For 25 years, staff and students from the English and Drama courses have gone on a three-day study course to Stratford-upon-Avon. On each course we see two or three plays, listen to lectures from the world's leading Shakespeare scholars, attend seminars on the productions, and meet members of the Royal Shakespeare Company. We have been the longest attending UK university on these courses, which are organised in conjunction with The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Over the years we have met some of the stage's biggest stars, and recent highlights have included sitting on the front row to see Patrick Stewart perform in Anthony and Cleopatra on the intimate Swan Theatre stage.

This year (25-27 June 2009) students were able to see Julius Caesar and As You Like It, and we had the invaluable experience of speaking with Greg Hicks (Caesar in Julius Caesar) about his approach to Shakespeare, working for the RSC, and his role in that specific production. We also continued to benefit from the excellent social atmosphere offered by Stratford, with students rowing on the River Avon, touring historic houses, and enjoying Stratford's relaxed and late-opening night life.

Lynsey McCulloch, a PhD student in English and the Business Administration Manager in RDCS, notes that: "The Stratford trip offers a unique opportunity for students to engage with professional theatre and advanced Shakespeare study. It is a pleasurable and rewarding experience and I would encourage any student to attend."

The study course is open to all Anglia Ruskin staff, from any department, and students in ECFM and Music and Performing Arts.

For more information please contact Eugene Giddens, Skinner-Young Professor in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature.

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