Festival Theatre & Tourism
The Stratford Shakespearean Festival Theatre held its first performances
on the thrust stage designed by Tanya Moiseiwitsch. Tyrone Guthrie directed
Richard III with Alec Guiness and Irene Worth in the leading roles. For
the first four seasons a tent was used to cover the permanent amphitheatre
and stage. The permanent building erected in 1957 was designed by award
winning architect, Robert Fairfield, to imitate the shape of the tent.
This distinctive shape has made the building as world famous as the performances.
The theatre purchased the Avon Theatre in 1965 and has recently expanded
the foyer and refurbished the seating. The theatre and theatre-related
tourism provide an important industry to Stratford with benefits to Perth
County. In the last twenty years, agri-tourism has become a growing industry
allowing tourists to discover the rural attractions of Perth County.
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