Shakespeare: Power in the Life of the Bard

Dates: April 18-26, 2026
Meets: Sa, Su, M, Tu, W, Th and F from 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM
 Location: Stratford-upon-Avon England
Cost:  $5,603.00

There are still openings remaining at this time.

Date Day Time
04/18/2026Saturday8 AM to 12AM
04/19/2026Sunday12AM to 12AM
04/20/2026Monday12AM to 12AM
04/21/2026Tuesday12AM to 12AM
04/22/2026Wednesday12AM to 12AM
04/23/2026Thursday12AM to 12AM
04/24/2026Friday12AM to 12AM
04/25/2026Saturday12AM to 12AM
04/26/2026Sunday12AM to 11 AM

OR

Please note: This course program requires membership in a 2025-2026 OLLI at MSU Membership

Join us for an informational Zoom meeting

There will be a meeting on November 21 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. to provide more information about this travel program. We invite you to bring your questions! Please click or tap here to register for the free informational meeting directly through Zoom.

Registration

Registration for this travel program will open on November 24 and will be via the secure OLLI registration phone line.

Description

OLLI at MSU and Montana Shakespeare in the Parks have partnered for an unprecedented opportunity to study Shakespeare's life, language and legacy in Stratford-upon-Avon and London, England. Instructed by Kevin Asselin, Executive Director of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, along with Nick Walton and other distinguished faculty from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, this one-of-a-kind program will immerse you in the language, life and works of the world's greatest playwright, both on the page and on the stage, in the place where it all began.

Using the lens of power and its effects-enduring themes in both Shakespeare's works and life-you will learn directly from leading scholars, actors and directors while exploring the settings that inspired his genius. You will attend live performances at London's legendary Globe Theatre and Stratford's renowned Royal Shakespeare Theatre, as well as participate in engaging lectures, interactive workshops and lively pre- and post-show discussions. Along the way, you will explore landmarks that shaped his story-London's Southbank, Shakespeare's schoolroom, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Hall's Croft, The Guildhall and his final resting place at Holy Trinity Church.

Your stay in charming, family-owned B&Bs in Stratford-upon-Avon will place you steps away from the historic streets and sites you'll explore each day.

This course begins and ends in London, easily allowing you to extend your time overseas if you choose.

Provided in partnership by OLLI at MSU and Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, utilizing the travel services of the MSU Office of International Programs and OExplora.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Friday, April 17, Travel on Your Own

Travel on your own to London Heathrow. Spend the night at the Ibis London Blackfriars hotel, or the hotel of your choosing (booked on your own).

Day 2 - Saturday, April 18, Tour London, Globe Theater

The course starts. Meet in the lobby of the Ibis London Blackfriars hotel to connect with instructors and fellow participants and to store luggage for the day. Enjoy a group breakfast followed by a half-day city tour with free time for lunch on your own. Meet at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre for an afternoon matinee performance with reserved seats. Performance title TBD. Finish the day with a group dinner, and then take a private coach ride to Stratford-upon-Avon, approximately a 2.5-hour drive. Check into cozy bed and breakfast accommodations in central Stratford.

Day 3 - Sunday, April 19, Exploring Kenilworth Castle

Take a private coach to Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden, a massive Norman keep from the 1120s rebuilt by Elizabeth I's childhood friend Robert Dudley to impress the queen. Tours and time to explore the gardens. Enjoy a two-course lunch at a local restaurant. Return to Stratford-upon-Avon for free time. Finish the day with a three-course dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 4 - Monday, April 20, Hall's Croft, Holy Trinity Church

Gather at Hall's Croft, our classroom for the week and the historic home of Shakespeare's daughter Susanna Hall and her husband, physician John Hall. Welcome and overview by Nick Walton of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT). Morning lectures and workshops. Lunch on your own. Afternoon presentations by SBT faculty, followed by a visit to Holy Trinity Church with Rev. Paul Edmonson. Dinner on your own.

Day 5 - Tuesday, April 21, Archives, Shakespeare's Birthplace, Henry V

Morning lectures on Henry V with Kevin Asselin and SPT faculty. Visit the SBT Archive and Collections to tour the curated archive display. Visit Shakespeare's Birthplace and the 'Becoming Shakespeare' exhibition with SBT faculty. Lunch on your own. Tour of New Place, Shakespeare's family home in Stratford-upon-Avon, built in the 1480s. Evening performance of Henry V at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with reserved seating. Dinner on your own.

Day 6 - Wednesday, April 22, Discussion, Schoolroom and Guildhall

Post-performance discussion of Henry V. Royal Shakespeare Company Q&A on Henry V, chaired by Nick Walton. Lunch on your own. Afternoon lectures followed by a visit to Shakespeare's Schoolroom and Guildhall. Dinner on your own.

Day 7 - Thursday, April 23, Hall's Croft & Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Morning talk on 'Shakespeare and the Environment' with Elizabeth Freestone. Lunch on your own. Presentation on "Legacy: Shakespeare in Performance" with Nick Walton. Discuss the historic restoration of Hall's Croft with Peter McCurdy. Dinner on your own.

Day 8 - Friday, April 24, Hall's Croft, Theatre Performance

Workshop on 'Working with Shakespeare's Words' with Naomi Lawrence. Lunch on your own. High Tea at the Four Teas Tea House. Enjoy a talk to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday at The Shakespeare Institute. Performance of "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Dinner on your own.

Day 9 - Saturday, April 25, Shakespeare's Birthday! Anne Hathaway's Cottage

Enjoy a parade and festivities celebrating Shakespeare's birthday. Lunch on your own. Take a tour of Anne Hathaway's Cottage, the family home of Anne Hathaway, William Shakespeare's bride-to-be. Explore the gardens and orchards on your own. Conclude the day with a festive dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 10 - Sunday, April 26, Transport to London, Course Concludes

Enjoy private coach transportation to London Heathrow Airport for the return trip to the United States or continue traveling independently. Course concludes.

Note: Schedule subject to change

Course Details

This course is 10 days, 9 nights. It begins in London, England, on Saturday, April 18, 2026, and concludes on April 26, 2026, in London, England.

Cost

Per person cost with a double room $5,163 USD

Per person single room supplement $440 USD

OLLI provides:

  • Instructor of Record and Course Leader
  • Travel insurance for 11 days
  • Round-trip coach transportation from London to Stratford-upon-Avon and back
  • 8 nights in B&Bs in Stratford-upon-Avon
  • 9 breakfasts
  • 2 lunches
  • 3 dinners
  • Admission/tours of London South Bank, Kenilworth Castle, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, New Place, Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare's Birthplace Schoolroom and Guildhall, SBT Archives and more
  • 1 Globe Theatre performance in London
  • 2 performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon
  • 5 days of lectures, workshops, instruction and tours with Shakespeare Birthplace Trust faculty and Kevin Asselin
  • Shakespeare's birthday parade and activities in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 25

Participant provides:

  • Round-trip airfare and airport transfers
  • 1 night in a recommended London hotel (Ibis London Blackfriers) or hotel of your choice on Friday, April 17, 2026
  • 8 lunches, 7 dinners
  • All alcoholic beverages
  • Passport and visa fees (if required)

Additional Important Information

For additional important information, such as the cancellation and refund policy, travel insurance details, and medical issues and special needs information, please refer to the Admin tab at the top of this description.

Fee:  $5,603.00

Fee Breakdown

DescriptionAmount
One person in a single room$5,603.00
Two people in a double room10,326.00

Stratford-upon-Avon England

Travel on your own to London Heathrow, meet at the Ibis London Blackfriars hotel

Kevin Asselin

Kevin Asselin holds an MFA in acting from the University of Illinois and a B.S. in music-theatre from Plymouth State University. Before assuming his current position, Kevin worked with MSIP for 13 seasons as an actor, fight director and director - and is a proud member of Actors' Equity. Additionally, Kevin was an associate professor of movement and acting at Oklahoma City University and has worked as a guest artist at Plymouth State University, Ball State, Kenyon College, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, American Players Theatre, the University of Idaho and Interlochen Academy.

David Cogswell

OLLI Program Leader

Nick Walton

Nick Walton devises and delivers programs of study for school and university students, as well as for members of the general public. As Executive Secretary to the International Shakespeare Association, he helped organize the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth World Shakespeare Congresses in Brisbane (2006), Prague (2011) and Stratford/London (2016), respectively. Nick has written introductory material for the Penguin editions of Timon of Athens and Love’s Labour’s Lost, as well as contributing a chapter on Glen Byam Shaw to the book Director's Shakespeare, an entry in the forthcoming Cambridge World Shakespeare Encyclopedia on Shakespeare Societies, and multiple chapters in Dorling Kindersley's The Shakespeare Book (published 2015). Nick is the co-author of The Shakespeare Wallbook, published in 2014. He has worked with the Actors' Shakespeare Project (Boston, USA) on two of their Shakespearean productions. He has been a guest speaker at the British Museum, the Central School of Speech and Drama, the Siegfried Sassoon Fellowship and the National Theatre. Nick was one of the presenters for the RSC's Hamlet web resource, produced by the BBC, as well as for their massive open online course on Much Ado About Nothing and Othello. In 2020, Nick received the 'Inspirational Educator Award in Teaching Shakespeare' from the Trust of the Worshipful Company of Educators.
Date Day Time Location
04/18/2026Saturday8 AM to 12AM Stratford-upon-Avon England
04/19/2026Sunday12AM to 12AM Stratford-upon-Avon England
04/20/2026Monday12AM to 12AM Stratford-upon-Avon England
04/21/2026Tuesday12AM to 12AM Stratford-upon-Avon England
04/22/2026Wednesday12AM to 12AM Stratford-upon-Avon England
04/23/2026Thursday12AM to 12AM Stratford-upon-Avon England
04/24/2026Friday12AM to 12AM Stratford-upon-Avon England
04/25/2026Saturday12AM to 12AM Stratford-upon-Avon England
04/26/2026Sunday12AM to 11 AM Stratford-upon-Avon England

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you need to cancel your trip, please call 406-994-6646 or email OLLI@montana.edu. Cancellation charges will be based on the date we receive your cancellation. Refunds and charges will be calculated according to the terms below. If you are owed a refund, it will be issued within 30 days of receiving your cancellation.

Cancellation fees:

  • 121 days or more before the start of the course, 10% of the course tuition or $300, whichever is greater
  • 91-120 days before the start of the course, 65% of the course tuition
  • 90 days before the start of the course, 100% of the course tuition

Travel Insurance

Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions travel insurance is required for all participants and is included in the tuition fee. The insurance covers one day before the course begins and one day after it ends to account for your travel time. You can choose to extend your coverage if you plan to stay beyond the course dates. Information about trip insurance will be provided when you register for the course.

Medical Issues and Special Needs

  1. We encourage you to notify us of any disability that requires special attention when booking, including the use of specialized equipment. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the specific needs of tour participants. However, participants should be aware that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not apply outside the United States, and facilities for individuals with disabilities are limited outside the U.S.
  2. Most of our trips are not wheelchair or motorized scooter-accessible, as wheelchair or motorized scooter assistance or accessibility in international destinations cannot be guaranteed. If your trip is wheelchair-accessible and you require a wheelchair, you must provide your own small, collapsible wheelchair. On most international trips, we cannot accommodate women past their sixth month of pregnancy, nor can we accommodate service animals. If you are unable to travel without assistance, you must be accompanied by an able companion. It is strongly recommended that individuals requiring assistance be accompanied by a companion who is capable of and fully responsible for providing the assistance. Neither OLLI at MSU nor its personnel, nor its suppliers, may physically lift or assist passengers into transportation vehicles. If a traveler thinks they might need assistance during a trip, they should call us to determine what assistance can reasonably be provided. Neither OLLI at MSU, nor its personnel, nor its suppliers, may provide special individual assistance to passengers with special needs for walking, dining or other routine activities or personal services.
  3. If you have a condition that requires special equipment or treatment, you must bring and be responsible for all necessary items related to your condition.
  4. If you have a condition as contemplated herein, you travel at your own risk. The operator is not liable for any injuries or damages you may suffer relating to such a condition, including without limitation loss of special equipment, lack of assistance with or accommodation of special needs, and unavailability of medical assistance or treatment.