The world is a stage again at Stratford
We have a week jam-packed with performances
Knights with shields and actors aplenty will be in Stratford-uponPatea this April.
Stratford Shakespeare Trust chairman Dixon Lobb says the Stratford Shakespeare Festival will have something for everyone, with a wide range of events planned between April 6 and 13 to celebrate William Shakespeare’s birthday.
“This year we have a week jampacked with performances.”
The town has a longstanding history of a connection to the British playwright, William Shakespeare, starting back in 1877 when Stratford adopted the name of Stratford-uponPatea on the suggestion of William Crompton of the Taranaki Waste Lands Board. In proposing the name, he pointed out the similarity of the Pa¯tea River to the River Avon in England. Since then, the town has also adopted a tradition of its street names all having links to Shakespeare’s works and life.
Dixon says he’s looking forward to welcoming the Pop-up Globe Shakespeare Company to town for two nights of performances.
“There will be a cast of 14 performing Twelfth Night. It’s the biggest production we’ve had and it’s been a focus of ours to try and get them here. I expect it will be an amazing and extravagant show.”
New to the festival this year is Penny Ashton, who will perform her one-person comedy show, Tempestuous.
“It will be a culmination of Shakespeare’s plays. Penny is brilliant and we’re excited she’s part of this year’s festival.”
Returning to Stratford-upon-Patea is The Barden Party, who rocked Stratford’s King Edward Park, Te Popo Gardens and Kaponga’s Hollard Gardens last year with their retelling of Much Ado About Nothing.
“They were incredibly popular and we’re happy they wanted to come back. This year they will perform their version of Romeo and Juliet at the same venues.”
Students from around Taranaki will also have the opportunity to be involved, with the annual SGCNZ
Otago University and Sheilah Winn High Schools’ competition taking place at Stratford’s TET King’s Theatre during the festival.
“It’s always something we look forward to seeing. Taranaki students are talented.”
The Ugly Shakespeare Company will be in town, performing a modernday version of Macbeth. Dixon says the festival’s finale is Baldrick’s Big Day Out, which attracted 3000 visitors at last year’s event.
“It was such a good day. We’re happy to be hosting it again this year.”
He says the festival is a great leadup to Stratford-upon-Patea hosting the biennial Stratfords of the World event in January 2025.
“There are six Stratfords across the globe and in 2025, we have the honour of hosting visitors from the five other Stratfords. We want to get people excited and the festival is one way to do that.”