World Shakespeare Festival

The World Shakespeare Festival is a celebration of Shakespeare as the world's playwright, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in an unprecedented collaboration with leading UK and international arts organisations, and with Globe to Globe, a major international programme produced by Shakespeare's Globe.

The World Shakespeare Festival is part of the Cultural Olympiad and will feature in the London 2012 Festival.

The British Council is supporting some of these international partnerships and the related education programme.

Two Roses for Richard III

7 - 12 May 2012 (Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon), 18 - 23 May (Roundhouse, London)

From Brazil, the production Two Roses for Richard III, by Companhia BufoMecânica is inspired by Shakespeare’s history plays and combines Shakespeare’s text with circus, multimedia, visual metaphor and aerial choreography. Renato Rocha of Companhia BufoMecânica will develop a new piece inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedies, The Dark Side of Love, to be performed by a cast of local teenagers in an atmospheric underground space at the Roundhouse. In addition, the British Council and the RSC will be working with partners in Brazil on an education programme exploring what Shakespeare means to young people.

Romeo and Juliet in Baghdad

26 April - 5 May 2012 (Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon), 28 - 30 June (LIFT at Riverside Studios, London) 

From Iraq, a version of Romeo and Juliet by Baghdad’s Iraqi Theatre company, adapted by Monadhil Daood. Set against conflict between families, communities and generations and infused with Iraq’s rich traditions of poetry, music and ritual, this is Romeo and Juliet for a new generation – in Arabic with English surtitles.

A Soldier in Every Son – An Aztec Trilogy

29 June - 28 July 2012 (Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon)

From Mexico, a co-production from the National Theatre of Mexico and Royal Shakespeare Company by Luis Mario Moncada, inspired by Shakespeare’s history plays.  Passion, power and intrigue play out in a political thriller in three parts, spanning a century of Aztec history  – in Spanish with English surtitles.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (As You Like It)

10 - 18 August 2012 (Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon), 10 August - 2 September 2012 (Edinburgh Festival - exact dates to be announced)

From Russia, director and artist Dmitry Krymov, one of the most original talents of his generation, will present his remarkable and visually striking interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Expect his take on Shakespeare's most magical of comedies to be unlike any Dream you have seen before.

Macbeth Leïla and Ben – A Bloody History

4 - 7 July 2012 (LIFT at Riverside Studios, London), 12 - 14 July 2012 (Northern Stage, Newcastle/Gateshead) 

From Tunisia, Shakespeare’s vision of evil and driving ambition finds new resonance in a modern day production by Artistes, Producteurs, Associés adapted by Lotfi Achour and Anissa Daoud. Mixing contemporary reportage and Shakespeare in a production inspired by the tumultuous events of the Arab Spring, the production combines Shakespeare with film and reportage -  in Arabic with English surtitles.

Globe to Globe at Shakespeare’s Globe

Globe to Globe at Shakespeare’s Globe will bring together - over a six week period - all of Shakespeare’s plays, each performed in a different language, each by 37 international companies.  The British Council is supporting the development process of two productions: 

Cymbeline by the South Sudan Theatre Company from Juba

2 -3 May Globe Theatre, London 

South Sudan is the world’s newest country and this is the first ever adaptation of Shakespeare into Juba Arabic.  The adaptation, led by writer Taban Lo Liyong, draws on local accents, modern slang and myth, to create a show that resonates with contemporary life and politics in South Sudan. 

Follow the progress of the newly formed South Sudan Theatre Company on their website. 

The Comedy of Errors by the Rah-e-Sabz company from Afghanistan

30-31 May Globe Theatre, London

Noted for controversial productions wherein men and women act together, Roy-e-Sabs are bringing from Kabul their new version of The Comedy of Errors. This production was being rehearsed at the British Council in Kabul until the building was attacked last year. The performance promises to be a great moment of celebration, created under exceptionally difficult conditions, as the group leaves Kabul for the first time to perform at the Globe. 

Worlds Together

6-8 September, at Tate Modern.

An international conference for teachers exploring the value of Shakespeare and the arts in the lives of young people.  The conference has two strands: one exploring the world-wide influence of Shakespeare in education and examining some examples of best teaching practice; the other will give a broader view of the contemporary arts education landscape. 

Shakespeare: A Worldwide Classroom

A British Council/RSC schools project linking 1500 students in the UK, India, South Africa, Oman, the USA, Hong Kong with associated activity in Brazil and the Czech Republic.  It is the result of new research findings on the teaching of Shakespeare around the world commissioned by the British Council and the RSC last year and aims to strengthen links between local artists and schools.