Shakespeare's birthplace celebrates role of women

Cleopatra (portrayed here by Kaja Chan) is one of the female characters to be featured in the exhibition

A Shakespeare Birthplace Trust exhibition focusing on strong female characters in the bard's plays has been announced to mark International Women's Day.

It will explore the way Titania, Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth and Beatrice were portrayed, and their complex personalities.

Opening in Stratford-upon-Avon in the spring, the collection will also look at women in Shakespeare's work, and the way gender is represented on stage.

The trust said the aim was to consider the sometimes forgotten women who influenced the playwright and have continued his legacy.

The announcement marks the second stage of a three-year project called The women who made Shakespeare.

Last year, the trust highlighted those closest to Shakespeare and said in 2026 it intended to feature "women and female-identifying people who have played and continue to play a crucial role in shaping Shakespeare's enduring legacy".

Shakespeare's birthplace was illuminated purple to mark International Women's Day

International Women's Day, which falls on 8 March every year, celebrates the role and rights of women across the world.

Purple, green and white are the colours associated with the day, according to the International Women's Day website, and to celebrate the launch of the exhibition the writer's Henley Street birthplace was bathed in purple light.

Prof Charlotte Scott, academic advisor at the trust, said: "From the magical Queen of the Fairies and the ambitious Queen of Scotland to the courageous Queen of Egypt and the sharp-witted Beatrice, each character offers a different perspective on what it meant, and still means to be a woman.''

The exhibition will open at Shakespeare's New Place "in early spring", the trust said.