Editing Royal Shakespeare Company (section)

====A 21st-century renaissance====
None of Noble's plans came to fruition.  He left the job an unhappy man in March 2003.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/05/11/btnoble11.xml&sSheet=/arts/2004/05/11/ixartleft.html "Vile. Hateful. A horrible time"]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615011720/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=%2Farts%2F2004%2F05%2F11%2Fbtnoble11.xml&sSheet=%2Farts%2F2004%2F05%2F11%2Fixartleft.html |date=15 June 2006 }}: Daily Telegraph, 2004</ref> [[Michael Boyd (director)|Michael Boyd]] then assumed control of the RSC, now burdened with a deficit of £2.8&nbsp;million. By a combination of artistic excellence and quiet husbandry, including a year-long [[Complete Works (RSC festival)|Complete Works of Shakespeare Festival]] (begun in April 2006 in collaboration with other theatre companies) plus a financially successful London season at the [[Novello Theatre]] in 2006, Boyd slowly rebuilt the company's fortunes and reputation.

In 2007 he launched the long-awaited Stratford theatre redevelopments, including construction of the temporary [[Courtyard Theatre]] while work was in progress, designed to house his RSC Histories cycle before its transfer to the [[Roundhouse (venue)|Roundhouse]] in London in 2008.<ref>[http://www.rsc.org.uk/content/5013.aspx RSC The Histories cycle] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209030442/http://www.rsc.org.uk/content/5013.aspx |date=9 December 2007 }}</ref> Talking of these achievements with typical modesty he told the ''Evening Standard'' in December 2007 ('The Man Who Remade the RSC'): "There was a bit of gardening to do, but we are now beginning to show signs of walking the walk." 'The Histories' ensemble went on to win three Olivier awards in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23425538-details/The+man+who+remade+the+RSC/article.do|title=The man who remade the RSC|last=Jury|first=Louise|date=4 December 2007|work=London Evening Standard|access-date=22 July 2009|archive-date=4 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204051121/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/article-23425538-details/The+man+who+remade+the+RSC/article.do|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, that same year the RSC commissioned a completely new edition of Shakespeare's First Folio, titled "[[William Shakespeare]] Complete Works" and published by [[Modern Library]].

To provide balance, Simon Trowbridge in ''A Royal Shakespeare Company Book'', published in 2017, is highly critical of aspects of the Boyd years, including his decision to redevelop the Royal Shakespeare Theatre as a second Swan Theatre.<ref>Trowbridge, Simon: '' A Royal Shakespeare Company Book'' (Englance Press, 2017).</ref>

The RSC is the sole British member theatre of the [[Union of the Theatres of Europe]].

In March 2008, the RSC launched a manifesto 'Stand up for Shakespeare',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/12-2008/rsc-tells-schools-to-stand-up-for-shakespeare_17838.html|title=RSC Tells Schools to Stand up for Shakespeare???|date=12 December 2008|work=[[Whatsonstage.com Awards]]|publisher=WhatsOnStage.com|access-date=3 December 2015|archive-date=22 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222051911/http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/12-2008/rsc-tells-schools-to-stand-up-for-shakespeare_17838.html|url-status=live}}</ref> a campaign to promote a positive experience of Shakespeare for children and young people. The tenets of this manifesto, ''Do It on Your Feet, See It Live, Start It Earlier'' form the basis of the work of the Education department.

In 2010, the RSC opened a new suite of education spaces on Waterside.

In 2011, BP began to subsidised the RSC's £5 ticket scheme for 16 to 25-year-olds.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49906754|title=RSC ends BP partnership after student protest|date=2 October 2019|access-date=2 October 2019|archive-date=3 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003035506/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49906754|url-status=live}}</ref>

In summer 2011 the company undertook a residency in [[Park Avenue Armory]], New York, running a series of performances and an accompanying education programme in partnership with the [[NYC Department of Education]].

In 2012, the RSC produced the World Shakespeare Festival, a celebration of 'Shakespeare as the world's playwright' working with UK and international arts organisations, and including the [[Globe to Globe Festival]] by Shakespeare's Globe. The same year, planning permission was granted by Stratford District Council to reinstate [[The Other Place (theatre)|The Other Place]]. Funding for the new theatre came from a £3&nbsp;million grant from the Arts Council England, raised through the National Lottery. Funding was also received from the [[Gatsby Charitable Foundation]], The Backstage Trust, and from public donations; this is the final phase of the Transformation project.

Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, a new project to broadcast the company's productions in cinemas around the world and stream them into schools was announced in May 2013. The project began with Shakespeare's [[Richard II (play)|''Richard II'']], starring [[David Tennant]], in November 2013, and followed up with ''Henry IV'' parts 1 and 2 and ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' in 2014.

In February 2016, Artistic Director Gregory Doran's productions of ''Henry IV Part I'' and ''Henry IV Part II'', and ''Henry V'' went on tour in Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong as part of the King & Country Tour. The same year, the Royal Shakespeare Company also opened their first permanent exhibition, entitled The Play's The Thing.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsc.org.uk/the-plays-the-thing/|title=The Play's The Thing – Exhibition – Royal Shakespeare Company|website=www.rsc.org.uk|access-date=1 December 2016|archive-date=20 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320102240/https://www.rsc.org.uk/the-plays-the-thing/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 23 April 2016, the RSC performed a one night extravaganza, called 'Shakespeare Live!'. Broadcast on BBC Two from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, it marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's Death. It involved a collection of Shakespeare scenes and monologues with appearances from [[David Tennant]], [[Catherine Tate]], [[Judi Dench|Dame Judi Dench]], [[Benedict Cumberbatch]] and even one from [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0791mqd|title=Shakespeare Live! From the RSC|website=BBC Two|access-date=18 April 2019|archive-date=20 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320102223/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0791mqd|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2019, the actor [[Mark Rylance]] resigned from the RSC over its sponsorship deal with oil company [[BP]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48721382|title=Rylance resigns from RSC over BP sponsors|date=21 June 2019|access-date=2 October 2019|archive-date=20 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320102226/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-48721382|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2019, the RSC announced that it would be ending its partnership with BP at the end of year following criticism of its association with the oil company. A week before, school students threatened to boycott the theatre company if it did not sever links with the firm. A spokesperson for the RSC explained that "Young people are now saying clearly to us that the BP sponsorship is putting a barrier between them and their wish to engage with the RSC".<ref name=":0" />

In February 2021, the RSC announced five new members to its board of trustees: Andrew Miller, Amanda Parker, [[Winsome Pinnock]], [[Justine Themen]] and [[Ayanna Thompson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsc.org.uk/news/meet-our-new-trustees|title=Meet our new trustees|website=RSC|access-date=3 March 2021|archive-date=20 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320102250/https://www.rsc.org.uk/news/meet-our-new-trustees|url-status=live}}</ref>

It was announced that [[Daniel Evans (actor)|Daniel Evans]] and [[Tamara Harvey]] would become joint Artistic Directors from June 2023.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 September 2022 |title=Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey are an inspired duo to lead the RSC |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/sep/21/daniel-evans-and-tamara-harvey-inspired-duo-to-lead-rsc |access-date=23 September 2022 |website=The Guardian |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922212255/https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/sep/21/daniel-evans-and-tamara-harvey-inspired-duo-to-lead-rsc |url-status=live }}</ref> Their first season was announced on 16 January 2024 commencing from April.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Latest Press Releases {{!}} Royal Shakespeare Company |url=https://www.rsc.org.uk/press/releases/daniel-evans-and-tamara-harvey-announce-their-inaugural-season-as-co-artistic-directors-of-the-royal-shakespeare-company |access-date=2024-03-16 |website=www.rsc.org.uk |language=en-GB}}</ref>