South West Shakespeare Festival
Friday, 24 April 2026
- Time
- 10:00 - 23:50
- Price
- various
The festival combines professional artistic work with community access, offering a programme of theatre, music, talks, exhibitions and family-friendly events across partner venues in Exeter, a UNESCO City of Literature.
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A bold, new celebration of theatre, music, talks and cultural events, the festival brings Shakespeare’s timeless work to life in unexpected and unforgettable ways that appeal to lovers of live performance, music, curious minds and heritage fans alike.
The festival opens with a rare, professional script-in-hand performance of The Merchant of Venice (Wild Thyme Theatre) at one of Exeter’s Elizabethan town houses, where actors breathe fresh energy into one of Shakespeare’s most provocative plays. Expect ensemble acting that makes Shakespeare’s language vivid and immediate, perfect for seasoned theatregoers and newcomers.
Music takes centre stage with If Music Be the Food of Love, a concert weaving Shakespearean themes through opera and classical repertoire, performed by mezzo soprano Iryna Ilnytska and pianist Alex Wilson.
Film lovers won’t miss Shakespeare on Stage and Screen, a special display at the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum exploring Shakespeare’s impact on cinema from Olivier to modern classics. Shakespeare scholar Prof Pascale Aebischer explores the processes of bringing live theatre to cinemas and home screens in “Live” Shakespeare on Screen.
Across Exeter’s cultural venues, the festival also offers a rare chance to view Shakespeare’s Folio at the Exeter Cathedral Archives, Victorian illustrations of the plays at the Devon and Exeter Institution, Shakespeare’s medicinal remedies (Devon & Exeter Medical Heritage Trust) and an Elizabethan food demonstration in the kitchens of St Nicholas Priory. The Young Poets Awards for children is generously hosted at Theatre Alibi.
The festival opens with a rare, professional script-in-hand performance of The Merchant of Venice (Wild Thyme Theatre) at one of Exeter’s Elizabethan town houses, where actors breathe fresh energy into one of Shakespeare’s most provocative plays. Expect ensemble acting that makes Shakespeare’s language vivid and immediate, perfect for seasoned theatregoers and newcomers.
Music takes centre stage with If Music Be the Food of Love, a concert weaving Shakespearean themes through opera and classical repertoire, performed by mezzo soprano Iryna Ilnytska and pianist Alex Wilson.
Film lovers won’t miss Shakespeare on Stage and Screen, a special display at the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum exploring Shakespeare’s impact on cinema from Olivier to modern classics. Shakespeare scholar Prof Pascale Aebischer explores the processes of bringing live theatre to cinemas and home screens in “Live” Shakespeare on Screen.
Across Exeter’s cultural venues, the festival also offers a rare chance to view Shakespeare’s Folio at the Exeter Cathedral Archives, Victorian illustrations of the plays at the Devon and Exeter Institution, Shakespeare’s medicinal remedies (Devon & Exeter Medical Heritage Trust) and an Elizabethan food demonstration in the kitchens of St Nicholas Priory. The Young Poets Awards for children is generously hosted at Theatre Alibi.
Dates
The event runs from 10:00 to 23:50 on the following dates.
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