Soulton Hall Joins Wem for Shakespearean Celebration!
We were pleased to support Wem Town Hall with the celebrateion of Shakespeare’s birthday – when there is a special showing of As You Like It honouring that play’s links to our area.
We supported a special window display highlighting the connections between As You Like It and North Shropshire by loaning items and by helping with some text.
Don’t miss the lovely window display at Wem Town Hall to discover more about Shakespeare’s surprising local connections.
Here is the text that was produced:
Shakespeare in Shropshire:
Discover Wem’s Connection to As You Like It________
Celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday (April 23rd) with a performance of his beloved comedy As You Like It at Wem Town Hall!Did you know? Exciting connections between our town and this wonderful woodland play
have recently been foregrounded:
- Local Inspiration: Shakespeare drew inspiration for As You Like It from Rosalynde (1590), a book by Thomas Lodge. Lodge’s family resided at Soulton, with its wood, just before Shakespeare and Lodge were born!
- Old Sir Rowland Takes the Stage: The virtuous character, Old Sir Rowland (father of the dashing romantic male lead, Orlando), is believed to be a reference to Wem’s own ‘Old’ Sir Rowland Hill. Hill who purchased Soulton and Hawkstone
from the Lodge family. He was a prominent Tudor figure known for publishing the Geneva Bible, his charitable work, and his dedication to art and culture. Look forhis statue on the obelisk at the Follies!- The Forest of Arden: Traditionally, the play’s setting, the Forest of Arden, encompasses Shropshire!
- A Dance of Harmony: The play concludes with a symbolic circle dance performed by eight people. Interestingly, Soulton Hall has a Dancing Pavement showing how to do this very dance! You can even see the pattern on a cushion displayed in this window!
- Leadership and Society: As You Like It looks at the responsibilities of good leaders and the characteristics of a thriving society themes central to the play’s ending, where harmony is recovered out of cheating, cruelty and unfairness.
- Shakespearean Kin: William Shakespeare’s mother, Mary Arden, is a cousin of Sir Rowland Hill.
- Coded Connections: When building the current Soulton Hall in the 1550s, Sir Rowland incorporated hidden messages, some referencing ancient Greek theatres. This underlines a vibrant theatrical scene near Wem even before Shakespeare’s birth!
Don’t miss this chance to discover the fascinating ties between Wem and
Shakespeare!“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.”
– William Shakespeare (talking about Wem!)
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Text: Tim Ashton, with thanks to James D. Wenn and Christine Schmidle.
