Following its award-winning debut season in York in 2018, Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre, Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean theatre, will arrive on the grounds of Blenheim Palace this summer.
Inspired by the famous London Rose Playhouse built in 1587, the 13-sided Elizabethan theatre offers three tiers of covered seating and an open courtyard for standing ‘groundlings’. The unique environment creates an intimate connection between actors and the audience – those closest to the stage can expect an interactive experience, and no seat will be more than 15 metres away from the action.
The pop-up theatre will show performances of four of Shakespeare’s most popular plays: Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard III, and Romeo and Juliet. A Shakespearean Village will also be set up to provide food, drinks, and ‘wagon’ entertainment and feature a stunning Elizabethan garden with ornate box-edged beds of cottage flowers, roses and herbs.
Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre will be at Blenheim Palace from 8 July to 7 September, with performances held daily at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Visitors can buy tickets just for the plays or a combined ticket to visit the Palace and Formal Gardens, along with their choice of play. For more information please visit the website.
