We embark on a tour across Buckinghamshire every summer, bringing brand-new Shakespeare productions to all manner of beautiful venues around the county.
Then let us try and change your mind! We're passionate about winning over people who've had a bad experience with the Bard, which is why we offer free performances.
Yes! We hold auditions at the start of the year for the production, so keep an eye out for news of how to gent involved in next year's festival tour.
We're thrilled to announce that the 2024 festival - a county-wide tour of 'Richard II' - has won one of the inaugural Bucks Spark Awards, presented by Buckinghamshire Culture.
Bucks Culture have said that "the awards have been created to showcase and celebrate arts, heritage and cultural achievements delivered by fantastic, hard-working organisations and voluntary groups within the county."
The Buckinghamshire Shakespeare Festival won 'Best Cultural Event', with other categories including 'Best Cultural Collaboration' and 'Best Cultural Exhibition'.
Read more about the award here.
The 2025 festival is set to be our biggest yet, extending to an epic six weeks across July and August! We've a whole programme of activities planned:
- Two brand-new productions touring to venues all over Bucks: 'Macbeth' and 'As You Like It'. See below for tour dates / times.
- A 10-part audio adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Henry IV' plays, released twice-weekly during the festival.
- A live film screening of our acclaimed 2022 production of 'Hamlet', with a post-show Q+A with some of the creative team.
- All-new comedy with 'Sensible Shakespeare'. What happens if the bard's plays get a bit more level-headed?
Check out the dates and booking links below!
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Holy Trinity Church, Prestwood
Holy Trinity Church, Prestwood
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Holy Trinity Church, Prestwood
Ascott Estate
King's Head Pub, Aylesbury
King's Head Pub, Aylesbury
Free performance. Click here for venue info.
King's Head Pub, Aylesbury
Quainton Village Green
Quainton Village Green
Free performance. Be sure to bring a picnic chair / blanket!
Quainton Village Green
Waddesdon Manor
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Ticketed performance. Click here for info
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Wycombe Museum
Wycombe Museum
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Wycombe Museum
The Nag's Head, Great Missenden
The Nag's Head, Great Missenden
Free performance. Click here for venue info.
The Nag's Head, Great Missenden
Ascott Estate
Ascott Estate
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Ascott Estate
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
King's Head Pub, Aylesbury
King's Head Pub, Aylesbury
Free performance. Click here for venue info.
King's Head Pub, Aylesbury
Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon Manor
Free with grounds entry. Click here for info
Waddesdon Manor
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Queens Park Arts Centre, Aylesbury
Sunneyhill Barn, Rowsham
Sunneyhill Barn, Rowsham
Ticketed performance. Click here to book now.
Sunneyhill Barn, Rowsham
Unbound's first foray into the Bard's work coincided with the 400th anniversary of Shakesepare's death, with a celebration of his work covering solilopquies, scenes, soonets and songs at Queens Park Arts Centre
The first full production was 'Macbeth', which ran for four performances at QPAC's Limelight Theatre, and starred Alistair Sanderson and Joanne Rothery as Lord and Lady Macbeth.
Our production of 'Twelfth Night' was the first to venture out and about, with a performance at the Discover Bucks Museum, and an abridged performance for Aylesbury Town Council's St George's Day event.
Next came an ambitious new adaptation of 'Antony & Cleopatra', which visited QPAC, the Discover Bucks Museum, St Mary's Church, and the King's Head pub in Aylesbury.
With stage work placed on hold during the coronavirus pandemic, we adapted our stage projects into films - 'As You Skype It', and 'A Mid-Zoom-er Night's Dream.' - and also presented 'A Sonnet A Day' as part of our online programme.
The pandemic once again curtailed our stage plans for Shakespeare, and so we focused our efforts on kick-starting our 'Sounds & Sweet Airs' project - an ambitious mission to bring the Bard's Complete Works to audio.
As well as 'Sounds & Sweet Airs' arriving with two new audio series, the Buckinghamshire Shakespeare Festival officially launched, as the tour extended across the county for the first time.