Royal Shakespeare Company Podcast

The scaffolding is coming down and the theatre technicians are busy inside the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon. A year since our last visit to the building site things are beginning to take shape. Jane Markham goes behind the scenes and finds out why it will be another year before the actors will arrive!

In November 2008 giant steel roof beams were winched into position over what will be the new Royal Shakespeare Theatre's auditorium. The thrust stage is already clearly visible and the viewing tower, which will give visitors a fantastic view of Stratford Upon Avon and the surrounding countryside, starts its upward progress as the lift shaft begins to take shape. In this podcast we are on site for a tour behind the scenes of the drama of the rebirth of what promises to be an iconic theatre of the future.

The famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre, designed in the 1930s, has now closed its doors to the public while it undergoes a major transformation - and in this is an episode of memories of the RST in its heyday we'll get the view from the stalls! From those whose passion drove them to keep a caravan in Stratford for their regular visits from Devon to those who came by bus from Birmingham to queue for standing room only in the 1960's ! Today the audience speaks

The RSC's famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon is being transformed over the next three years and while work is underway the company is performing up the road in a temporary theatre which is a working prototype for the new RST. Find out more from the RSC's artistic director, one of the the UK's top theatre designers and the architects.

David Crystal, a world expert of Shakespearian pronunciation, on why Romeo and Juliet would have been 10 minutes shorter in Shakespeare's day, and other fascinating insights.

Fay Weldon, one the the UK's best loved and most respected writers talks about taking liberties with Shakespeare's works!