Shakespeare’s birthday parade through the centre of Stratford went well with the sun emerging fron a veil of clouds to add to the general feeling of joy, something rare in these anguished times. But the highlight for those who had been clever enough to obtain a ticket, was the Shakespeare Birthday lunch, taking place again in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre gardens in a vast impressive temporary dining room which appears a few days before the event and then in a symmetrical time period disappears again after the lunch had been staged.
It is a great event. Stars appear (theatrical not Michelin) - this year there was Dame Janet Suzman and Alex Kingston who had played Prospero magnificently in the most recent RSC production of The Tempest. A wonderful visiting professor from Ukraine received a prolonged standing ovation after a speech she delivered and Greg Doran, who lead the RSC for the previous ten years and as director brought some memorable productions to the stage, was awarded the Pragnell Prize which celebrates notable contributions to the world of Shakespeare - be it knowledge or performance. There were acting performances - Alex Kingston delivered beautifully Prospero’s wonderful We are the stuff that dreams are made of monologue, and at the end a fabulous performance by the American singer Marisha Wallace. Such fun was it all that the food hardly seemed relevant and it did give the vague impression that it was something of an afterthought.
There was no starter as the menu dived straight into the main course. This was not a pretty looking plate and the butter roasted chicken breast looked vaguely unhappy as it sat there alongside a somewhat insubstantial whirl of pomme purée and a drizzle of sauce. However much pleasure was delivered by the four very finely cooked, magnificently portioned spears of Wye Valley asparagus which were served with the chicken (perhaps they could have been served as a starter) and the dessert made up entirely for the lacklustre main course taking the form of a really excellent rhubarb and ginger crème brûlée with a splendidly thin but successfully crispy cover ready to be cracked to reveal the delicious custard and accurately cooked rhubarb that lay beneath it - an unimpeachable dish. It was straightforward and to the point and benefitted from the restraint shown by the chef in not pairing it up with anything else.
The meal was rounded off with a platter of fine cheeses (which I never got to photograph s it was seized upon by others at the table) with plump, sweet grapes and a delightful quince jelly which everyone was too polite to gluttonise on which was a shame as there was much uneaten. The meal included generous amounts of champagne and red or white wine or both - I thought the premier cru Chablis served with the meal was excellent.
A great event in the West Midlands diner’s calendar Happy birthday Will.
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