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AN AWARD-WINNING EVENT
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.
2025 Festival
Something wicked this way comes...
We're still on a high from this summer's epic festival adventure, but plans are already underway for 2025's event, which looks to be even bigger!
Extending to a mighty six weeks during July and August 2025, we've a whole programme of activities planned:
- Two brand-new productions touring to venues all over Bucks: 'Macbeth' and 'As You Like It'.
- 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?
Expect more news in the coming months!
2024 Festival - 'RICHARD II'
2023 Festival - 'Much Ado About Nothing'
2022 Festival - 'HAMLET'
THE ROAD TO THE FESTIVAL...
2016
2016
2016
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
2017
2016
2016
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.
2018
2016
2018
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.
2019
2016
2018
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.
2020
2020
2020
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.
2021
2020
2020
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.
2022
2020
2022
As well as 'Sounds & Sweet Airs' launching with two new audio series, the Buckinghamshire Shakespeare Festival officially launched, as the tour extended across the county for the first time.