Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Royal Shakespeare Theatre
In Shakespeare's day, Stratford didn't
have a theatre—all the Bard's plays
were performed in London. The current
red-brick
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
(
&
01789/403444;
www.rsc.org.uk)
was completed in 1932 on the banks of
the Avon, and reopened in 2010 after
an ambitious renovation. It remains a
major showcase for the acclaimed
Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC),
with a
season that runs from April to
November and typically features five
Shakespearean plays. The RSC also
stages productions in the smaller
Swan
Theatre,
an intimate 430-seat space
next to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
For
ticket reservations
book online
or call
&
0844/8001110.
A small num-
ber of tickets is always held for sale on
the day of a performance, but it may be
too late to get a good seat if you wait
until you arrive in Stratford. The box
office is open Monday to Saturday 9am
to 8pm, although it closes at 6pm on
days when there are no performances.
Seats range in price from £5 to £35.
Even if you're not seeing a perfor-
mance, you can take a guided
Theatre
Tour,
which lasts an hour and runs
every 2 hours from 9:15am (Mon-Sat)
and from 10:15am (Sun and bank holi-
days). Tickets cost £6.50 for adults and
£3 for children 17 and under. Advance
booking is recommended.
You can also take an elevator up the
newly constructed 36-m (118-ft.)
Towe r
(Mon-Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 10am-5pm)
for a unique bird's-eye view of the
town. Tickets cost £2.50 for adults and
£1.25 for children 17 and under.
12
If you're driving from London, take the M40 to junction 15 and continue to
Stratford-upon-Avon on the A46/A439.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Tourist Information Centre,
Bridgefoot
(
&
0870/160-7930;
www.shakespeare-country.co.uk), provides any details you may
wish to know about the Shakespeare houses and properties; it will also assist in book-
ing rooms (see “Where to Stay,” below). The center is open April through September,
Monday to Saturday 9am to 5:30pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm; October through
March, Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 3pm.
ORGANIZED TOURS
Guided bus tours of Stratford-upon-Avon are conducted
by
City Sightseeing,
Civic Hall, Rother Street (
&
01789/412680;
www.city
sightseeing-stratford.com). In summer, open-top double-decker buses depart daily
every 15 minutes from 9:30am to 6pm. You can take a 1-hour ride without stops, or
you can get off at any or all of the town's five Shakespeare properties. Though the bus
stops are clearly marked along the historic route, the most logical starting point is the
sidewalk in front of the Pen & Parchment Pub, at the bottom of Bridge Street. Tour
tickets are valid all day, so you can hop on and off the buses as many times as you
want. The tours cost £12 for adults, £9.50 for seniors and students, and £6 for chil-
dren 5 to 15 (children 4 and under ride free). A family ticket goes for £25. Tour fre-
quency depends on the time of the year; call for information.
Exploring the Area
Most of Stratford's historic attractions are administrated by the
Shakespeare Birth-
place Trust
(
&
01789/204016;
www.shakespeare.org.uk). One combination
ticket (£20 for adults, £18 for seniors and students, and £12 for children 5-15 and
