A MONTH of brand new family activities will be on offer in Stratford-upon-Avon throughout August from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

It will be playing host at the Bancroft Terrace where it will present seaside activities and end of the pier style fun as part of Stratford-on-Sea.

Highlights include a special family trail at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre based on Shakespeare’s magical play The Tempest.

Every day, families can pick up clues around the building to complete a quotation from the play. They can also pose for photos as their favourite Shakespeare character as part of a traditional seaside funny faces board, featuring drawings from award winning illustrator Greg McLeod.

During the week visitors can relax on deck chairs and enjoy an ice cream or cold drink, and on weekends they can partake in a range of food and drinks on the Bancroft Terrace. Every Sunday throughout the month there will also be a selection of free drop-in activities that will not require booking, but children must be accompanied by an adult.

Among the activities on offer are Sonanta Flamenca on Sunday, August 3, 12pm - 12.45pm and again at 1.30pm - 2.15pm. Visitors will be able to enjoy Latin rhythms and flamenco music from father and son group Sonanta Flamenca, while a week later there will be a Punch and Judy show at 11am, 1pm and 3pm – which will provide some traditional seaside entertainment from ‘Professor’ Clive Chandler of Tip Top Puppets.

There will be plenty of other activities and workshops throughout August and visitors can also celebrate the final week of the RSC’s family exhibition, Who Wears the Trousers? at the Swan Theatre with a series of fun art workshops on drawing, screen and oil painting.

The exhibition, which includes work from artists Girls Who Draw, aims to explore the tradition of cross-dressing in theatre and how clothes are used to express who we are. There is a free drop-in craft activity between Tuesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 28 from 11am to 1pm.

There will be activities at the Clore Learning Centre including a Singing Workshop and also at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre where it will be Blood, Guts and Gore – which is sure to attract a fair amount of attention!

Tickets can be booked on 0844 800 1110 or on-line at www.rsc.org.uk. You can also check on the full list of activities to assist in keeping youngsters entertained during the summer holiday by visiting www.rsc.org.uk/stratford-on-sea.