles in the Wind on Sunday 25 July (7.30pm) at The Shakespeare Centre. Candles in the Wind was especially devised by Roger Pringle for the Festival and Amnesty International. The evening is a recital of many moods from Shakespeare to the present which reflect Amnesty International concerns.
RSC director and Shakespeare writer Greg Doran will reflect on his favourite passages of Shakespeare in conversation with Paul Edmondson at Shakespeare and I on Thursday 29 July (7.30pm).
Roger Pringle will give a talk on 'Michael Drayton: Poet of Warwickshire' on Saturday 31 July (7.30pm) at St Helen's Church in Clifford Chambers. The evening, which is co-presented by The Hosking Houses, will see Roger talk about Michael, Shakespeare's contemporary and a resident of Clifford Chambers for many years.
To end the Festival, Rory Kinnear and Kelly Hunter will present a recital entitled "Inside the Mermaid Tavern: Shakespeare and his Fellows" on Sunday 1 August (7.30pm) at The Shakespeare Centre. Devised by Stanley Wells C.B.E, the evening will look at how Shakespeare interacted with others in the tavern and workplace.
Director of the Festival, Dr. Paul Edmondson, said: "The Festival caters for all ages and poetic tastes and is a great opportunity to enjoy the magic of words. Poetry speaks to the heart and mind in a really special way, especially when it's read well. The Festival really is a celebration of poetry in the town of the greatest poet of them all".
For full details visit: www.shakespeare.org.uk/poetryfestival.html
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