This year, 2024, Stratford-upon-Avon held its annual Shakespeare’s birthday celebrations on 20 April, three days prior to the actual anniversary. There was the usual parade through the town, see below, and more importantly, the annual birthday lunch held in a vast marquee in the RSC gardens where a smattering of theatrical levees may sometimes be spotted.
This was my sixth Shakespeare’s birthday lunch (because of the pandemic no lunch was held in 2020 nor 2021) - the food is often unspectacular but edible enough but there is usually an exciting atmosphere as four to five hundred people who know lots about Shakespeare and the theatre gather together in their smart togs to have a generally good time. This year, everything was helped along by the fine, sunny spring weather and the presence of Dame Vanessa Redgrave who was to receive the annual Pragnell Award for her contribution to our appreciation of Shakespeare.
The meal kicked off with a generous portion of burrata paired with a very toothsome heritage tomato and aubergine caponata with pickled shallots and decorated with seasonal flowers including those of the tasty wild garlic and an amusing coloured quill-shaped cracker, each diner at the table of eight receiving a cracker coloured differently from those of his neighbours. What a great opening act.
How difficult it must be at such an event to arrive at a main course which will not be offensive to any of the diverse diners (allowing of course that vegans will be offended by anything given half a chance). This chef made the very sensible choice of roast Cotswold chicken and a fine job was made of it - pleasingly plump and nicely cooked chicken breast with an apt sauce laced with foraged herb oil and a reasonable pomme purée and three robust Wye Valley asparagus spears and tiny pickled mushrooms. A great dish for a large banquet. My compliments to the chef. Vegans, by the way, were regaled with a plate of delica pumpkin and pumpkin purée and more.
Dessert took the form of a deconstructed pavlova with stone fruits and a lemon verbena custard. The meringue was presented in shards and, as with the first course quill, each diner at the table received a different coloured meringue and furthermore, very cleverly, each received their meringue in the same colour as that of their quill. What a triumph.
To close, three excellent local English cheeses were served with crackers and focaccia and grapes and a scintillating truffled honey which is probably the same stuff served to the gods of Olympus.
It was just left for Vanessa Redgrave, all cracking voice and Shakespearean delivery to the core, to speak after the award was made to her and close with Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day ….. and everyone turned out into the late afternoon sunshine and ambled through Old Town with the rosemary twigs still jammed in their buttonholes or pinned to their eye catching dresses. A very English afternoon and none the worse for it. And … good food.
Prior to the lunch, Lucy The Labrador and I attended the annual birthday parade from Bridge Street, along Church Street and Chapel Street, through Old Town to Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare and family members are buried. There was plenty to see - Mr Shakespeare with his quill, priests, town criers, the inevitable Morris Men, the MP, lots of local dignitaries all wearing chains and splendid gowns, men in military uniforms, musical bands, scholars, vast numbers of schoolchildren, lawyers and even ambassadors.
Only in England.
No comments:
Post a Comment