“What is he doing with that sword?”
One of the Newcastle Friends of the RSC was asking a question regarding the costume of another friend who was about to give a recitation at the annual Friends Shakespeare Birthday Party celebration. The said celebration was held at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle Upon Tyne, in the foyer of the Gallery where at 10.30am the Friends gathered to entertain each other by presenting their favourite readings in literature, via a comic performance of a play, a self composed poem or a recitation from the works of the Bard himself.
On this occasion, the topics included a vigourous reading of a poem on St.George when the sword was a colourful addition, David a regular member of the Friends provided the speech. Then a member read the speech to the players in ‘Hamlet’, advising them to ….
“Speak the speech……trippingly on the tongue”.
Was he hinting at something.
One member Anne Marie motored to the front of the gathered group and with great aplomb, read comments by Laurence Oliver on playing King Lear. This was well applauded.
There was also a medieval ballad sung by one of the Friends.
Then the famous Director’s Role which one Friend Liz made an annual event was commenced. Here the Director of the ‘Byer Players’ gives comical instructions to the actors of ‘Hamlet’, the audience, i.e. The Friends of the RSC are the audience.
“you can’t use the hot water bottle Bill, it does not make the battlements look freezing”,
This is a typical instruction to Horatio. Puck concluded the show, and we all then made our way to the Oliver Suite for the toast to the Bard. With a piece of cake in hand and a glass of wine or orange juice, Yvonne Richardson gave the toast, while a photograph of Shakespeare and a bunch of red roses completed the scene.
RSC Friends 
This is the poem I read at Shakespeare’s Birthday.
SHAKESPEARE’S JOURNEY.
I’ve just read a book on Shakespeare’s life,
It talks of living in Stratford,
At first, not that rich, but full of hope.
Then a wife and child to feed
Alot like many other folk.
But then a strange thing happens,
He decides to try his luck
And as many before and since,
Its’London draws him to its yolk.
A long journey now begins,
A winding road full of hard rocks and stones.
Rain, hail along the way,
Hot days, and cold nights mark the path.
The journey from countryways to city life,
Could tempt and show the way.
People, sounds, the crowded streets, this is where he got
his meat.
Sadness, hope and some joy he knew, not unlike me and you.