As someone who was born and bred in Stratford-upon-Avon, I, for one, was thrilled to hear that Kenneth Branagh, one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of our times and an Oscar-winner to boot, is returning to the RSC after a 30-year hiatus.
I remember when Branagh trod the boards at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s home in 1993, playing the eponymous role in Hamlet. I was 15, and Stratford was the centre of my world. My late mum, Maggie, was an English teacher at the local high school, which I found a bit embarrassing at the time, but also gave me a real sense of belonging.
Weekends were spent drinking (with fake IDs) at The Dirty Duck, Bar M or the Rose & Crown. We’d usually head to The Duck, which was just up the road from the theatre, for last orders and, if we were lucky, might get to spot some of the famous actors coming in. Or even stay for a lock-in.
The Duck, which I went on to work at for several years during my student holidays, was filled with the actors of the day, and Stratford was a real cultural hub. We had Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Road to Perdition and American Beauty) directing at the RSC and the coolest actors, including Joseph Fiennes and Jude Law. I remember Rupert Penry-Jones coming in with his then-girlfriend, Kylie, too, and almost fainting with excitement.
Branagh, who had been in a few popular early 1990s films, including Peter’s Friends, was something of a sex symbol, and we were excited to have him in our town.
Fast forward to today, and I think it’s fair to say my beloved Stratford has lost its way a bit. Like many small towns, we struggled during Covid with store closures and the Amazon takeover.
It might have started when Woolworths got replaced by Poundland on the high street, or maybe when the massive two-storey McDonald’s drive-in was built on Birmingham Road. We’ve also lost Debenhams, The Body Shop and the Edward Moon restaurant. Then there’s the traffic.
The recent reports about Stratford decolonising and, even worse, ditching its Shakespearean heritage, haven’t helped either. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which was established in 1847 and manages several buildings, museum collections and archives in the town, claimed earlier this year that some of the items in its collection may contain “language or depictions that are racist, sexist, homophobic or otherwise harmful”.
This followed some research from the University of Birmingham (which is, incidentally, less than 40 miles from Stratford and one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK) in 2022 that criticised the trust for presenting Shakespeare as a “universal” genius.
Which, of course, he is.
His words and language are part of our heritage and should surpass any cultural divides. The only reason they have become clichés is that we still use them so much. “Be all and end all”, “too much of a good thing” and “wear your heart on your sleeve”. So many Shakespearean phrases are deeply embedded in our language and society.
Could Branagh, who has gone on to direct and star in numerous award-winning films, including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Thor and A Haunting in Venice, help save Stratford?
At the RSC next year, Branagh will be playing Prospero in The Tempest – directed by Richard Eyre, the former artistic director of the National Theatre – and Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard by Chekhov. This alone will bring people from all over the world to our town. But he will star alongside another brilliant actor, Helen Hunt (What Women Want and As Good as it Gets).
Yes, Stratford may have lost its way a bit, but I think Branagh might be the man to bring back some kudos, make Shakespeare cool again, and even help restore Stratford to its 1990s heyday.
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