Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

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Cooking up a Shakespeare treat

The next Shakespeare in the Sky dinner on the 28th floor of London Hilton Park Lane is on 21 June. Book now.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the independent charity that promotes Shakespeare’s legacy across the world and the Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows restaurant on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane, are cooking up Tudor feasts this spring/summer with a dramatic twist.    Starting on 25 April, Galvin at Windows is holding four special Shakespeare in the Sky evenings combining sumptuous Shakespearean menus with live performances where guests will be seated amongst the dramatic action of some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.
Fred Sirieix, general manager, Galvin at Windows, said, “The team at The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is helping us with the inspiration for these exciting productions, which will provide diners with a unique take on the Galvin at Window’s culinary experience.  This is one of the most ambitious projects we have planned and we are delighted to have the help of the charity which is dedicated to Shakespeare’s legacy.”
The first Shakespeare in the Sky will be a Romeo and Juliet dinner on 25 April 2012, commencing with the masked Venetian ball scene. The romantic tragedy will be played out between courses by actors from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s Shakespeare Aloud! troupe, who perform daily at the Birthplace of the world’s most famous playwright in Stratford-upon–Avon.
There will be two smaller Shakespeare in the Sky dinners hosted by the world’s foremost experts on Shakespeare’s works, life and times on 21 May and 21 June.  These will also feature readings by actors and Shakespearean festivities.  Another Shakespeare feast and play “Twelfth Night” is planned for 26 September.
In preparation for the special live performances, the Galvin at Windows team, led by Chris Galvin, owner/chef patron of Galvin Restaurants; Andre Garrett, head chef; and Fred Sirieix, general manager, travelled to Stratford-upon-Avon in February to research and plan the Shakespearean menus and entertainment.  They visited Mary Arden’s Farm for an authentic taste of how the Shakespeare family would dine, when William was a young man visiting his grandparent’s home.  The farm is a real working Tudor farmstead where costumed staff and volunteers live, work and eat as in Tudor times.
Diana Owen, Director of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust said, “Galvin at Windows is making our wish come true by creating a special menu in the week of Shakespeare’s Birthday and the launch of the World Shakespeare Festival on 23 April.  What better way to celebrate the dizzying rise of Stratford’s local son to international icon than with a Shakespearean feast in the restaurant with the most commanding views of London during the height of the cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival.”
With a glamorous interior evoking the golden age of the 1930’s, Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows restaurant and bar has become one of the most talked about destinations since opening in May 2006. Situated on the 28th floor of the London Hilton on Park Lane in trendy Mayfair, it has become renowned for its peerless views over the capital, including iconic sites such as The City, Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace.

To book Shakespeare in the Sky click here