Shakespeare Birthday Lunch 2024

The Party

On Saturday, April 20th, the Shakespeare Birthday Lunch returned to Stratford-upon-Avon to celebrate William Shakespeare’s 460th Birthday. The lunch, hosted by Alexander Armstrong, was attended by a glittering array of guests. Among them were Dame Vanessa Redgrave DBE, winner of the Pragnell Shakespeare Birthday Award, Adjoa Andoh, Susan Wokoma, Alfie Enoch, Sophie Melville, Samantha Spiro, Cedric Neal, Carly Bawden, Olivia Williams, Jonny Weldon, Hilton McRae, Lia Williams, Lindsay Duncan, Rebekah and Charlie Brooks, Ronni Ancona, Nadhim Zahawi, Sophie Stanbury and Sue Barker.

The Entertainment

The colourful lunch featured a number of musical and spoken word performances from our talented friends at The Royal Shakespeare Company and London's West End. Performances included Cedric Neal, Carly Bawden, Alfie Enoch, Sophie Melville, Susan Wokoma, Alexander Armstrong, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.

Pragnell Guests

A selection of highlights and photographs from this year's Shakespeare Birthday Lunch, image credit Getty @davebenett

As long-standing supporters of the RSC, the Pragnell family was delighted to have the honour of organising this year’s Shakespeare Birthday Lunch, part of the annual Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations, a tradition that dates back over 200 years. Throughout the Bard's birthday weekend, performers, artists and ambassadors from all over the world came together to celebrate the life and works of history's greatest playwright.

The Lunch was opened by Cedric Neal, who later performed a song from his most recent West End musical, Guys and Dolls.

Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, co-artistic directors of the RSC, performed the immortal memory toast to celebrate William Shakespeare's worldwide legacy.

We enjoyed a musical interlude from Carly Bawden, who sang a selection of Joni Mitchell songs.

Daniel Evans, Tamara Harvey, Susan Wokoma and Alexander Armstrong performed an entertaining scene from Much Ado About Nothing.

Alfie Enoch and Sophie Melville from the RSC performed an excerpt from Romeo & Juliet, so successful that Dame Vanessa Redgrave DBE requested a reprise!

The Award

The wonderful day ended with the presentation of the Pragnell Shakespeare Birthday award to Dame Vanessa Redgrave DBE. She then performed Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

To close the event, she delivered a toast to the Worldwide Legacy of William Shakespeare.

The Shakespeare Birthday Lunch welcomed guests from the Ambassadorial community, including:

H.E. Mr. Tore Hattrem and Ms. Marit Gjelten, Embassy of Norway

H.E. Mr. Markus Leitner and Mrs Doris Leitner, Embassy of Switzerland

H.E. Ms Simona Leskovar and Mr. Jernej Pikalo, Embassy of Slovenia

Mrs Pamnella DeVolder and Mr John DeVolder, Embassy of the United States of America

Mrs Kelly O’Connor, Embassy of Ireland

Mr José María Robles Fraga, Embassy of Spain