There is much ado about the Royal Shakespeare Company these days as it affirms its mission to itself and to the theatrical community, builds a new theater to replace the one it has performed in at Stratford-upon-Avon since 1932 and once again presents a regular season in London. Overcoming a period of artistic and financial woes in the 1990s, the RSC has rediscovered its original mandate to keep the works of William Shakespeare alive for modern audiences through an ensemble company of actors.

Subscribe Today

• Did you enjoy our article?
• Read more in British Heritage magazine
• Subscribe online and save nearly 40%!!!
 

In recent years the ensemble concept, where a group of artists (actors, directors, writers) works closely together over several seasons with everyone having input into the play, had fallen out of favor with artists as well as audiences. However, Vikki Heywood, executive director of the RSC since April 2004, says there is now a “return and acceptance of a core group, which allows audiences to follow the same actors in a number of repertoire productions while at the same time providing an outstanding training ground for the artists.”

The Royal Shakespeare Company still welcomes well-known actors into its productions. Heywood emphasized, however, that even the biggest names will have to partake in all the activities and training regimens of the ensemble though their stay with the group might be for just a few months. “Everyone in the Company, from directors, actors and writers to production, administrative, technical and workshop staff will all collaborate in the RSC’s approach to theater,” said Heywood.

One of the most famous theater groups in the world, the RSC dates back to the late 19th century although it has been operating under its present name since only 1961. In 1875 Charles Edward Flower, a brewer living in the town where Shakespeare was born, Stratford-upon-Avon in rural Warwickshire about 90 miles northwest of London, donated a two-acre site so that a theater could be built there.

The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre opened in 1879 with the playwright’s Much Ado About Nothing as its first production. Initially, the theater’s season was only eight days in the spring; a monthlong summer season was added in 1910. The theater was destroyed by fire in 1926, but was rebuilt and opened in 1932 by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII, on Shakespeare’s birthday, April 23. It won critical acclaim, and its actors became a definitive Who’s Who in the theater world and included such names as Michael Redgrave, Ralph Richardson, John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft, Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier.

In 1960 artistic director Peter Hall, then 29 and in the early years of what would be a brilliant career in the theater, founded the modern Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1961 the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was renamed the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, home of the RSC. It expanded its repertoire to include other classical playwrights and more modern works. Young actors who would go on to have illustrious stage careers joined the Company, and playbills regularly contained the names of players such as Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Paul Scofield, Richard Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce and Zoe Wanamaker.

Hall believed in the core ensemble and under his leadership created a new golden era for the RSC that brought it renewed fame and status. Upon Hall’s departure in 1968 to head the Royal National Theatre, Trevor Nunn, 27, was appointed the RSC’s director. Over the next 18 years, Nunn led the Company with great artistic vision. In 1982 he guided it into its new London home at the Barbican Theatre, which was especially designed for the RSC. Nunn also realized his dream of a smaller theater at Stratford-upon-Avon when the Swan Theatre opened in 1986.

By the time Michael Boyd was elevated from an associate director’s position at the RSC to artistic director in July 2002, the Company had serious financial problems, seemed to have lost its artistic vision and found itself without a home base in London. In the past five years, Boyd has worked to return the Company to the ensemble concept, with intensive physical and vocal training workshops for all the artists, along with lavish rehearsal time for each production.

Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to