The Royal Shakespeare Company has postponed its fall and winter 2020 seasons, aiming to make way for the earlier programming that was suspended earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The previously announced 2020 fall and winter productions of The Wars of The Roses Part 1 and Part 2, The Magician’s Elephant, and the First Encounters with Shakespeare tour of Twelfth Night have all been pushed to 2021.
Instead, RSC organizers hope The Winter’s Tale and The Comedy of Errors—initially set for the spring and summer of 2020—can be staged in the fall. The company will make a decision at a later date based on its financial stability and government guidelines for social distancing.
The RSC Barbican 2020 annual residency and RSC summer school programs are also canceled.
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“Theatre and the arts give strength to people in difficult times, they lift the spirits and bring a sense of community, which is desperately needed right now,” said Artistic Director Gregory Doran and Executive Director Catherine Mallyon in a joint statement. “We are determined to be back with live performances, and we are looking forward to when that time comes.”
While closed, the company continues to offer online performance, event, and education activities. For a list of RSC's at-home programming, visit RSC.org.uk.