Stratford-upon-Avon 17/07/26: Oscar-winning actress Dame Judi Dench has thrown her support behind a unique summer repertory season in Stratford-upon-Avon, encouraging audiences to discover the works of George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde alongside the town’s world-famous Shakespeare productions.
In a specially recorded video shared by SHAW2020 Theatre Company, Dame Judi invites theatregoers to make Rother Street Arts House part of their Stratford visit.
She says:
“Now, if you’re lucky enough to be in Stratford-on-Avon this season, you’ll be going to the RSC to see wonderful Shakespeare. You could also go to the Rother Street Arts House, where they do a season of Wilde and Shaw, so you could mix it all up. Wilde, Shaw and Shakespeare. What could be better? Give it a go and have a wonderful time.” –https://www.instagram.com/shaw_2020/reel/Da21H-xslZd/
The video promotes a repertory season presented by Rother Street Arts House and Tread the Boards Theatre Company in association with SHAW2020, featuring George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
Directed by Jonas Cemm, founder and Artistic Director of SHAW2020, Pygmalion charts the transformation of Cockney flower seller Eliza Doolittle under the tutelage of the brilliant but abrasive Professor Henry Higgins. Running in repertory alongside it is Wilde’s sparkling comedy The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by John-Robert Partridge, Artistic Director of Rother Street Arts House and Tread the Boards Theatre Company.
The productions run from 12–22 August 2026 at Rother Street Arts House, offering audiences the rare opportunity to enjoy two of the greatest comedies in the English language in repertory.
The season also includes a free special event on 15 August: In Conversation: Pygmalion & The Importance of Being Earnest.
The discussion brings together the creative teams and leading Shaw and Wilde scholars to explore the rehearsal process, artistic choices and the enduring appeal of both playwrights.
The panel features:
- Jonas Cemm, hosting the event and director of Pygmalion
- John-Robert Partridge, director of The Importance of Being Earnest, and Henry Higgins in Pygmalion.
- Neil Titley, author, playwright and journalist.
- Vanessa Heron, Chair of The Oscar Wilde Society.
- Ivan Wise, editor of The Shavian the journal of The Shaw Society.
With the endorsement of one of Britain’s most celebrated actresses, the season offers audiences the chance to experience Wilde, Shaw and Shakespeare in the same week—a theatrical combination that, as Dame Judi puts it, begs the question: “What could be better?”
Pygmalion & The Importance of Being Earnest
12–22 August 2026
Rother Street Arts House, Stratford-upon-Avon. Tickets are on sale at the box office
In Conversation: Pygmalion & The Importance of Being Earnest. 15 August 2026- Free Admission
Information about the season can be found at https://rotherstreetarts.org/whats-on/