William Shakespeare in London: English Playwright, Global Festival

Even though the Bard has been dead almost four hundred years, it is not difficult to find evidence of William Shakespeare in London. The plots of Shakespeare's plays transcend nation, culture and race. There are few cultures that could not identify with a tragic love story like Romeo and Juliet, or political subterfuge like Julius Caesar. The reconstructed Globe Theatre sits proudly on the south bank of the Thames; based on the original Globe built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, The Lord Chamberlain's Men. At present, the Globe is staging Globe to Globe, a festival of all of Shakespeare's 37 plays in 37 foreign languages. The festival involves 37 theater companies from around the world. Globe to Globe is just one of a number of events encompassed by the World Shakespeare Festival, which began on 23 April and runs until November. The Royal Opera, Covent Garden, is staging Verdi's opera, Falstaff, based on the comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor, until the end of May. Japanese director, Yukio Ninagawa, is staging Shakespeare's tragic play, Cymbeline, in the Barbican Stage (theater) from 29 May to 2 June. Ninagawa is famous for his interpretations of Shakespeare's plays within a Japanese cultural context. The Rest is Silence, a reinterpretation of Hamlet, runs from 13 June to 23 June at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, west London. From 19 July to 25 November, visitors to the British Museum, near London's Russell Square, can see Discover Shakespeare's World. This is an exhibition of over 190 objects like maps, coins and prints from the Museum and collections across Europe, all dating from the time of Shakespeare. The exhibition explores the role of plays in giving audiences a ‘window' on the world in the days before mass media. This is but a small selection of the events relating to William Shakespeare that are happening in London, this year.