Brisbane Shakespeare Festival 2016

Overview

When it comes to the works of the man known as the Bard of Avon, there's really only one way to get the real Shakespeare experience. Sure, you probably studied his plays at school, and likely watched one or two that have been turned into films — but have you witnessed his lines read live in a theatre production?

That's how good ol' William intended his efforts to be consumed, after all, so one event is offering that chance to the masses. In its tenth iteration, the Brisbane Shakespeare Festival is back with another bustling program filled with flowery prose read aloud. Now that's how you commemorate 400 years since his passing.

See As You Like It — aka one of the Bard's liveliest — performed for free across the city's outdoor spaces, and arrive early to enjoy the clash and clatter that comes with a demonstration of swordplay beforehand. Live music and abridged play readings of A Mid Summer Night's Dream, Macbeth and more feature too, and for those who can't tear themselves away from the movie realm, watching big screen productions of classics such as The Tempest and Twelfth Night is also on the line-up.