Cunard will be taking Shakespeare and new work to the high seas in 2022, as it joins forces in a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to bring world-class theatre to its transAtlantic stage.
Available exclusively aboard Queen Mary 2, guests will enjoy tailored theatrical performances by the RSC, which creates captivating theatre by Shakespeare, his contemporaries and other literary legends past and present. The performances will be available for all guests on board, including a unique blend of Shakespeare’s iconic love scenes in a brand-new piece called Boundless as the Sea, created by Owen Horsley.
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Guests will also have the opportunity to see critically acclaimed new work from the RSC with Miss Littlewood: a musical by Sam Kenyon exploring the life of one of theatre’s most playful and radical figures, making its transAtlantic debut.
For those interested in learning what it takes to be an RSC actor, the cast on board will be leading a series of workshops that explore their craft. Guests will also be able to access ‘Shakespeare Tales’, intimate, informal events where the actors will perform their personal favourite sonnets and speeches, and answer questions from the audience.
“To be able to offer our guests access to unique performances by world leaders in both contemporary theatre and Shakespeare’s finest work, is an extraordinary opportunity which I know our guests will fully immerse themselves in,” said Lee Powell, Vice President, Brand and Product at Cunard.
In addition, Queen Mary 2 will host a touring exhibition, ‘Digital Diorama: An Augmented Journey Through Shakespeare’s Stratford’. Guests will use devices to experience scenes from his plays come to life before their eyes. Some of the RSC’s most popular productions in recent years including Hamlet, Henry V, The Merry Wives of Windsor and As You Like It will also be screened in Cunard’s cinema, Illuminations.
The 3-year partnership will begin on 29 May until 12 August 2022 and then again from 15 September to 13 November 2022. Guests will experience either Boundless as the Sea or Miss Littlewood on each featured voyage. Dates for future years are to be announced at a later date.