Editing Stratford-upon-Avon (section)

===Theatre===
[[File:Royal Shakespeare Theatre south.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]] showing the embedded [[Swan Theatre (Stratford)|Swan Theatre]]]]

The first real [[theatre]] in Stratford was a temporary wooden affair built in 1769 by the actor [[David Garrick]] for his [[Shakespeare Jubilee]] celebrations of that year to mark William Shakespeare's birthday. The theatre, built not far from the site of the present [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]], was almost washed away in two days of torrential rain that resulted in terrible flooding.<ref name="FindingShakespeare_Jubilee"/><ref name="BBC_Jubilee">{{cite web|title=Shakespeare on Tour – Who can we thank for Shakespeare's popularity?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1qQQg9HFn838cThwg5WHyVp/who-can-we-thank-for-shakespeares-popularity|publisher=BBC|access-date=9 November 2016}}</ref> To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth in 1864, brewer [[Charles Edward Flower]] instigated the building of a temporary wooden theatre, known as the Tercentenary Theatre, which was built in a part of the brewer's large gardens on what is today the site of the new, and temporary, [[Courtyard Theatre]]. After three months the Tercentenary Theatre was dismantled, with the timber used for housebuilding purposes.<ref name="TheTheatreTrust">{{cite web|title=Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Swan Theatre – The Theatres Trust|url=http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/879-royal-shakespeare-theatre-and-swan-theatre|website=Theatrestrust.org.uk|access-date=9 November 2016}}</ref>

In the early 1870s, Flower gave several acres of riverside land to the local council on the understanding that a permanent theatre be built in honour of Shakespeare's memory, and by 1879 the first [[Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]] had been completed. It proved to be a huge success, and by the early 20th century it was effectively being run by the actor/manager [[Francis Robert Benson|Frank Benson]].<ref name="TheTheatreTrust"/> The theatre burned down in 1926, with the then artistic director, [[William Bridges-Adams]], moving all productions to the local [[Movie theater|cinema]].

An architectural competition was arranged to elicit designs for a new theatre, with the winner, English architect [[Elisabeth Scott]], creating the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The new theatre, adjoining what was left of the old theatre, was opened by the then [[Prince of Wales]], later [[Edward VIII]], in 1932. The new theatre had many illustrious artistic directors, including the actor [[Anthony Quayle]]. Sir [[Peter Hall (theatre director)|Peter Hall]] was appointed artistic director (designate) in 1959, and formed the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] (RSC) in 1961.

The Royal Shakespeare Company also runs two smaller theatres, the [[Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon|Swan Theatre]], which was created in the 1980s out of the shell of the remains of the original Memorial Theatre and is modelled on an [[Elizabethan theatre]], quickly becoming one of the finest acting spaces in the United Kingdom, and [[The Other Place (theatre)|The Other Place]] theatre. Along with the [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]] (RST), the Swan Theatre closed in 2007 for refurbishment and reopened in November 2010. The Other Place, a [[Black box theatre]], was extended to become the temporary [[Courtyard Theatre|RSC Courtyard Theatre]], opening in July 2006 and was the home of the RSC while the RST was being refurbished – its interior is similar to the interior of the refurbished RST. The Courtyard Theatre closed in 2015 and was replaced by The Other Place in March 2016, which returned as a 200-seat studio theatre within the steel extension in which the Courtyard Theatre was located.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Chalmers|first1=Amanda|title=Celebration brings down curtain at Courtyard|url=http://www.stratford-herald.com/31560-celebration-brings-down-curtain-at-courtyard.html|website=Stratford-herald.com|access-date=9 January 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160126131346/http://www.stratford-herald.com/31560-celebration-brings-down-curtain-at-courtyard.html|archive-date=26 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Shakespeare's The Other Place in Stratford begins revamp|publisher=BBC News|date=10 February 2015|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-31352422|access-date=9 January 2016}}</ref>

Stratford is home to The Bear Pit Theatre which was founded in 2008 as a voluntary organisation. It has 100 seats and is part of the [[Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain|Little Theatre Guild]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Local arts – centre stage – Stratford Town Trust|url=http://www.stratfordtowntrust.co.uk/news/putting-local-arts-centre-stage/|website=Stratford Town Trust|access-date=15 November 2016|archive-date=16 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116020228/http://www.stratfordtowntrust.co.uk/news/putting-local-arts-centre-stage/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford upon Avon|url=http://www.amblesideguesthouse.co.uk/news/?p=501|website=Ambleside News and Reviews|access-date=15 November 2016|date=30 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="History of The Bear Pit">{{cite news|url=https://www.thebearpit.org.uk/about-us/history/|title=History of The Bear Pit|newspaper=The Bear Pit |publisher=Bear Pit Theatre|access-date=25 March 2019}}</ref> The Attic Theatre is Stratford-upon-Avon's premiere fringe [[theatre]]. Established by husband-and-wife team John-Robert and Catherine Partridge and in 2009, who also run the award-winning Tread The Boards Theatre Company.<ref name="The Attic Theatre history">{{cite web|url=https://www.theattictheatre.co.uk/our-history|title=Our history|publisher=The Attic Theatre|access-date=25 March 2019}}</ref> The venue is located next door to Cox's Yard and hosts an intimate 90-seat auditorium in the [[listed building|Grade 2]] listed Attic space.<ref name="The Attic Theatre history"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Tread the Boards Theatre {{!}} Attic Theatre Stratford-Upon-Avon {{!}} Shakespeare's England|url=http://shakespeares-england.co.uk/tread-boards-theatre-company|website=shakespeares-england.co.uk|access-date=15 November 2016|archive-date=16 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116020829/http://shakespeares-england.co.uk/tread-boards-theatre-company|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Waterside Theatre]], which is not part of the [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre]] complex, re-opened in December 2004, then closed in September 2008. During this span, the theatre housed the Shakespearience visitor attraction.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/7597621.stm|title=Theatre shuts in Shakespeare town|date=4 September 2008|access-date=10 September 2008}}</ref> This has now been turned into the Clore Learning Centre, the Royal Shakespeare Company's education and events venue. In 1988, Stratford-upon-Avon was the venue for the disastrous provincial try-out of the ill-fated musical ''[[Carrie (musical)|Carrie]]'', based on the [[Carrie (novel)|Stephen King novel]].