Explore the experiences that formed young Shakespeare

William Shakespeare's formative years are reimagined in a show taking place in Warwick this week.
Taresh Solanki and Emma Sian Cooper in Not Just WilliamTaresh Solanki and Emma Sian Cooper in Not Just William
Taresh Solanki and Emma Sian Cooper in Not Just William

Theatre company Tell Tale are marking the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death with a production called Not Just William.

Written by Tell Tale’s ES Cooper, it looks at the hard times endured by the Shakespeare family as a reluctant young William faces up to leaving school early to help in the glove workshop. Bereft of his books and his grand hopes for the future, William is not having the happiest of birthdays until a simple errand leads him on an enchanted journey through a haunted forest and a magical graveyard which opens his eyes to a world of stories which will remain with him for the rest of his life

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ES Cooper said: “Shakespeare’s plays are full of references to his native Warwickshire – from Warwickshire slang and pronunciations to characters who share names with acquaintances of Shakespeare’s father such as Bardolph and Fluellen. Even his folklore and magic have strong roots in rural Warwickshire.”

The show will be performed at the Quaker Meeting House in High Street on Thursday April 21 and Friday April 22 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10 or £6. Call 0844 8442920 to book.