Farnham Shakespeare Company

Each year, the Farnham Shakespeare Company produces a play by William Shakespeare. The Surrey-based amateur theatre company has delivered family-friendly performances produced by professional theatre directors for over 20 years. Recent productions by the Farnham Shakespeare Company have included performances of The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Much Ado About Nothing.

About the Farnham Shakespeare Company

Founded in 1992, the Farnham Shakespeare Company was formed by a group of Shakespeare enthusiasts based in Farnham, Surrey. Members are drawn mainly from West Surrey and Hampshire. The group is an amateur theatre company supported by membership fees and proceeds from its productions. As the group's name suggested, the theatre company specialises in works by Shakespeare. Inactive between 2003 and 2006, the theatre company was revived in 2007 with a performance of The Taming of the Shrew at Farnham's Bourne Hall.

The company's first performances were held for one week each summer at an open-air theatre on the grounds of the Library Gardens, a walled garden in Farnham. In the past, the company has also performed at the Redgrave Theatre, a former theatre in Farnham, and the Electric Theatre in Guildford. In 2010, performances were moved from Bourne Hall to the Frensham Heights Performing Arts Centre at a school south of the town centre.

Venue Information

The Farnham Shakespeare Company performs at the Frensham Heights Performing Arts Centre. The performing arts centre is based at the Frensham Heights School, an independent school near Rowledge and founded in 1925. In addition to being the home of the school's drama programme, the modern facility is used by external theatre companies such as the Farnham Shakespeare Company. The theatre company showcases its annual Shakespeare production every summer at the performing arts centre, typically in July.

The sophisticated wood and glass structure houses an auditorium that seats 340 spectators. The theatre is modelled on double cube proportions and seating is spread across three tiers under an exposed, trussed rafter roof. Performances can be staged within the auditorium in a variety of formats, including open-end and theatre-in-the-round. The theatre is also capable of accommodating thrust stage and proscenium frame layouts.

Location

Located south of Farnham in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Frensham Heights Performing Arts Centre is a 10-minute drive from the Farnham town centre. It is housed within the grounds of an Edwardian Mansion and the grounds of the Fresham Heights School. The performing arts centre is situated east of the village of Rowledge, and is accessible via the Fresham Heights Road. On-site parking is available for theatregoers.

Contact Information

For more information about the Farnham Shakespeare Company, the company may be reached by email at enquiries@farnhamshakespeare.co.uk. Information about current productions may also be found on the theatre company's website at www.farnhamshakespeare.co.uk.

By post, the theatre company can be contacted at the following address:
Farnham Shakespeare Company
Frensham Heights School Performing Arts Centre
Rowledge, Farnham
Surrey, GU10 4EA

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