Join us under the Withrow willows this summer for Richard Three, written by William Shakespeare and Ruff’s own Patricia Allison. Richard Three marks the first time Ruff has revisited a play (we first produced a Richard III ten years ago in 2013), but we promise that this Richard will be unlike anything you’ve seen before. Directed by Patricia Allison and performed by an ensemble of three actors, Richard Three is set in a multiverse in which two ideologically opposing Richards must work together to secure the crown.

Leading up to our summer production, we want you to join us as we explore the characters, themes and context of Shakespeare’s Richard III. In February we’ll bring you our second annual Ruff’s Winter Tale: a staged reading of Queen Margaret by Jeanie O’Hare. Presented with the generous support of Crow’s Theatre, Queen Margaret will be directed by Kwaku Okyere. (2023 also sees Kwaku moving out of the artistic leadership and into the new role of Collaborating Artist. We’ll share more about this new position within the company anon!) Retelling the Wars of the Roses from Queen Margaret’s perspective, this play sheds new light on the events that lead directly to the crowning of King Richard III. Casting news coming soon!

Ruff Reads is back in partnership with our favourite east end bookshop, Queen Books! We’ll be announcing the reading lineup very soon, but in the meantime be sure to follow Ruff Reads on Instagram (@shakesruffreads) for extra bookish content and conversations.

Joining us in The Playground this April is blind artist and disability arts advocate Alex Bulmer, teaching her Blind Imaginings workshop for theatre-makers. Blind Imaginings reimagines the creative process from a non-sighted perspective and is invaluable for writers, directors, designers, and performers interested in intersectional and interdependent practice. Later in the spring we’ll be announcing Ruff Skills, a series of workshops and private coachings led by Ruff’s leadership collective.

And as always, the Young Ruffian Apprenticeship Program will be back in the park with a new cohort of young artists for our paid training and mentorship program. We’ll announce details and begin accepting applications in May!

Last season we launched a fundraising campaign called The Ruff 100 with a goal of welcoming one hundred new monthly donors (for just $5/month) into our community of supporters. The response has been incredible (thank you!!) and we’re getting close to our goal. Monthly donors are our lifeblood and are hugely helpful in our aim of keeping all our programming free or pay-what-you-can-afford. Ruff 100 members receive sneak peeks of upcoming announcements and events, and an invite to a special performance of Richard Three as a thank you for your generosity. To join The Ruff 100, click here and select “Monthly”.