Introduction Post War West End Joan Littlewood and the Theatre Workshop The Explosion of New Writing  The Royal Court Theatre 20th Century Shakespeare  The Royal Shakespeare Company Peter Brook and Peter Hall The National Theatre Alternative Theatre Physical and Visual Theatre ‘In Yer Face’ Theatre

Actor from the F.R.Benson Company

The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Stratford-upon-Avon

The Shakespeare Memorial theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon opened in 1879 and produced an annual summer Shakespeare season. When the theatre burnt down in 1926 it was replaced with a new building officially opened on Shakespeare’s birthday in 1932 by the Prince of Wales and former Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin. Despite the large scale celebrations which included a broadcast by the BBC of Richard II, the new theatre met with much criticism from the theatre profession.

Murray Carrington as Oberon

Frank Benson as Shylock

The state of the art stage technology, which included several hydraulic stages, could not make up for the limitations of the huge proscenium arch theatre. Its enormous orchestra pit at the foot of the stage created a gaping divide between the actors and the audience.

The Memorial Theatre on Fire

Constance Benson as Portia

During the 1940s and 50s the Memorial Theatre underwent radical transformations to make it more suitable for staging Shakespeare. During this era the great stars of 20th century theatre including Laurence Olivier, Peggy Ashcroft, Ralph Richardson, Vivien Leigh, Michael Redgrave, and Claire Bloom trod the boards at the Memorial Theatre. The theatre took on a national significance as a showcase for Shakespeare under directors such as Barry Jackson and Tyrone Guthrie.