How To Experience The Bard In Bucks

As the nation celebrates the 400th anniversary of his death, the Nexus team has come over all cultured and gone Shakespeare mad.

To get up close and personal with some of the Bard’s finest works, we’ve listed five ways you and your family can be part of the celebrations taking place in and around Bucks.

Starting its run next week, from 8 June Chiltern Shakespeare Company is staging its production of A Comedy of Errors at Hall Barn in Old Beaconsfield. If the weather is nice, ticket holders are granted access to the picturesque grounds 2 hours before the play begins to picnic on the lawns and really soak up the atmosphere.

For those of you not wanting to risk being at the mercy of the Great British weather, the Everyman Cinema in Gerrards Cross, just up the road from Nexus HQ, will be broadcasting a live production of Hamlet from the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon, on 8 June. One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, the tragedy unfolds over 210 minutes, so make sure you have plenty of popcorn handy!

To drink, or not to drink: that is the question. Don’t worry, there’s a 20 minute interval to use the toilet and refuel. As regulars at our local cinema, we can testify to the comfy sofas, tasty refreshments and friendly staff.

For all the music lovers out there, the Great Missenden Annual Prom Concert is celebrating Shakespeare 400 with an evening of captivating music and readings by a selection of choirs. The prom starts at 7pm on 18 June at St Peter and St Paul Parish Church in Great Missenden.

To enjoy a thoroughly immersive experience close to the Buckinghamshire border, The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park is the beautiful setting for a unique interpretation of Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy, As You Like It. Between 22 June and 24 July, you and your family can wonder at the acrobatic and musical production from the renowned Watch Your Head Theatre Company and choose from a selection of dining options offered by award-winning caterers Leith’s.

Promising a ‘fun, fast-paced and entertaining’ performance of the romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing, MadCap Theatre Productions is on tour, stopping at Stoke Place in Stoke Poges on 7 August. This venue offers visitors another chance to catch some rays or feast on a picnic in the parklands of its 26 acre estate, then watch as Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other.

With such a wide selection of skilfully told stories and collection of colourful characters from England’s best-loved playwright, there’s something on offer for everyone this summer.

Full details on all these events can be found online.