Download For Immediate Release

Royal Windsor: Shakespeare 400
Windsor’s Shakespeare connection
Shakespeare wrote the comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor while staying in Windsor. The
play is believed commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I for a celebration at Windsor Castle to coincide
with her cousin, Lord Hunsdon, being made a Knight of the Garter in 1597. The play was first
performed at the Castle, in Vicars' Hall a Tudor hall behind St George's Chapel, not open to the
public. The main window of Vicars' Hall can be seen from the town centre just opposite the Theatre
Royal.
Two places in Windsor claim to be where Shakespeare wrote the play. One is a former inn called
The Old Kings Head in Church Street. The other is The Harte and Garter Hotel (situated immediately
opposite the Castle) where two inns, the White Hart and The Garter once stood. There is a
commemorative stained glass window in The Harte & Garter.
The Merry Wives of Windsor
In the play, the wives contrive a plot against the amorous Falstaff which involves an arrangement to
meet him under an oak tree (Herne’s Oak) in what is now Windsor Great Park.
In English folklore, Herne the Hunter is a ghost with antlers upon his head, associated with Windsor
Forest and Great Park. Having been accused of committing a crime against the king, (accounts vary
from Richard II to Henry VIII) he hanged himself from this oak tree. The first recorded literary
mention of Herne is in The Merry Wives of Windsor,
There is an old tale goes that Herne the hunter,
Sometime a keeper here in Windsor Forest,
Doth all the winter-time, at still midnight,
Walk round about an oak, with great ragg'd horns;
And there he blasts the tree, and takes the cattle,
And makes milch-kine yield blood, and shakes a chain
In a most hideous and dreadful manner.
You have heard of such a spirit, and well you know
The superstitious idle-headed eld
Receiv'd, and did deliver to our age,
This tale of Herne the Hunter for a truth.
— William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor
The identity of Herne’s Oak is somewhat clouded with conflicting reports. The popular version is
that the original was felled, and the replacement struck by lightning in Victorian times. As a popular
place for people to visit in the park, Queen Victoria led the nation in mourning for it. A replacement
was planted which blew down in the gales of 1906.
Visitor information www.windsor.gov.uk
The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Moor Hall, Cookham, Berkshire, SL6 9QH
01628 290600 www.live-tourism.com
Registered in the UK Company No. 4642904; Registered office: 340 Melton Road, Leicester, LE4 7SL
2016 Shakespeare linked events
Windsor Castle – Shakespeare in the Royal Library special exhibition
Dates: 13 February 2016 – January 2017
Marking the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, this display draws on material
in the Royal Library, including works of Shakespeare collected by the royal family, accounts of
performances at Windsor Castle, and art by members of the royal family inspired by Shakespeare's
plays. It will examine aspects of the playwright's life, work and influence, and celebrate his
longstanding connection with Windsor and the royal court.
Tickets: Standard entry Adults £20.00; Over 60/ Student (with valid ID) £18.20; Under 17/
Disabled £11.70; Under 5 Free; Family £51.70 (2 adults and 3 under 17s)
Box office: 020 7766 7304
www.royalcollection.org.uk
Theatre Royal Windsor – Twelfth Night
Dates: 25 – 30 April 2016
Two worlds collide in Filter Theatre’s explosive new take on Shakespeare’s lyrical Twelfth Night.
This story of romance, satire and mistaken identity is crafted into an exciting and accessible
Shakespeare production, where nothing is hidden, and no two shows are the same.
Tickets: from £35 - £15
Box office: 01753 853 888
www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk
Ascot Racecourse – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Date: 02 July 2016 – 7pm
Date: 03 July 2016 – 3pm
Chapterhouse Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s best-loved romantic comedy at Britain’s
best loved racecourse. Step into a thrilling journey to the most magical of forests and meet starcrossed lovers, playful fairies and hilarious travelling players. Beautifully designed Elizabethan
costumes, a wonderful new musical score and enchanting woodland creatures combine to make
this an evening of unmissable summer theatre.
Tickets: Adults £16.50; Children £11; Families (2A+2C) £43.20
Bookings: http://www.chapterhouse.org/show2.html
www.ascot.co.uk
The Savill Gardens – ‘As you like it’
Dates: Wednesday to Sunday inclusive from 22nd June to 24th July 2016
Accompany the actors from ‘Watch your Head’ productions on an immersive journey through The
Savill Garden, Britain's finest woodland garden. Shakespeare's pastoral comedy ‘As you like it’
unfolds while moving through woody glades, shaded lawns and borders bursting with Summer
colour before concluding with a triple wedding in a boisterous, acrobatic, musical celebration
indulging in the best food and drink from the finest local suppliers.
Tickets: Full price £35 / £25 Young person rate (0 – 16yrs and student 12 – 18 year olds).
Box office: www.watch-your-head.co.uk
www.windsorgreatpark.co.uk
The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Moor Hall, Cookham, Berkshire, SL6 9QH
01628 290600 www.live-tourism.com
Registered in the UK Company No. 4642904 Registered office: 340 Melton Road, Leicester, LE4 7SL
Cliveden Gardens – Outdoor theatre season
Date: Saturday 27 August – 7pm - A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Performed by Illyria
Date: Saturday 3 September - 7pm – Much Ado About Nothing - Performed by The Lord
Chamberlain’s Men
Both performances take place in the oriental-inspired Water Garden with audiences invited to bring
a picnic to enjoy before the show.
Tickets: prices still to be confirmed
Box office: 0844 249 1896
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden
For more events in Royal Windsor, visit www.windsor.gov.uk
Press enquiries:
Contact for press information [email protected]
High resolution copyright-free images available from www.windsor.gov.uk/media
The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Moor Hall, Cookham, Berkshire, SL6 9QH
01628 290600 www.live-tourism.com
Registered in the UK Company No. 4642904 Registered office: 340 Melton Road, Leicester, LE4 7SL