Two weeks of activities planned to celebrate the Bard’s birth month

The Stratford Shakespeare Trust has organised a number of fun events and activities for April. Photo / Alyssa Smith

The best of the Bard will be celebrated in Stratford next month.

The Stratford Shakespeare Trust has organised a fortnight’s worth of fun activities and events to celebrate the birth month of William Shakespeare.

Chairperson Dixon Lobb says with Stratford’s links to the famous playwright, it’s important to celebrate his birth month.

“We have organised a number of fun activities for the community. We hope they take the opportunity to have fun, find something they like, and head along.”

Since 1877, Stratford has had a link to the famous playwright. That year, Stratford adopted the name Stratford-upon-Pātea on the motion of William Crompton of the Taranaki Waste Lands Board, with William acknowledging the similarity of the Pātea River to the River Avon in England.

Stratford’s streets all have a link to Shakespeare, with the street names dedicated to his works and life. To start off the two weeks of events, The Stratford Shakespeare Trust is running The Big Shakespeare Quiz at the TET MultiSports Centre, Stadium, Restaurant & Bar on March 31.

Dixon says this is the chance for people to test their knowledge of Shakespeare and help local schools.

“When teams register, they can nominate a school for their registration fee to go to.”

Supporting the Stratford township is important, he says, with all the movie showings planned at the Kings Theatre TET to have collection points for items to go to the local foodbank.

“We’ve made entry free to these movies. We’ve set up the collection points to allow people to give back if they can.”

Red Leap Workshop will be in town offering workshops for actors and actresses of all ages to improve their skills.

“These are definitely worth attending if you want to improve your stage presence.

Michael Hurst, Boyle and Sparrow, and the Ugly Shakespeare Company will also be in town performing shows of Shakespeare’s works at the Kings Theatre TET.

“Michael Hurst will perform on April 1 and 2 for $5 a person. Boyle and Sparrow will perform at the theatre on April 2 at 7.30pm. The Ugly Shakespeare Company will perform on April 3, with free entry for schools. On April 4, 5 and 6, Shakespeare’s Woman will be on show at The Castle. We’ve got a lot of shows to look forward to.”

The Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival takes place on April 4, with Taranaki secondary schools competing to attend the national competition.

There will be free drive-in movies to attend during the fortnight, with a toga party planned at the TET Stadium after the showing of two movies on April 6.

This isn’t the only chance to dress up, with Space Karoake at the TET Stadium on Saturday, April 8 and a Pyjama Party at the King’s Theatre on April 11 at 6.30pm at the viewing of She’s The Man.

Dawn Sanders, founder and chief executive of Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand, will be speaking at two sessions on April 13 and 14.

The best event is saved for last, says Dixon, with Baldrick’s Big Day Out and the Shakes Beer Festival on April 15.

“Baldrick’s Big Day out will be an extravaganza celebrating all things medieval, with horses, jousting, archery and a bunch of activities. The Shakes Beer Festival takes place at Tapuna Lodge and provides the chance to try a whole bunch of local craft beers.”

The Details:

What: 2023 Stratford Shakespeare Festival

When: March 31 - April 15, 2023

Where: Stratford-upon-Pātea

For more information and to register for events, visit: https://www.stratfordshakespearefestnz.co.nz/