King's Lynn oldest working theatre St George's Guildhall celebrates playwright William Shakespeare on St George's Day with family activities including film Gnomeo and Juliet for big birthday bash
Guests are encouraged to celebrate at Shakespeare’s Big Birthday Bash this weekend, being held at St George’s Guildhall in Lynn.
In the language of the Bard, visitors are invited to prithee, joineth the pleth’ra of free activities on Saturday, April 22 and Sunday 23, to marketh the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birthday.
Across the weekend from 12pm until 4pm there will be craft sessions on Saturday to make crowns and write with quills, and to make swords and shields on Sunday.
Storyteller Jim Kavanagh will entertain families with family-friendly Shakespeare short stories where participants can enjoy Tudor games all weekend.
On Sunday there will be a chance to meet Queen Elizabeth I and there will be a self-led trail around the Guildhall site for youngsters tasked with finding Shakespeare’s missing props and matching them to the right play.
Special Shakespeare-themed films will also be showing at 2pm each day, with free popcorn for children attending.
On Saturday join the Horrible Histories cast in Bill and find out what really happened to Bill Shakespeare, the hapless lute player with a big dream.
Kicked out of his band, Bill leaves Stratford to seek fame and fortune and prove all the doubters wrong.
Gnomeo and Juliet on Sunday, features blue gnomes on one side and red gnomes on the other, separated by a garden fence and a feud. This doesn’t stop blue Gnomeo and red Juliet falling in love with each other. But do they have a future together?
Refreshments will be available to purchase over the weekend.
Brigitte Webster will give a talk in the Shakespeare Barn Saturday evening at 7pm entitled Eating with Shakespeare .
Tim Fitzhigham, creative director and borough council cultural officer, said: “Shakespeare’s birthday is always celebrated on St George’s Day, April 23 and where better to celebrate this birthday than in the only working theatre left in the UK in which we believe Shakespeare performed.”
