Welcome to Shakespeare Under the Stars with Stafford Festival Shakespeare
Ever wondered how to make the most of those glorious summer evenings? Well wonder no more! Stafford Festival Shakespeare offers the unique opportunity to watch a show whilst soaking up the long summer evenings as you sip a cool glass of wine against the enchanting backdrop of Stafford Castle.
Established in 1991, Stafford Festival Shakespeare is one of the UK’s leading Open Air Productions, which is held annually between June and July at Stafford Castle. The event is the centrepiece of the Borough’s popular Stafford Festival which celebrates local, national and international performing and visual arts talent during the month of July.
Previous performances have covered the full range of the Bard’s work including tragedies, comedies and histories with an individual set being produced and designed each year for specific plays. The staging of the event is completely open to the elements but all seating for the production is under cover.
This year the beautiful surroundings of Stafford Castle is the perfect backdrop to enjoy Shakespeare's hilarious comedy of infatuation, deception and broken hearts. Shipwrecked and fearing her twin brother Sebastian dead, Viola is swept onto the shores of Illyria and finds herself amidst an aristocratic confusion of Cupid's causing.
Brought to you by award winning director and production designer, Peter Rowe and Rodney Ford, with a wonderful score from musical director Greg Palmer and breathtaking choreography from critically acclaimed Francesca Jaynes, who has worked alongside the likes of Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton and Mike Leigh, Twelfth Night is set to be a comic masterpiece of desire and disguise.
Enjoy a long chilled drink from the refreshment marquee, a deli picnic platter or a three course meal before the show with family and friends. Then take to you seats in the impressive grandstand which is fully covered to shield you from the elements and sit back and enjoy the Unique Open Air experience.Eighteen Years of Stafford Festival Shakespeare
2008 |
Hamlet |
Louise Jameson (Gertrude), Joseph Milson (Hamlet), Kellie Shirley (Ophelia) |
2007 |
Much Ado About Nothing |
Stephen Beckett (Benedick), Siobhan Hayes (Margaret), Sally Lindsay (Beatrice) |
2006 |
A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
Emma Atkins (Hippolyta/Titania), Mark Little (Bottom) |
2005 |
Romeo & Juliet |
Bruno Langley (Romeo), Scarlett Johnson (Juliet), Rachel Bell (Nurse), Freya Copeland (Lady Capulet) |
2004 |
The Comedy of Errors |
Rene Zagger (Antipholus of Syracuse), Julie-Kate Olivier (Adriana), Garfield Morgan (Egeon), Hildegard Neil (Abbess), Richard Elis (Balthasar) |
2003 |
Macbeth |
Russell Boulter (Macbeth), Glynis Barber (Lady Macbeth) |
2002 |
The Taming Of The Shrew |
Matthew Kelly (Petruchio), Julie-Kate Olivier (Katherina), Leila Birch (Bianca), Nick Conway (Grumio) |
2001 |
A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
Toyah Willcox (Titania), Paul Henry (Bottom), Paul Fox (Lysander) |
2000 |
Twelfth Night |
Jean Boht (Maria), John Challis (Malvolio), Chloe Newsome (Viola) |
1999 |
Richard III |
Ian Reddington (Richard), Maria Charles (Queen Margaret) |
1998 |
The Tempest |
Barry Foster (Prospero), Kellie Bright (Miranda), Benjamin McNair (Ferdinand) |
1997 |
Romeo and Juliet |
Judy Cornwell (Nurse), John Pickard (Romeo), Kellie Bright (Juliet) |
1996 |
Macbeth |
Rula Lenska (Lady Macbeth), Robert Beck (Macbeth) |
1995 |
As You Like It |
Russell Porter (Orlando), Richard Norton (Silvius) Nicholas Pinnock (Hymen) |
1994 |
Hamlet |
Jason Riddington (Hamlet), Hildegard Neil (Gertrude) |
1993 |
A Midsummer Night’s Dream |
Kristian Schmid (Puck), Julia Sawalha (Hermia) |
1992 |
The Wars Of The Roses |
Tom Watt (Richard III) |
1991 |
Henry V |
Robert Hardy (Chorus) |
