See inside the mind of Shakespeare

Well, now you can – almost – thanks to the House of Fairytales installation created by artists Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis at Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The House of Fairytales, The Adventure of The Missing Manuscript, aims to engage children in art and the work of Shakespeare through a fantastical world of imagination, enabling kids to create their own Shakespeare-inspired pieces of theatre.

The piece features two interactive elements: an immersive installation of the imagined mind of Shakespeare; and a story-based trail with illustrated map around the gardens. Signposted along the trail are markers with tales from Shakespeare¹s world, such as anecdotes and stories about the plays’ characters.

The Swan Room of the Royal Shakespeare Theatrewill be transformed into a magical theatre-making area, complete with props from the RSC store, costume wardrobe and devices that allow children (and adults) to write and perform their own plays in the style of Shakespeare.

To get aspiring playwrights stared, there’s Story Generating machine containing character names, genres, key words and phrases from Shakespeare¹s writings. A quick tinker with the machine’s cogs and dials randomly generates ideas for the stories.

A specially-created Shadow Theatre will provide the setting to act out the plays, and the Sound Effects Barrow lets visitors generate atmospheric noises like, perhaps, Macbeth’s famous lighting and thunder; or the storms of The Tempest.

The House of Fairy Tales: The Adventure of The Missing Manuscript runs from 28 July – 2 September at  Swan Room, Royal Shakespeare Theatre and around the RSC Gardens, 1 Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37