explore our transformed theatresdid you know there have been four theatres on this site since 1879?

The ShakeSpeare MeMorial TheaTre

Top TipS

Did you know?The distance from the furthest seat in the theatre to the stage is now 15 metres, nearly half of what it used to be!

Did you know?The Gower Statue of Shakespeare on the far side of the Bancroft Gardens was originally sited at the rear of the Swan Theatre, near the Stage Door.

Did you know?Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, his birthday. In his will, all he left his wife was his “second best bed with the furniture.” The “furniture” was the bedclothes for the bed. This is the only time she was mentioned.

Did you know?The actors normally rehearse a play for between 7 – 12 weeks, it depends on what play it is!

Look out for the new seats in the RST Auditorium – they were designed by a company that makes seats for Italian sports cars!

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wordsearchHow many of Shakespeare’s characters can you find?

This trail is for children and adults to explore, start conversations, answer questions and discover more about our theatres together.

family trail

a different way to

explore our new home

Ask a member of RSC Staff for an answer sheet

This theatre

was destroyed

by fire in 1926

It was then used as

a rehearsal room for

many years and then

re-opened as The

Swan Theatre in 1986

We started the Transformation

in 2007, changing the theatre

from a proscenium arch

(watching the actors at one end

of the building, like a cinema)

to a thrust theatre (the stage

thrusts out into the audience

who sit on three sides)

The Second MeMorial TheaTre opened in 1932 and becaMe The royal ShakeSpeare TheaTre in 1961

We opened the

new building in

November 2010

Pho

to b

y Er

nest

Dan

iels

Phot

o by

Sim

on W

ildin

g

Phot

o by

Ste

war

t Hem

ley

Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Sw

an Theatre image by P

aul Catherall

search the swan

unearth the outs ide

f ind i t in the old foyer

Royal shakespeaRe theatRePLAY

DATE TIME

swan theatRePLAY

DATE TIME

Find the new Box Office where you can buy tickets. What plays are being performed in each theatre today and what time do they start?

clues in the colonnade

The large steel Box Office

was where people bought

tickets for performances for

75 years. Can you feel where

people’s feet have worn away

the stone floor while waiting

to buy tickets?

Find the word ASHES on

the walls. How many can

you find and what do you

think was on the wall to

make these ghostly marks?

The old wood floor is the original stage floor from the old theatre! Go and stand on the old

RST stage and speak some Shakespeare…

Find the large clock

- what date is on it?

Go up the spiral stone stairs and find the doors into the Circle Bar. What tools do you recognise, and who might use them?

Stand and look at the victorian

entrance to the Swan Theatre. On the

wall high up are engravings of scenes

from 3 Shakespeare’s plays Can you

unscramble these words to discover

which plays they are, starting from

the left.

eat oil Is yuk

John king

ah Melt

Go to the base of the tower. Can you

find some small doors on one of the

walls? These are part of 50 artworks

from My RSC Gallery. Lift the lids to find

the stories behind each one. How many

can you find around the building? Which

one did you like the most and why?

Find this in Weston Square. What has the girder from the old theatre roof been made into?

Can you see the balcony at

the bottom of the tower?

What famous Shakespeare

play has a balcony scene in it?

At the front of the theatre find the

Foundation Stone that was placed when the

building was built. Behind it is a glass time

capsule containing the progamme of the

first performance, coins and newspapers of

the day. What 3 things would you put in your

time capsule?

The theatre tower is 36 metres tall. There are 174 steps from the ground floor to the viewing platform, but don’t worry there’s also a lift! How tall are you?

Upstairs near the Swan Room

find the stained glass window

showing St George on a horse.

What is St George holding?

What creature is in

the window with the

schoolboy?

Go out of the Swan Theatre through the large oak doors and look up to your left. Can you see a gargoyle with a donkey’s head in his hands? What character do you think this is?

Clue – he’s from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Find the foundation stone of the original theatre, what date did it open?

At the Swan Theatre end of the

colonnade you can see Holy

Trinity Church where Shakespeare

is buried. He died on the same day

as his birthday. Do you know when

that is?

Clue – the theatres have been

opened on this day many times…

keyold foyer

The Swan

The ouTSide

colonnade