The world shares him and London claims him but Stratford-upon-Avon intends to spend 2016 celebrating William Shakespeare as their man: the bard of Avon, born in the Warwickshire market town in 1564, who died there 400 years ago.

Stratford remained hugely important during Shakespeare’s life, says Paul Edmondson, the head of learning and research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. “People often see Shakespeare as someone who turned his back on Stratford and his family, went to London to earn his fortune and only came back to die,” he said. “But Stratford is where he bought land and property, where he kept his library, where he lived and read and thought. We are going to spend the year re-emphasizing the importance of Shakespeare, the man of Stratford.”

The anniversary of the death of the man from Stratford, the most famous and the most performed playwright in the world, will be celebrated across Britain and the globe. Macbethwill open in Singapore, Romeo and Julietin Brussels. Shakespeare’s Globe is completing the first world tour in the history of theatre. It has taken Hamlet to every country exceptNorth Korea. In London, they are also creating a 37-screen pop-up cinema, one screen to showcase each of Shakespeare’s plays. [...]

_{Adapted from The Guardian: shakespeares-400th-anniversaryintermediate/555073.article; 1 January, 2016}

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