ASE in Stratford-upon-Avon
The ASE Programme includes a trip to Shakespeare’s birthplace.
Stratford and the Royal Shakespeare Company
Towards the end of each semester, ASE visits the quaint Elizabethan market town of Stratford-upon-Avon, and see shows by the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company.
All students attend pre- and post-performance talks and workshops conducted, usually by faculty from the Shakespeare Institute and/or cast and crew from the RSC itself. These sessions provide stage history, background to the plays and ideas toward critical interpretation, as well as affording students the opportunity to give their own feedback on productions.
Stratford activities
During their free time, students are encouraged to visit numerous properties managed by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, including Shakespeare's Birthplace itself, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, and Hall's Croft. There is also a whole-Programme trip to a nearby castle and grounds, either at Warwick or Kenilworth, both of which have fascinating histories.
After the evening performances, all students (and staff) have an opportunity to identify - and to strike up a conversation with - RSC actors, often at the famous Black Swan pub, better known as 'The Dirty Duck'.
Accommodation and food
Housing in Stratford is bed and breakfast accommodation at a local hotel. In Stratford, as at Oxford, students have their usual food allowance augmented.
“What could be better than seeing three productions from the best company in the world, in the very town Shakespeare was born?”
— Carrington O’Brion, Wellesley College