Cunard brings Shakespeare to the high seas

From the 2018 RSC production of Romeo and Juliet. Image courtesy of Cunard

Luxury line joins forces with the Royal Shakespeare Company

Cunard has joined forces with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to bring Shakespeare to its transatlantic stage.

Passengers onboard Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 will be able to enjoy tailored theatrical performances by the RSC, including a unique blend of Shakespeare’s love scenes in a new piece called Boundless as the Sea, created by Owen Horsley.

Guests will also have the opportunity to see critically acclaimed new work from the RSC with Miss Littlewood, a musical by Sam Kenyon exploring the life of one of theatre’s most playful and radical figures, making its transatlantic debut.

The onboard cast will also be leading a series of acting workshops for passengers.

Guests will also be able to enjoy Shakespeare Tales, intimate events where actors will perform their favourite sonnets and speeches, and answer questions from the audience.

Lee Powell, vice president, brand and product, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Royal Shakespeare Company on board our flagship, Queen Mary 2. To be able to offer our guests access to unique performances by world leaders in both contemporary theatre and Shakespeare’s finest work, is an extraordinary opportunity which I know our guests will fully immerse themselves in.”

Erica Whyman, RSC acting artistic director, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Cunard to bring our performances to the guests of Queen Mary 2 together with unique opportunities to get close to working theatre artists and learn more about our house playwright. The RSC ignites imaginations and expands horizons, and Shakespeare’s plays allow us to imagine new and remarkable worlds, so this partnership has a perfect synergy. Boundless as the Sea, which is what Juliet calls her love for Romeo, will be a heartwarming taster of all the ways Shakespeare explores love and romance, and we are also very pleased to be presenting a version of the joyous, quirky and toe-tapping Miss Littlewood. This is an exciting new venture for us, and we look forward very much to meeting new audiences on board.”

Queen Mary 2 will also host a touring exhibition, ‘Digital Diorama: An Augmented Journey Through Shakespeare’s Stratford’, where guests will use devices to see scenes from his plays come to life.

Some of the RSC’s most popular productions, including Hamlet, Henry V, The Merry Wives of Windsor and As You Like it will also be screened in Cunard’s onboard cinema, Illuminations.

The three-year partnership will begin on May 29 until August 12, 2022, and then again from September 15 to November 13, 2022, and will offer this bespoke programme to Cunard guests on Queen Mary 2 throughout these two periods.

Guests will experience either Boundless as the Sea or Miss Littlewood on each featured voyage.