2016 marks the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and as part of the celebrations during this short course we are hoping to include a visit to Stratford to watch the magnificent Sir Antony Sher in his performance of King Lear (*see below). The course is designed to engage with some of the key issues surrounding Shakespeare; the authorship controversy; the history of the theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon; consideration of the plays in performance and a look at Shakespeare’s enduring cultural legacy.  Is Shakespeare still relevant today?  No previous knowledge is required, although if participants wanted to read, listen to or watch a performance of King Lear before the course begins, this would be helpful. *There will be a supplement payable of approximately £99 towards transport for the trip to Stratford and a ticket for the performance. At the time of going to press full details of the performance dates are not available from the RSC therefore the dates and fees for this course may change. However, further details will be published on our website as soon as available.