“The first thing that strikes me when I meet the driving force behind Guildford Shakespeare Company is their sheer enthusiasm. Their dedication to the Bard and to theatre in general is unmistakably infectious.”
Surrey Life Magazine, June 2007
Mission Statement
Where did Guildford Shakespeare Company come from?
Established in January 2006, by two resident actors in Guildford, the company was born out of a desire to produce Shakespeare that is not exclusive or old-fashioned, but exciting, engaging and accessible to all audiences, in a time when we seem to be dumbing down art and promoting uninspiring celebrity culture.
Many people, young and old, still harbour doubts over coming to see Shakespeare. Yet everyone knows something about a Shakespeare play – be it a character, a setting, a title – and we constantly use his words and phrases in our everyday speech, so why this apprehension? It may stem from negative school experiences or the belief that Shakespeare is an elitist entertainment, something you have to work hard at to enjoy.
Perhaps what we forget is that these plays, some of the most exhilarating, funny and heart-rending stories in the English language, were written to be seen and heard as pieces of popular entertainment. Our company's passion is to breakdown these pre-conceptions, creating productions which anyone can enjoy; and happily, one of the most frequent responses we get from audience members is “ I never knew Shakespeare could be like that - I'm hooked! ”
Why the open air?
Producing and performing theatre outdoors is liberating – not only for the actors, the creative team, and the words themselves, but also for the audience. Many of these plays were written to be performed in the open air without elaborate staging or effects, and when presented in this way the words, rhythms, imagery and songs explode the stories and their characters into life.
By not obscuring the natural outdoor space Guildford Shakespeare Company seeks to maximise the potential of the environment we are performing in, which in turn creates for the audience the effect that the play's events were meant to happen on this night, in this location.
Playing outdoors also means that the confines of a regular theatre space, where the audience are sat in the dark at distance from the action, are removed. Thus the audience become an active part of the shared experience: action goes on all round them; they are on the same grass as Hamlet; if it's raining on Viola it's raining on them; if a duck waddles up to Bottom it waddles up to the audience too – and more importantly, such ‘natural occurrences' are embraced and incorporated making this a unique ‘one-off' performance every night.
The story so far…
Our first two seasons have proved that there is a real desire in Guildford for more from Guildford Shakespeare Company. Our inaugural production of Much Ado About Nothing won Best Cultural Event of the Year at the Guildford: Life With Style Awards , and we followed this in 2007 with a double bill of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream. These two plays were performed by the same cast, in rep, in two different locations, both receiving fantastic reviews.
The company is committed to providing practical educational workshops for schools, as well as creating entertainment for special events which so far have included gallery openings, charity events and private functions. Also close to the company's heart are the nurturing new theatre audiences and the promotion Guildford as a visitor attraction.
Click here for our feature in Surrey Life Magazine June 2007
Surrey Life Magazine, June 2007
Mission Statement
Where did Guildford Shakespeare Company come from?
Established in January 2006, by two resident actors in Guildford, the company was born out of a desire to produce Shakespeare that is not exclusive or old-fashioned, but exciting, engaging and accessible to all audiences, in a time when we seem to be dumbing down art and promoting uninspiring celebrity culture.
Many people, young and old, still harbour doubts over coming to see Shakespeare. Yet everyone knows something about a Shakespeare play – be it a character, a setting, a title – and we constantly use his words and phrases in our everyday speech, so why this apprehension? It may stem from negative school experiences or the belief that Shakespeare is an elitist entertainment, something you have to work hard at to enjoy.
Perhaps what we forget is that these plays, some of the most exhilarating, funny and heart-rending stories in the English language, were written to be seen and heard as pieces of popular entertainment. Our company's passion is to breakdown these pre-conceptions, creating productions which anyone can enjoy; and happily, one of the most frequent responses we get from audience members is “ I never knew Shakespeare could be like that - I'm hooked! ”
Why the open air?
Producing and performing theatre outdoors is liberating – not only for the actors, the creative team, and the words themselves, but also for the audience. Many of these plays were written to be performed in the open air without elaborate staging or effects, and when presented in this way the words, rhythms, imagery and songs explode the stories and their characters into life.
By not obscuring the natural outdoor space Guildford Shakespeare Company seeks to maximise the potential of the environment we are performing in, which in turn creates for the audience the effect that the play's events were meant to happen on this night, in this location.
Playing outdoors also means that the confines of a regular theatre space, where the audience are sat in the dark at distance from the action, are removed. Thus the audience become an active part of the shared experience: action goes on all round them; they are on the same grass as Hamlet; if it's raining on Viola it's raining on them; if a duck waddles up to Bottom it waddles up to the audience too – and more importantly, such ‘natural occurrences' are embraced and incorporated making this a unique ‘one-off' performance every night.
The story so far…
Our first two seasons have proved that there is a real desire in Guildford for more from Guildford Shakespeare Company. Our inaugural production of Much Ado About Nothing won Best Cultural Event of the Year at the Guildford: Life With Style Awards , and we followed this in 2007 with a double bill of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream. These two plays were performed by the same cast, in rep, in two different locations, both receiving fantastic reviews.
The company is committed to providing practical educational workshops for schools, as well as creating entertainment for special events which so far have included gallery openings, charity events and private functions. Also close to the company's heart are the nurturing new theatre audiences and the promotion Guildford as a visitor attraction.
Click here for our feature in Surrey Life Magazine June 2007