Cumberland Lodge has hosted its 10th annual Shakespeare Reading Retreat, attracting Shakespearean scholars from across the country.
This year’s sold-out event explored The Tempest and what lessons it can teach us in the modern day. Each retreat studies a different Shakespearean work, with previous retreats including The Merry Wives of Windsor, Othello, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Introducing the retreat, Cumberland Lodge Chief Executive Fergus Drake drew parallels between The Tempest and the charity’s mission: “Like Prospero’s island, [Cumberland Lodge] is a space of potential – where young leaders can be educated, challenged, and inspired. Where the storms of complexity can be navigated with wisdom, where reconciliation is possible, and where personal transformation can lead to broader societal change.”
Over the course of four days, delegates heard from a range of renowned Shakespearean scholars and performers, including talks from Dr Paul Edmondson, Sir Stanley Wells, and Dr Rowan Williams and conversations including director Sir Greg Doran and actor Tim FitzHigham.
After attending as a student in 2024, Ankur Desval Fehrani, PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge, hosted a session which explored the impact of Shakespeare in India and Iran, thinking about how Shakespeare’s influence reaches far beyond the British Isles.
Honorary President of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust Sir Stanley Wells said: “It’s always a pleasure to return to Cumberland Lodge. It’s a joy to see familiar and new faces, especially those of the students, at the retreat each year and that people continue to want to return for future retreats.”
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams said: “The retreats are a reminder that Shakespeare speaks to people from all backgrounds, from ‘specialists’ to enthusiasts to people who are just curious. The warmth of the community atmosphere at Cumberland Lodge means that we can have conversations with some real depth.”
Details for the 2026 Cumberland Lodge Shakespeare Reading Retreat will be published on the Events page later this year.