Shakespeare by the Sea is taking its show on the road this summer, with performances planned in a number of metro-area neighbourhoods.

The theatre troupe, which for the last three decades featured wood and ocean as its backdrop, is borrowing from the old line “all the world’s a stage,” and is taking its performances into a number of local residential areas.

Shows are planned at Froude Avenue, Eric Street and McKay, Buckmaster’s Circle, Chalker Place and Virginia Park in addition to Mount Pearl and the Alt Hotel in downtown St. John’s.

Board chair Jenn Deon is excited.

She says their vision is that Shakespeare is for everyone, and that led them to consider “who are we not reaching?” She says they had some extra money this year, allowing them to get creative with their performance locales.

That caused them to reach out to some local community centres.

She says she didn’t want to impose on the neighbourhoods. “You can’t just walk in and plunk a Shakespeare festival down….you really have to have something that will be welcomed.”

Deon says this year they’ll be adding another kids’ show to the repertoire which will explore what it is to be a Newfoundlander from the perspective of a moose, a whale, a puffin, and a seagull.

The free shows will run from July 12 to August 8th and will include:

• Shakespeare’s swashbuckler Henry IV-Part One, directed by Luke Rowe – Sunday & Monday evenings from July 12-August 3

• Shakespeare’s comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Sharon King-Campbell – Friday & Saturday evenings from July 17-August 8

• A new show for all ages by Nabila Qureshi and Abdullah Omar Saif, Binja, directed by Santiago Guzmán – Saturdays from July 18-August 8