Enjoy a summer spectacular in Shakespeare Country
From award-winning RSC performances of A Midsummer Night’s, camping at Warwick Castle to picnic concerts, Tudor Olympics, Craft Fairs, a Game Fair, Millionaire’s House Party, Croquet, garden exhibitions, a Mini Festival and Tudor Hiring Fair, there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy in Shakespeare Country this summer.
Enjoy award-winning Royal Shakespeare Company performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Cardenio, The City Madam and The Homecoming. Take advantage of the weather and watch outdoor performances at The Dell. Watch The Taming of the Shrew on 23 & 24 July with Gloucestershire Youth Players, Romeo and Juliet on 13 & 14 August with the Shooting Stars Theatre Company, Macbeth on 14 August with A Play in 2 Days Company, A Midsummer Night's Dream on 21 August with OUDS and Henry V on 27 & 28 August with BMH Productions.
For adventurous families, there will be a unique opportunity to step back in time and camp overnight in the grounds of Warwick Castle. For £36 per person, campers can enjoy dinner, an evening of activities, breakfast, as well as a birds of prey display and escorted tour of the rooms in the Castle. Returning to the Castle grounds from 16 July are the Jousting Knights who will dazzle audiences with their bravery, skill and agility. Those looking for a night of historical entertainment can join the Earl of Warwick’s household for the Kingmaker’s Mediaeval Banquet on 9 July or 20 August. For those who dare to enter, the Dungeons After Dark will allow the very brave to experience the Castle’s darkest and bloodiest times on 2 & 30 July & 30 August for the ultimate evening of scarily good entertainment.
From 23 July – 4 September enjoy activities every day at the Shakespeare Houses. At Shakespeare’s Birthplace see and be part of Shakespeare Aloud! with the chance to get up and be part of the action. Join in with Nature Detective activities in the Woodland Walk at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Enjoy a children’s puppet show followed by puppet making workshops on 27 July & 17 August. Experience a weekend of education and fun at Mary Arden’s Farm as they showcase many of the country’s oldest farm animal breeds as well as pig parading, goat grooming, chicken chasing and rabbit racing from 23 – 24 July. Join in the hustle and bustle of a typical Tudor hiring fair where people gathered to find work or hire workers for the next 6 months from 27 – 29 August. Try your hand at country crafts and traditional activities and take part in archery, gambling and game playing.
Experience the pageantry of a medieval joust and enjoy the thrills and spills as you cheer on your favourite knight at Kenilworth Castle on the 9 & 10 July. There's plenty of laughter with entertainment from the jester, plus medieval games and a knights training school for children. Experience the atmosphere and drama of the Castle under Norman attack on 28 & 29 August. Witness the opposing forces prepare for battle, with encampments outside and inside the castle, armour displays and an awe inspiring trebuchet in action.
Sit back, relax and enjoy a Jazz concert at Upton House on 18 June & 30 July. Bring a picnic and enjoy the music as the sun sets. Attend a Millionaire’s House Party on 6 & 7 August and experience the luxury and entertainment of a 1930's party with music, dance, costume and food demonstrations. Join the Warwick Courtiers for a dance session on the terrace and learn a few steps of the early Rumba or the Boston Two Step.
Visit the Midlands History Festival at Ragley Hall on 6 & 7 August and
experience living history as a range of historical re-enactment societies and groups set up camp. Interact and explore with the characters on this great family day out. Watch Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra on Saturday 2 July. Enjoy the superb Battle Proms Picnic Concert on 20 August, pack up a picnic, stock up on fizz and join the party with friends with orchestral music, bold horsemen, a breathtaking Spitfire display and explosive cannon fire and fireworks! The Warwickshire & West Midlands Game Fair returns from 27 – 29 August with displays, demonstrations, have a go activities & live music.
Artist in residence Laura Ellen Bacon will be running weaving workshops on 18 & 19 June, 28 & 29 August, 15 & 16 October at Compton Verney. Help create unique sculptural forms and spaces from natural and man-made materials. Marcia Farquhar will be performing on her sculpture The horse is a noble animal on 23 July. Also on that day Jem Finer will be talking about his Spiegelei camera obscura which visitors can explore in the grounds. Enjoy special ‘Capability’ Brown grounds tours on 29 July, 26 August and 30 September to tie in with the exhibition plus daily tours of Spencer and Brown exhibitions from 2 July.
Hill Close Gardens will open free of charge as part of the Warwick Open Gardens celebration over the weekend of 9 - 10 July. Enjoy a bug hunt and craft activities for children plus free guided tours. Over 20 private gardens in the town are opening to the public in aid of Warwickshire Air Ambulance. Enjoy guided walks, entertainment and refreshments in a varied collection of gardens within the town. Celebrate Victorian Weekend at Hill Close Gardens on 6 & 7 August with croquet and story tellers in the summerhouses talking about the original Victorian owners of the 16 hedged gardens plus buy plants & produce.
Step onboard the open top City Sightseeing bus and enjoy the 'Heart of Warwickshire' tour which runs every day from 25 July - 4 September. Now in its second year, the tour departs from Stratford and stops at Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Charlecote Park, Compton Verney, the Heritage Motor Centre and Warwick Castle before returning to Stratford. A great way to see the sights and listen to a full historic commentary at the same time!
Visit the Heritage Motor Centre for a special family Sci-fi Weekend on 9 & 10 July with the opportunity of meeting Sci-Fi and Superhero characters. From 23 July – 4 September enjoy Summer Holiday Sci-Fi Fun incorporating the exhibition plus daily quizzes and activities including special family craft activity days every Thursday throughout the holidays. Supercar Sunday takes place on 26 June with the opportunity to view some of the finest supercars and bikes and the Gaydon Mini Festival on the 3 July for a day full of 'Mini' excitement!
The Falstaff Experience Tudor World is gearing up for its first annual Tudor Olympics from 22 July until September. The Tudors played many sports and Henry VIII was a big fan of archery, jousting and tennis. Imaginative interactive versions of these events will form part of the entertainment. Over the August Bank Holiday weekend take part in the Tudor Olympic Torch procession free of charge. Throughout the summer follow the Tudor Olympic Trail through the museum and receive a prize for completing it successfully.
Step back in time at the award winning Museum of Wizardology at the Creaky Cauldron for a magical journey through "twistory" with the world's greatest Time Wizard, Dr Thaddeus Bombay. Plus be in with the chance of winning ButterBeer for a week for a whole year in the Deathly Hallows competition. At night experience terrifying tales including the Van Helsing Experiment on Wednesdays, The Matthew Hopkins Experience on Thursdays and the Stratford Ripper Experience on Fridays & Saturdays. New is The Toymaker - part scientist, part explorer and part nightmare maker! A deeply dark and disturbing experience with touches of the macabre and available every Sunday night throughout the summer.
Shop for unique handcrafted gifts at a Contemporary Craft Fair at St John’s House Museum on Sunday 26 June featuring jewellery, ceramics, oil paintings, art, hampers, lamps, journals, handmade cards, fashion and much more! Bring a picnic and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum and St John’s Museum on Tuesday 2 August. Meet characters who have lived in St John’s, from the Stoughton Family to Victorian artists living in the attic. Meet Field Marshal Montgomery and discover more about the history of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Visit the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry for a night of mystery and murder on 21 July. Come dressed in your 1920s best and be transported back to the Jazz Age for the unveiling of a spectacular archaeological find. Test your knowledge of Asian films with broadcaster Sat Dhaiwal at a free Bollywood Quiz on 2 July. BBC Walking with Beasts takes place from 2 July - 30 October. Using animation, touch screen computers and hands-on interactives the exhibition shows some of the science behind the series. The Herbert's famous summer activity programme for families returns with Wild Worlds. Travel deep under the sea, explore the forest shadows or hide in the craters of a distant planet from 22 July - 11 September.
Celebrate American Independence Day at Sulgrave Manor on Sunday 3 July with a Wild West Show. Travel back in time to the days of the Wild West, to the smell of the gunpowder, the creak of the leather, the crack of the bullwhip and the whirl of the lariat. Watch the performances and join in the workshops. Enjoy the fast footwork of Appalachian Dancers ‘One Step Beyond’, meet & hold an American Bald Eagle, see the exhibition of Native American Indian Artefacts and hug a Karluk Siberian Husky!
Drayton Manor Theme Park is the ideal destination for a summer break. Its new 150-room Drayton Manor Park Hotel is due to open on Monday 15 August with 11 Thomas & Friends themed family rooms. Another highlight for this summer will be the spectacular Dive Show, with performances by a group of acrobatic divers. From Monday 25 July, the five daredevil divers will literally jump start their eight-week stint at the park with shows that involve leaping from heights of up to 25m into a pool just seven metres in diameter and three metres deep.
For accommodation, special offers and more information visit the official website: Shakespeare-Country.co.uk
