The New Carnival Company will be bringing William Shakespeare back to life on Saturday 23rd April on the occasion of the 400th Anniversary of his death in 1616.
The Bard will be visiting famous and iconic locations around the Island throughout the day as part of a Shakespeare Lives roadshow. He will be accompanied by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men (played by IoW Shakespeare Company), Tudor-style drummers (played by Freshwater and Totland Samba Band) and members of the New Carnival Company, who have produced the 4 metre tall puppet to lead their Shakespeare-themed Mardi Gras parade in June.
Members of the public can meet Shakespeare and have their picture taken with the Bard at the following locations.
• Appley Tower, Ryde @ 10:00
• Ryde Pier Head @ 10:45
• Ventnor Haven @ 12:15
• The Needles Battery @ 14:15
• Carisbrooke Castle @ 15:30
• Osborne House @ 16:45
Frankie Goldspink, Creative Director of the New Carnival Company says:
“Our aim is to put ‘Shakespeare Lives on the Isle of Wight’ on everyone’s radar. We aim to ‘share’ the roadshow with a live audience in over 100 countries around the world, by encouraging our roadshow visitors to use social media to cascade images, sounds and videos to friends and families everywhere.”
Shakespeare is said to have enjoyed a ‘special’ relationship with the Isle of Wight, through his friend and commissioner George Carey, Captain of the Isle of Wight 1582 to 1603 and
resident at Carisbrooke Castle. There is however no evidence that he actually visited the Island during his lifetime.
Shakespeare Lives on the Isle of Wight will form part of a national and international programme of celebratory events throughout the year marking the special anniversary.
Photograph: William Shakespeare discussing his forthcoming Isle of Wight Tour with NCC Creative Director Frankie Goldspink
