Shakespeare's Fairy Tale Worlds: Study Day
Take a deep dive into Shakespeare’s Fairy Tale Worlds with an insightful, day-long exploration with academics and artists, inspired by our upcoming production of his wonderfully complex Cymbeline in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse this winter.
Magic and prophecy. Storms and shipwrecks. Lost children and resurrected wives. Through a series of talks and seminars, we’ll explore the realm of Shakespearean romance, where nothing – not even time – behaves as it should.
You’ll end the day with a Q&A with actors or artists sharing their experiences of bringing Cymbeline to the stage, giving you the chance to ask questions and gain further insight into the play.
This Study Day can be enjoyed on its own but is also a perfect introduction to our production of Cymbeline. So why not round off your day with a ticket to the evening performance following the Study Day? Tickets for the performance are not included in the Study Day ticket price and must be purchased separately.
DETAILS
TICKETS
£100
Become a Member and get 20% off Shakespeare’s Fairy Tale Worlds: Study Day and selected research events and activities.
This event is on-site – please meet in the main foyer.
Running time is approximately 6 hours
Terms and conditions
A £2.50 transaction fee per order applies online and over the telephone.
Part of Research Events
Plan your visit
Find out how to get here, where to stay and read our FAQs.
Find out about access provisions for Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.
SCHEDULE
12.00pm
Welcome with Dr Hanh Bui (Head of Research, Shakespeare’s Globe)
12.15 – 1.15pm
Session 1: ‘“What fairies haunt this ground?” Shakespeare and the Supernatural’ with Dr Tristan Marshall (Shakespeare’s Globe and University of Cambridge).
From Puck to Posthumus, Shakespeare’s engagement with English fairy lore reveals a complex interplay between archaism and contemporary belief, supernatural fiction and perceived reality. This session explores how Shakespeare’s plays engage with representations of magical (and sometimes dangerous) worlds.
1.15pm – 2.15pm
Break for lunch
2.15pm – 3.15pm
Session 2: ‘“These lovely caves, these round enchanting pits”: Shakespeare’s Subterranean Worlds’ with Dr Emily Rowe (King’s College London)
This talk will examine Shakespeare’s subterranean worlds and the objects and creatures that inhabit them—from stone and metal to worms and nymphs. We will unearth Renaissance ideas about what lies beneath our feet, and the unspoken desires and fears lurking there.
3.15pm – 3.30pm
Break
3.30pm – 4.30pm
Session 3: ‘Shakespeare’s Lost Children’ with Dr Gemma Miller (University of London)
This session will consider how the lost children of Cymbeline function thematically and where the play sits in relation to Shakespeare’s other late plays with fairy tale influences, including Pericles, The Tempest, and The Winter’s Tale.
4.30pm – 5.00pm
Tea break – provided
5.00pm – 6.00pm
Q&A with Cymbeline company members Charlotte Vickers and Saroja-Lily Ratnavel
SPEAKERS
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