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Stratford-Upon-Avon, Culture, Countryside and Great Food

15th Apr 2015
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With its combination of Shakespeare (actually more Arthur Miller), olde worlde charm and tranquillity, Stratford-upon-Avon is the perfect destination for a short break.

In the lead up to Easter, the major attraction for a two-day jaunt was a theatrical double bill that somehow neglected anything by the Bard himself.

Instead, Christopher Marlowe provided an unusual afternoon's entertainment in the form of The Jew of Malta, starring Jasper Britton in the title role.

The general consensus these days is that revenge tragedies should be played for laughs. On this occasion, director Justin Audibert decided to take the play seriously.

Barabas, the title character, is a kind of precursor of Shylock without the charm or generosity. After his wealth is confiscated to save the island from destitution, the mean-spirited misanthrope re-gains at least a portion of his valuables by asking his daughter, Abigail to disguise herself as a nun.

That works a treat but only leads to a bloodbath that is almost unprecedented even for this genre, as Barabas seeks to get his own back on anyone and everyone including noble Christians, warlike Muslims, and residents of both a nunnery and a brothel.

While some of the dark humour comes out, this is a particularly grim play when one is expected to take it at face value.

That was always going to be the warm-up for an evening that promised much with Sir Anthony Sher and Dame Harriet Walter playing the Lomans in a production of Death of a Salesman by the RSC's Artistic Director Gregory Doran to celebrate the centenary of the playwright's birth. They got great support, particularly from Alex Hassell playing older son Biff, a losing chip off the old block.

The opening night performance fully lived up to the billing, both the leads proving to be exceptional, in a gripping three hours that turns Willy Loman into a tragic figure fit to compare with Hamlet. The Stratford run is short but anyone near the capital will not have long to wait to view it, since it transfers to the Noël Coward Theatre next month.

The perfect complement to a full day's theatre was some sightseeing prior to a return to London on a train so slow that it takes longer than the trip back from Manchester.

A walk around this pretty town soon makes you realise the extent to which the modern Stratford-upon-Avon has been built around the Shakespeare Heritage industry.

At times, it feels as if every shop, restaurant and pub has been name for the Bard. One favourite was Iago's Jewellers. One can only imagine that the owners have never seen Othello.

One strange characteristic of Stratford-upon-Avon is that almost every building appears to have an old facade but a modern extension, or occasionally vice versa.

For example, while Shakespeare's birthplace is timbered featuring the appropriate white paint and creaking floorboards inside, you get there via an ultra-modern visitors centre, containing film, paintings and other tenuous attractions.

The birthplace building itself is peopled by locals in period costume who provide little commentaries intended to get punters into the mood. It has to be said that the trip could be to any very old house in town, although those with the right mind-set might begin to believe that they have both trodden in William Shakespeare's footsteps and shared a little of his life.

The gardens are also attractive, adorned by actors performing key scenes from the most famous plays.

Otherwise, the Chaucer's Head (why not Shakespeare's?) Bookshop is far more entertaining than the modern commercial equivalent on the High Street, while even the burger chains fit themselves out behind ancient frontages. The shopping tends towards the upmarket, which makes an interesting statement about tourist Britain today.

A very small sample suggest that the restaurants and pubs are of high quality, with The Dirty Duck a place of pilgrimage to anybody who has read RSC actors' biographies in which it always seems to feature large. The food and drink were both very much up to scratch, while photos of the great and good cover the walls.

All in all, this is a lovely location for a cultural break, particularly if the sun decides to peek through the clouds and illuminate the Avon.

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By tom123
18th Apr 2015 09:35

Near enough for a day trip

Stratford is near enough for a day trip, but I confess I haven't been. I was put off English at school, (even though I got good results in the end) and never really got the bug.

Note to self - try to make more effort with all things cultural..

Might try a trip over the summer holidays.

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By SteveOH
18th Apr 2015 11:47

I was enthralled

What an enjoyable piece. You sound as though you had a great couple of days.

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By Alan Davies
20th Apr 2015 11:50

River

The Avon has some nice wier's for those who like kayaking!

#uncultured

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