Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Returns to Perform The Winter’s Tale at Utah Shakespeare Festival

Utah Shakespeare Festival is proud to welcome the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from London. A group of recent graduates is performing a touring production of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale in the Anes Studio Theatre, as part of a strategic partnership between the two theatre organizations.

The condensed, ninety-minute version of the play will be presented from July 28 to August 1 at 9:30am, with post-performance talk backs with the company scheduled for July 28, 30, and 31 at 11am.

“Festival patrons thoroughly enjoy the work presented by RADA and many schedule their visits to coincide with these performances” says Executive Managing Director Michael Bahr. “This is an excellent opportunity to see high quality work performed by one of the world premiere actor training institutions.”

The RADA training program has a long and illustrious history and boasts a number of exceptional alumni that have seen success as actors, including Cynthia Erivo, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Allison Janney, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Alan Rickman, and Ralph Fiennes. Perhaps the next RADA “star” may just be on the Festival stage this summer.

Now marking seven years of this creative collaboration, it represents a commitment to foster international artistry of Shakespeare’s works. Each season, the Festival hosts RADA’s acclaimed touring production.

This thriving exchange was born in 2019 from a casual conversation about RADA’s powerful staging of Hamlet. It has since evolved into a vital cultural pipeline. While the touring group spends the school year performing specially adapted Shakespeare plays for children across London, their summer trip to Cedar City introduces Festival audiences to fresh, contemporary interpretations straight from the UK.

“The RADA collaboration brings a refreshing surge of creative energy to our season each July” says Artistic Director John DiAntonio. “We are honored to showcase the work of these exceptionally talented young artists in addition to our own exciting repertory lineup.”

Bahr agrees: “We are so grateful for the relationship with RADA that we have been able to develop and share. It serves as a testament to the artistic and educational commitment of both RADA and the Festival. It is a wonderful cultural exchange between artists, audiences and organizations!”

Tickets are $20 and are available by visiting the Ticket Office, calling 800-PLAYTIX, or purchasing online at bard.org/plays/rada-2026.