A WORD FROM THE CHAIR...

March 2026

A Word from the Chair of Sevenoaks Shakespeare

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Our mission has always been simple: to make the works of William Shakespeare vibrant, accessible and enjoyable for modern audiences. Whether you know every line of the plays or haven’t encountered the Bard since your school days, we believe Shakespeare has something for everyone, and that it should be entertaining and exciting to watch.

We’re moving into 2026 with real momentum. After nearly three decades of bringing Shakespeare to life across our community, we are already looking ahead to a very special milestone: our 30th anniversary next year. We’ll continue to look for new ways to share Shakespeare’s stories with ever wider and more varied audiences.

Our programme of Pop Up Shakespeare performances is expanding again this year. These events allow us to take Shakespeare out of traditional theatre spaces and into the places where people already gather -  bookshops, pubs, community events and unexpected corners of our local area. By performing short extracts, experimenting with different styles, and introducing audiences to characters and scenes they may never have encountered before, we create a new way for people to experience Shakespeare for the first time — or rediscover him afresh.

These Pop Up events also give our talented performers the chance to explore texts in new ways. With a range of actors, interpretations and approaches, we can experiment, test ideas and breathe new life into words written more than four centuries ago. Shakespeare’s works endure precisely because they are so open to reinvention, and we are always keen to see how they can resonate with audiences today.

Alongside these smaller performances, we continue to present larger productions that place Shakespeare’s timeless stories in imaginative new settings. Reinterpretation has always been at the heart of what we do — not changing Shakespeare for its own sake, but finding ways to illuminate the themes, humour and humanity within the plays for contemporary audiences.

We are staging two productions later this year; firstly we’re back in Otford at the Archbishops Palace in May with Shrewed!, a reimagining of The Taming of the Shrew, set against the backdrop of wartime Britain and with some fantastic live music from the Jean Bentley Band.  In June and July, we’re back with at The White Rock Inn, Underriver, for an innovative production of Othello. We’re looking forward to tackling this Shakespeare classic for the first time and creating something really memorable.

What excites me most about what we do is the variety of people who encounter Shakespeare through our work: those seeing it live for the very first time, lifelong theatre lovers, curious students and seasoned Shakespeare enthusiasts alike. Each performance is an opportunity to connect people with stories that have endured for centuries — stories about love, ambition, jealousy, power, friendship and forgiveness that still feel remarkably relevant today.

As we look ahead to our 30th year, our ambition remains the same as it was when Sevenoaks Shakespeare began: to keep exploring, experimenting and sharing these extraordinary plays with as many people as possible.

If you have never joined us before, we would love to welcome you.