The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has a reputation as being one of the world’s leading theatre companies. Based in Stratford-Upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare, the RSC also has ties with both London and Newcastle upon Tyne. In additions to performing at these locations, the company does an extensive tour of both the UK and the US each year.

The RSC’s focus is the work of Shakespeare, although there repertoire does include a number of other UK and International writers. The company works tirelessly, to keep people from all different stages and walks of life, in touch with the work of Shakespeare and the understanding of what theatre can offer. With initiatives to support education and other outreaches, the Royal Shakespeare Company strives to keep the Bard contemporary.

In 1875 a campaign was launched, to help fund the building of a theatre in William’s home town. A Stratford brewer named Charles Edward Flower, who was instrumental in the campaigns creation, donated a two acre site on which to build the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre. On completion some 4 years later, the theatre seated 711, although performances were limited to just 8 days per year.

50 years after the initial campaign, the theatre was granted a Royal Charter, though disaster struck just a year later when a fire destroyed much of the original building. What was left of the original structure has now been incorporated into the Swan Theatre. Fundraising started again, and on what would have been Shakespeare’s birthday (23 April 1932), HRH, the Prince of Wales opened the new Shakespeare Memorial Theatre.

The company continued to build upon its reputation and from the 1940’s it began to work with established actors such as Michael Redgrave, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. It was in 1960 that the RSC was formed and a single year later the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was renamed the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. During this period of change, the company also decided to broaden its appeal and perform work other than that of Shakespeare.

Today the RSC owns and runs three theatre’s in the Stratford-Upon-Avon area:

• The Swan Theatre, which encompasses the shell of the original Shakespeare Memorial, was built in 1986. Designed in a similar fashion to an Elizabethan playhouse, actors and audiences alike revel in its intimate staging.
• The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST), the largest of the three, is currently undergoing major redevelopments. It is due to open in 2010.
• The Courtyard Theatre, a temporary theatre, built to house audiences of 1,000 for the RSC whilst redevelopments on the RST are ongoing.

Today, the RSC still operates in very much the same way as it did back in 1875, largely being a co-operation of artists, directors, backstage workers and writers, still aiming to make Shakespeare and theatre