Young Shakespeare was born here in 1564 (by most accounts also on April 23) and lived there until he married Anne Hathaway when he was 18.
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President Barack Obama is visiting Shakespeare’s Globe theatre in London on Saturday, and the Royal Shakespeare Company is mounting a stage extravaganza with performances by Judi Dench, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ian McKellen – and even Prince Charles.
For the many fans and tourists who come to the town for the celebrations much attention will be focused on the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, a parish church on the banks of the River Avon.
The parade featured civic dignitaries, local schoolchildren, musicians and performers, and a centrepiece ceremony with the unfurling of a birthday flag bearing the writer’s image.
Visitors then donned thousands of Shakespeare face-masks which had been handed out.
Shakespeare’s fame as a playwright and poet has so solidified over the course of four centuries that it is doubtful that any other writer will ever be viewed with greater universal regard than the Bard of Avon.
Band leader Andrew LeDuff said the group, including members of New Orleans’ Tulane University, had jumped at the chance to mark Shakespeare’s global impact and “celebrate his life”.
Stratford-upon-Avon town councillor Victoria Alcock said: “Well done Stratford Town Council, who have organised the parade in the town today”.
Sam Lee, Deezer UK & Ireland’s music editor, said: “Like Shakespeare, Justin Bieber is undoubtedly one of the most well-known figures of his time and his popularity means people nowadays seem to know their “baby, baby, baby, ohs” more than their “wherefore art thou Romeos”. Shakespeare doesn’t just mean one thing and doesn’t just mean the English language, he has all of these meanings.
A colourful parade will go through Stratford-upon-Avon, leading onto a celebratory fireworks display and line of light in the evening.
Mr Wells said: “The children had already been introduced to Shakespeare but this was the most detail they had gone into”.
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The president made an early-morning trip to the playhouse in Southwark to mark the anniversary of the Bard’s death. The palace released several photos showing the Obamas and the royals chatting in the drawing room of William’s apartment home, and of Obama kneeling in front of George, who appeared ready for bed in pyjamas and a robe.
