P0acher
The show was very good. However the theatre itself is a wonderful building inside. All the furnishings are in wood and the theatre is designed in Shakespearean style. The stage is in the centre of the theatre and the audience are sat around the outside sides and front with 2 galleries. We were seated in the first gallery and the view was superb. The candle style lit chandeliers are in wood and suspended with swan arms from the side, very tastefully done. As is all the furnishings.
176gailb
Arrived 30 minutes late due to horrendous crash on M40. Manager of the theatre could not do enough to enable us to enjoy the show. Ended up with complimentary tickets for the later performance that day. Superb customer service from a very pleasant young lady. And when we saw the show, it was amazing.
jennifere295
The theatre was ideally situated by the river with a lovely park and facilities for families and going for long walks.
107PaulineM
Lovely theatre, you really get the feeling of a theatre in Shakespeare's day. Sat on front row, felt part of the play, especially in the fight scenes! My granddaughter was playing Annabella which was the main reason for going. Melton Brooksby College drama students can be proud of themselves for a professional performance. A wonderful opportunity to perform at this prestigious theatre. If I lived near I would be going regularly to this lovely venue (and the seats were comfortable)!
hann9
We took our family aged 10-24 years…..what a superb cast. I have never been to this type of play before and we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere of the theatre and the play itself. We sat in the first row upstairs and had a perfect view, warm and cosy on a chilly winter's evening. Very entertaining.
Benno72
Visiting the RSC is always a pleasure, but my Goodness, how difficult is it to park close to the Swan? In the end I lost my patience and parked in a bay close to the Swan with a maximum of 2 hours, knowing the production was longer in duration but failing to care any longer - I reckoned a ticket would be cheaper than a days parking in some car park. Production was absolutely faultless, with a great cast and such comedic moments. I love the theatre seating - simplistic and effective. I did get a ticket, but it was only £25. (Check out the cost of a days parking at an NCP or suchlike - a complete nonsense). If you are taking someone with mobility considerations, you will need to drop that person off at the theatre first, then park.
carold741
Nothing to dislike in my view, Went to see 'The Shoemaker's Holiday' which was a smashing play and a fantastic entertainment. In particular I enjoyed the costumes and the musical scenes, which were Elizabethan and created an authentic atmosphere. The singing and acting were superb.The theatre is small, has a ground floor and two upper levels, and the audience is seated on three sides of the stage, which brought players and audience together in a cosy and intimate way.
967neilj
First visit to Swan theatre .Small and compact , offering good views and close proximity to the action . Great acting and direction . Clever set design , thought gargoyles were part of theatre , but are in fact part of set . Costumes fantastic . Creative staff deserve a pat on the back.
BarrieGlasgow
We really enjoyed the Shoemakers' Holiday at the Swan Theatre - very good acting and the best costumes I have seen at the RSC for a long time, However the seating in the theatre is so uncomfortable that it certainly does not add to the enjoyment of the evening. A rather large person sat on the bench seat next to me and as result my partner was nearly pushed off the end of the seat - not what you expect when you have paid £37 each. I'm not sure anybody of above average height or width could actually fit into one of the seats. It makes me hesitate to go again.
SReynolds158
This was our second trip to the Swan, this time to see the Shoemakers Holiday. Very much enjoyed the play, the costumes are worthy of special note. However, the seating in the balconies is quite uncomfortable especially as this play is around 2 hours and 20 minutes. We did overhear though that some funding has been secured to improve matters, I hope this is true as this is the only reason why I have not given 5/5.
KenG927
With a biting cold wind ouside an afternoon at the theatre was going to give a nice place to get entertained and warm. The play was part of our package with Titan and was very good. The theatre is a very intimate set with almost audience participation in the action, those on the ground level seats of a par with the stage with the actors making exists and entrances through the audience.The ambience is great and it is made to fel as it was three hudred or so years ago although we did not take anything to pelt a bad performing actor with. It is very well done and has recently been refurbished I think as the wood used in the balconies looked very new and the seating has now been made to, I assume, accommodate the larger people, no arm rests. Cannot say that I like that.I could not be certain but air conditioning is not in use either because it is Winter or it is not installed I would not like to visit in the Summer if the latter is the case, the heat will be excessive, wood holds the warm.
Marygreencroft
Visited the Swan to see The Witch of Edmonton. Although obviously well done I found the play disappointing. It's obvious why Shakespeare's plays have stood the test of time and others have sunk into obscurity and maybe that's where they should stay. The first act was over long and over wordy the second more interesting. I had gone mainly to see Eileen Atkinson but was disappointed as the part was far from the tour de force I had expected. Seat prices at £48 with no concessions for pensioners plus travelling etc made it an expensive day out. It was also disappointing to be served coffee in paper cups, again rather expensive. Obviously people will pay Stratford prices for the prestige of going there but it will be a long time before I bypass my local theatre again in favour of a trip to Stratford.
DIWright
The RSC wrote to warn us that the play has sex and violence and we could send back the tickets if we were worried.This did not deter me and I enjoyed the production.Very noisy and like going to a disco in a dodgy club.The cast worked very hard and,particularly,Kirsty Bushell who kept putting her clothes on in front of the audience.High body count at the end with plenty of gore.Good fun but nothing like the play I saw at the National a few years ago.
binleywoods
Our first visit to the Swan which is a part of the RSC complex by the river Avon. We live locally but shamefully never seen a production at any of the theatres at the RSC.It does not really matter what you come to see at the Swan the experience is unique, the stage is open on three sides and comes out towards the stalls. There are two upper levels and a standing section. What was important was that the seats were firm, there was plenty of leg room and every seat offered a great stage view, no chance of not seeing the stage as the tiers were perfectly positioned. The style of the theatre is obviously unique and pleasing to the eye, very intimate and when in the stalls it is possible to be very close to the performers.Seat prices are not cheap and at £48 each, a night out plus a meal can make it quite expensive which does not include travelling costs for some.
CatFlushingAToilet
The theatre is in a good location. It could be signposted slightly better from outside though. We didn't see any signs to say that the Swan Theatre is actually inside the RSC building.The temperature was good, despite it being 'a bit nippy' outside. The seats were good. I doubt any of them had restricted views. We felt very close to the action and the theatre looked impressive with balconies all over the place.The play itself was of high quality and as a newcomer to theatres, I felt relaxed and soon got into the swing of things. I'm almost glad I sold all my earthly possessions to afford the tickets. Okay, that's exaggerating slightly, but the cost knocked my socks off! We had great fun IMDB'ing the actors afterwards to see exactly when they'd been in Casualty, The Bill and Poirot.We saw 'The Witch of Edmonton'. There was a portly, jolly chap who provided the giggles and balanced out the other, more serious characters. The scenery changes were kept to a minimum which made for a more professional appearance. The plot was quite simplistic, yet entertaining and gave a good insight into life and people's opinions at the time the play was written (donkeys' years ago).The whole experience made me feel really posh and cultured.