Our Contemporary...

The Royal Shakespeare Company's history dates back to 1879, when the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre was opened and a performance of Much Ado About Nothing was staged. From that one production grew another, as did the company's recognition. Post-1945, it began to win acclaim thanks to stars such as Michael Redgrave, John Gielgud, Vivien Leigh, and Laurence Olivier. In 1961, the company adopted its current name, and to this day, remains committed: to keeping modern audiences in touch with Shakespeare's work. This year, the RSC takes on - the complete works.