These were annual seasons of plays performed mostly at the Aldwych Theatre, London while the Royal Shakespeare Company were resident there. Arranged by Peter Daubeny they were designed to showcase the best of theatre from around the world. There were 11 seasons in all from 1964 to 1975 (no season in 1974).

Many of the great European companies performed regularly, including the Moscow Arts Theatre, Comedie Francaise and Abbey Theatre Dublin. There were also visits from companies in Japan, India, South Africa, Uganda and the USA. Plays were performed in the language of the originating country with a simultaneous translation system installed into the theatre.

World Theatre Seasons brought to the UK both a variety of production styles and a broader repertoire, and can be seen to have influenced the repertoire and touring activities of the RSC itself. Only one Shakespeare play was performed - Richard III - by the Comedie Francaise, and directed by Terry Hands, though Umbatha, performed by the Natal Theatre Workshop Zulu Company was an adaptation of Macbeth. Programmes and reviews of these seasons are kept at the Shakespeare Centre Library. The main archives are kept at Harvard University Theatre Collection, USA.