Spotlight on Stratford as Shakespeare Week 2025 gets underway- and weekend timetable confirmed
THE much anticipated launch of Shakespeare Week 2025 took place in Birmingham on Monday. Held at the Grade-II listed Birmingham Old Rep Theatre, and hosted by children’s presenter Joanna Adeyinka-Burford, a vibrant show involving school children got the week underway.
The launch got the week, which runs from Monday 24 to Sunday 30 March, underway across the country. With Stratford taking centre stage, the Bard’s birthplace has plenty of events for people to get involved with.
From 10am to 3pm on Friday 28 March free workshops for children in Warwickshire schools will take place across Stratford, including in Shakespeare’s Schoolroom. For those unable to make it to town, a number of online broadcasts are taking place each day at 11am via the Shakespeare Week website.
Shakespeare Week will conclude in Stratford with a two day free festival on Henley Street. The Shakespeare Weekender will take place from 10am to 4pm on both Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 March.
Some of the fun things you can get involved with in Stratford include puppet making using recycled materials and the chance to dress up in costumes. There will also be live performances of important scenes showing the role of female characters in Shakespeare, with one of these being Lady Macbeth.
Face painting inspired by Shakespeare’s mischievous magical friends from the forest of Arden will be available, as will an opportunity to take part in an interactive workshop with Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s lead secondary practitioner, Naomi Lawrence. Stratford-upon-Avon. All activities are free to take part in and pre-booking is not required.
The Birmingham launch event also had a focus on Shakespeare’s female characters, and this is set to be a key theme during Shakespeare Week 2025.
Andy Reeves, head of learning development at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said: "Watching the pupils connect with Shakespeare’s female characters in creative ways has been wonderful. We hope that the pupils walk away feeling inspired by the life, works, and times of Shakespeare, and with new skills that they will carry with them throughout school, whether that be storytelling, performing, or even critical thinking. Throughout Shakespeare Week, we hope to reach and inspire even more children, teachers, and home educators around the nation through our range of free online and in-person activities."
The full timetable for events at Shakespeare Weekender 2025 have been announced by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. This can be found below.
Saturday 29 March
10am: 20 Mins Shakespeare - Lady Macbeth
10.30am: Clapham Terrace Primary - Performance 1
11am: Events from History - Shakespeare's Female Characters
11.30am: Clapham Terrace Primary - Performance 2
12pm: 20 Mins Shakespeare - Lady Macbeth
12.30: On the Spot Shakespeare - Interactive Workshop
2pm: Events from History - Shakespeare's Female Characters
2.30pm: On the Spot Shakespeare - Interactive Workshop
3pm: 20 Mins Shakespeare - Lady Macbeth
Sunday 30 March
10am: 20 Mins Shakespeare - Lady Macbeth
10.30am: Stratford Primary - Performance 1
11am: Events from History - Shakespeare's Female Characters
11.30am: Stratford Primary - Performance 2
12pm: 20 Mins Shakespeare - Lady Macbeth
12.30pm On the Spot Shakespeare - Interactive Workshop
2pm: Events from History - Shakespeare's Female Characters
2.30pm: On the Spot Shakespeare - Interactive Workshop
3pm: 20 Mins Shakespeare - Lady Macbeth
