Complete Works, Essential Year? (All of) Shakespeare Performed

A central focus or governing idea is sought within the Royal Shakespeare Company's "Complete Works" season, which ran in various venues in Stratford-upon-Avon from March 2006 to April 2007. Amid great diversity of approach and performance style, with many innovatory productions and some very successful ones, no such conceptual center was found. It is regretted that many of the productions contributed by overseas companies were seen for only a few days in Stratford and/or were scheduled at times of year unlikely to attract many overseas visitors. The season was genuinely experimental, both as a whole and in many of its specific features. But despite some genuinely exciting work, it was neither coherent nor wholly rewarding for those who hoping to gain wider insights into Shakespeare's oeuvre.