Robert J Williamson

Robert was born in Leeds and is the founder of the Brighton, Holland Park, Birmingham, Leicester, Kew Gardens, Nottingham and Leeds Shakespeare Festivals.

He trained at RADA, playing Berowne in Love’s Labours Lost. This year Robert founded The 1st Edinburgh Shakespeare Festival playing Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream directing both shows. These toured the UK playing at Nottingham Playhouse and also in Norway.

In 2003 he played both Touchstone in As You Like It and the title role in Hamlet, directing both shows. Both transferred to the West End at the Holland Park Theatre making Robert one of the few actor-managers in history to take a self directed Hamlet into London’s West End.

His other Shakespearean actor-director credits include: title roles in Henry V and Macbeth; Benedick Much Ado About Nothing, Feste Twelfth Night; Petruchio The Taming of the Shrew; Orlando As You Like It; Oberon, Theseus A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Three years ago Robert launched The Holland Park Shakespeare Festival - the only other annual West End open air Shakespeare event apart from Regents Park.

2005 saw him in a very different role in two episodes of Emmerdale for YTV. Earlier this year he launched a campaign for a National Shakespeare Day on the 23rd of April a campaign now supported by government ministers.

He would like to thank everyone ~ audience members, friends and family alike ~ who have supported him and his theatre work over the past ten years.