On 23^rd April 2016, William Shakespeare’s 452^nd birthday and the 400^th anniversary of his death, Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall opened its doors. Visitors from across the globe have the chance to discover how and where William Shakespeare spent his school years, first experienced theatre, wrote his first sonnets and was inspired to become the world’s greatest playwright.

This period in Shakespeare’s life, about which there has previously been little insight, undoubtedly awakened in him a passion for the craft of which he was to become a master.

Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall provides the opportunity to explore the missing chapter in the story of his time in Stratford: his education and his inspiration.  It offers a glimpse into Shakespeare’s formative years, shedding light onto his life as a schoolboy and showing how his time at school, coupled with the opportunity to see the country’s finest actors performing in the Guildhall, inspired him to become the world’s greatest playwright.

Shakespeare’s Legacy is as strong as it has ever been, which is why the Trustees of King Edward VI School worked tirelessly for over ten years to achieve the opening of Shakespeare’s Schoolroom & Guildhall to the public.