Town Hall, Stratford upon Avon

The Hall was built during the reign of Charles I. Unlike His Majesty, it was extensively damaged by a gunpowder explosion in 1643. A century later, it was pulled down and re-built. Major alterations were carried out in 1863, since when it has remained largely unchanged. The same cannot be said of the magnificent ballroom (where a number of the Festival’s concerts and talks will be taking place), which was gutted by fire in 1946. The room was restored to its former glory, and it is now one of the town’s most popular civic and arts venues – a tradition that well serves a building in which occurred the earliest recorded production of a play by Shakespeare in Stratford on Avon, (Othello) in 1746. The proceeds were given to the renovation of the bust that remains, to this day, in the Chancel of Holy Trinity.