Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre in York
I love watching a good Shakespeare play, who’s with me?! It seems like when I was in high school and college, the only time I would see a Shakespeare play is when my school put it on or I had to read Macbeth for English class. Now, more and more Shakespearean theatre companies are popping up bringing the plays we read to life.
*Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre is a seasonal event in York ( making an appearance at Blenheim Palace in 2019) started in 2018. The 2020 season was canceled due to Covid and the Shakespeare Rose hasn’t been back since. Hopefully in the future, the event will be back!
History of Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre
The most famous Shakespearean theatre is (of course) the Globe Theatre.
The Globe Theatre was built in 1599 and had a short lived life until 1642 when it was shut down. It was then torn down a couple of years later never to be heard from again, until the late 90’s when it was reconstructed just a few hundred feet from the original site. The “new” Globe still puts on Shakespeare plays year round!
But where did Shakespeare perform his plays before The Globe? The Rose Theatre of course.
Built 12 years prior to the Globe in a “hot spot” location on the banks of the Thames, there were only 2 other theatres in London.
The Rose was unique as it was more intimate than the other playhouses and had two stage levels that could compliment Shakespeare’s plays very well (Romeo and Juliet with the balcony scene anyone?). Once the Globe was constructed right next door, it put the Rose out of business and by the early 1600’s it was torn down.
*Fun Fact Alert!* If anyone has seen the movie Shakespeare in Love then you will recognize the theatre as The Rose (not The Globe).
Of course when I heard that a pop-up Shakespeare Rose theatre was coming to York (the first in England), just around the time that I was moving to England, you could imagine how excited I was to check it out.
Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre has popped up right next Clifford’s Tower in the city center of York.
It’s really easy to find and there’s plenty of parking (pay and display) right next to it and across the road. They always put on four plays, and each year has been different (everything from Romeo and Juliet to Macbeth, Richard III to Twelfth Night… there’s a comedy or a tragedy for everyone!
The company puts on two shows per day and it usually runs to the beginning of September. There are only two casts. In the 2018 season, one cast performed Romeo and Juliet and then Richard II and the other cast performed Macbeth and then A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so if you’re into a particular cast, then it’s cool to see them in a different character!
Arriving at Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre
Arrive a couple of hours before your performance time because there is a Shakespeare village where you can grab a drink, eat some tradional English food, and then watch an Elizabethan style street wagon performance.
Doors open a few minutes before the performance and people really don’t start lining up until they see someone opening the door.
If you have seats then won’t have to worry about being up front in the line.
There are three different entrances depending on where you are sitting (or standing). If you are in the front standing area (groundling tickets) then I recommend hanging around the door 15 minutes before the performance because you want to get a good view.
I don’t recommend sitting on the third tier unless you are center in the first two rows. The second tier has good seats all the way around but only sit in the first two rows. The first tier also has good seats all the way around, but you can sit in all three rows and you’ll have an awesome view.
In my personal opinion the side sections on the stage (if you book online, it looks like you are behind the stage, but you are actually right on it) and the sections right next to it are great seats and you get a very immersive experience.
Don’t bother getting a seat on the third row on the third tier because you will be bent over or standing up in a weird position trying to get a full view of the stage. The third row on the second tier is not terrible, but you won’t get a good full view of the stage.
If you get standing room only tickets for a show that doesn’t have many tickets sold then you are able to sit down on the ground comfortably the whole time, but if it’s busy then you will be stuck standing the whole time and if you need refreshments during intermission then you could lose your spot.
A couple of more tips for you: Use the bathroom before the performance as it is outside the venue and you can take your alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) beverage inside with you. Oh, and one more thing, have fun! I laughed so hard during A Midsummer Night’s Dream that I had tears streaming down my face.
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