The Stratford Festival

I'm just back from my first visit to the Stratford Festival. It was truly heaven on earth and I hope to return every year from now on.

Their production of Crazy For You is absolutely fantastic and has just been extended for an additional week in October. I gave a speech and did a q and a with audience members. Later, I had the chance to sit down with just the cast for another q and a session.

Me with the cast of Crazy For You

Crazy For You is now the first-ever Stratford Festival production to have recorded a cast album. Here's a lovely interview with two of the stars, Josh Franklin who plays Bobby Child and Natalie Daradich who plays Polly Baker.

I also gave a talk on How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare as part of the trip, which was loads of fun.

Here's a photo of the display in the Stratford Festival Bookshop:

And of course the lovely Avon River

The Renato La Selva Guthrie Award Quilt

This gorgeous album quilt celebrates Shakespeare's plays at Stratford. It was built voluntarily by 60 employees of the Festival's wardrobe department to raise money for a Guthrie Award in memory of Renato La Selva, men's tailor, who worked at the Festival during the 1970s and 80s. The award is given in recognition of outstanding achievement in the wardrobe department.

The Stratford Festival Theatre