On the last day of August Nantwich and Audlem group headed to Stratford for lunch and to see the RSC production of Anthony and Cleopatra followed by a Behind the Scenes Tour.
We started our visit admiring the view from the Theatre Tower and then headed to the nearby Black Swan pub, formerly known as The Dirty Duck.
Following lunch outdoors enjoying the sunny weather we headed to the theatre for the matinee performance. The RSC were in high form and gave a performance which showed their hallmarks of quality and originality.
Those who remember the original theatre interior appreciated the refurbishment which offered excellent acoustics, closer proximity to the stage and spacious comfortable seating.
Following the production we went on a behind the scenes tour of the backstage areas and the Swan Theatre.
We enjoyed numerous anecdotes from our knowledgeable guide and saw the actors from our earlier production arriving and preparing for the next performance of Julius Caesar that evening.
Some of the interesting facts we learnt were that the RSC does not have star dressing rooms and that non home-grown beards seen on stage were made from Yak fur!
A stimulating day was enjoyed by all, we all agreed our Stratford experience is well worth repeating again in the future.
Rosie Slawinska