Surrey


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/03/Untitled-design-13.jpg" alt="Guildford Shakespeare Company founders Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches" class="wp-image-64685" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/03/Untitled-design-13.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/03/Untitled-design-13-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/03/Untitled-design-13-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/03/Untitled-design-13-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2026/03/Untitled-design-13-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Guildford Shakespeare Company founders Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches</figcaption></figure>



<p>The award-winning Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) has become a distinctive part of Surrey’s cultural life – and something locals are understandably proud of. The professional theatre company and arts education charity is known for creating exceptional theatre in unusual places (if you haven’t seen one of their productions, you really must). Their immersive, site-specific Shakespeare is staged both indoors and out, all underpinned by a strong community ethos.</p>



<p>Impressively, they also deliver around 29,000 participation opportunities each year, from educational workshops and clubs to wellbeing projects. Their Young Company (ages 13–18) is thriving too, with many participants going on to professional training.</p>



<p>This year, there’s even more to celebrate as they mark their 20th anniversary, with a varied programme of showcases, the return of the ever-popular Shakespeare Walks, a theatrical treasure hunt through Guildford, and a special founders’ evening, <em>What’s Past Is Prologue</em>, on the Bard’s birthday with Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches.</p>



<p>The two founders, Sarah Groban and Matt Pinches, are theatre-makers whose partnership has shaped the company from the start. Sarah trained at the Guildford School of Acting and founded GSC with Matt who, originally from Worcester, trained in Dramatic Art and has worked widely as an actor across open-air theatre, pantomime, touring productions and TV commercials. We caught up with Matt to find out more about this very special Surrey institution.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/GSC-David-Copperfield-2025-26.-Louise-Beresford-and-Eddy-Payne-Photo-Steve-Gregson-2-1000x667.jpg" alt="Guildford Shakespeare Company's production of David Copperfield." class="wp-image-63620" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/GSC-David-Copperfield-2025-26.-Louise-Beresford-and-Eddy-Payne-Photo-Steve-Gregson-2-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/GSC-David-Copperfield-2025-26.-Louise-Beresford-and-Eddy-Payne-Photo-Steve-Gregson-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/GSC-David-Copperfield-2025-26.-Louise-Beresford-and-Eddy-Payne-Photo-Steve-Gregson-2-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/GSC-David-Copperfield-2025-26.-Louise-Beresford-and-Eddy-Payne-Photo-Steve-Gregson-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/01/GSC-David-Copperfield-2025-26.-Louise-Beresford-and-Eddy-Payne-Photo-Steve-Gregson-2.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Guildford Shakespeare Company&#8217;s production of &#8216;David Copperfield&#8217;. <em>Photo: credit: Steve Gregson</em></figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-take-us-back-to-the-beginning-what-made-you-and-sarah-start-guildford-shakespeare-company"><em>Take us back to the beginning – what made you and Sarah start Guildford Shakespeare Company?</em></h3>



<p>Both Sarah and I grew up with a fascination for Shakespeare. Sarah had an inspirational out-of-school drama teacher Mrs Barnes, whilst I had grown up in the shadow of Stratford-upon-Avon in Worcester. These plays and characters are legendary, timeless and as actors the privilege of bringing them to life is something we are both passionate about.</p>



<p>At the same time, we wanted to offer audiences a new way of engaging with these stories, and with theatre in general. In the early 2000s the rise of surround sound home cinema and a desire to ‘feel like you’re there’ propelled us towards giving theatre audiences that same level of immersion, but for it to be live. Theatre is part of everyone’s life, everyday; all of us engage with it because at its heart it’s about storytelling and that’s exactly how we relate to each other.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-20-years-of-guildford-shakespeare-company-what-s-the-plan-to-celebrate"><em>So, 20 years of Guildford Shakespeare Company – what’s the plan to celebrate?</em></h3>



<p>Our summer season returns to our open-air roots with two gloriously sunny Shakespeare comedies, <em>Love’s Labour’s Lost</em> and <em>Much Ado About Nothing</em> – the first play we produced. Brought together in a beautiful love-saga set either side of WWII, at one of our audiences’ favourite venues, Brabeouf Manor (Guildford’s former College of Law), before transferring to Richmond in August. Finally, we’ll be taking audiences on another interactive Murder Mystery adventure, at the wonderful Hogs Back Brewery in the autumn. Along the way we’ve also got a special evening with Sarah and I, hosted by Peter Gordon, as we look back on 20 years of theatre making.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-go-on-then-do-you-have-a-favourite-shakespeare-either-to-perform-or-to-sit-back-and-watch"><em>Go on then – do you have a favourite Shakespeare, either to perform or to sit back and watch?</em></h3>



<p>I&#8217;ll always have a soft spot for <em>Much Ado</em> as it was the first play we staged. I’ve adored playing Bottom several times in <em>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</em> – the Mechanicals are wonderfully drawn characters, and I’m sure Shakespeare knew them in real life. Playing Edgar in <em>King Lear</em> with the incredible Brian Blessed was very special, whilst as Mr Toad in <em>The Wind in the Willows</em> I was given a real 1920s Humber motor car to drive!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="728" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/06/Romeo-and-Juliet-photography-credit-Mark-Deans-2-LS-1000x728.jpg" alt="Guildford Shakespeare Company's Romeo and Juliet, 2024" class="wp-image-54596" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/06/Romeo-and-Juliet-photography-credit-Mark-Deans-2-LS-1000x728.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/06/Romeo-and-Juliet-photography-credit-Mark-Deans-2-LS-800x582.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/06/Romeo-and-Juliet-photography-credit-Mark-Deans-2-LS-400x291.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/06/Romeo-and-Juliet-photography-credit-Mark-Deans-2-LS-768x559.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/06/Romeo-and-Juliet-photography-credit-Mark-Deans-2-LS.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Guildford Shakespeare Company&#8217;s 2024 production of &#8216;Romeo and Juliet&#8217;. <em>Photo credit: Mark Dean</em></figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-one-thing-that-makes-you-think-yes-we-did-that"><em>What’s the one thing that makes you think, “yes, we did that”?</em></h3>



<p>With two decades behind me I have been lucky to have watched an idea grow into the organisation it is today. Having a play in New York was truly unbelievable, whilst having a show hailed as the ‘best Christmas show in London’ was equally amazing! </p>



<p>And then there&#8217;s the genuinely life-changing work delivered by our Creative Learning Department, which is a constant source of pride &#8211; from our pioneering school Knife Crime Programme to seeing drama club participants discover their voices. </p>



<p>I think, though, as a personal achievement, directing our multi-venue <em>Romeo &amp; Juliet </em>in 2024 is a highlight, along with walking from Stratford to London to raise money for the company. In 2023, Sarah and I were given the Institute of Directors award for Inclusivity, Diversity &amp; Equality which was a great honour.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-covid-was-a-tough-time-for-the-arts-how-did-you-keep-going-through-it"><em>Covid was a tough time for the arts – how did you keep going through it?</em></h3>



<p>By doing just that: keeping going! Sarah and I decided not to &#8220;hibernate&#8221;. We were determined to keep producing. Thanks to online platforms all our clubs and classes continued. And we produced seven live online productions (one award-winning), with everyone isolated at home. </p>



<p>At a time when people needed contact with others, these shows kept people positive and helped keep artists in employment. It was exhausting but worth it. Although if my neighbours had peeked in my windows, they&#8217;d have wondered why I was running around dressed as a toad washerwoman in front of a green screen!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-has-a-performance-ever-gone-a-bit-off-script"><em>Has a performance ever gone a bit… off script?</em></h3>



<p>Well, 20 years of open-air theatre in the UK has naturally brought challenges! But there have been some stranger moments. One show was interrupted by people using a chainsaw to cut through a wooden fence. And another time a lady walked right across the stage at a matinee declaring ‘this is a public park and I can walk where I like!’ I was once joined on stage by a duck that wouldn’t leave. And in one performance of <em>Hamlet,</em> in the final sword fight as Laertes my trousers decided to split at the worst possible moment. Ah, the memories!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/06/Romeo-and-Juliet-photography-credit-Mark-Deans-4.jpg" alt="An open-air scene from the Guildford Shakespeare Company production of 'Romeo and Juliet'. " /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An open-air scene from the Guildford Shakespeare Company production of &#8216;Romeo and Juliet&#8217;. Thankfully, it didn&#8217;t rain. <em>Photo credit: Mark Dean</em></figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead-where-do-you-see-the-guilford-shakespeare-company-in-five-or-10-years-time"><em>Looking ahead – where do you see the Guilford Shakespeare Company in five or 10 years’ time?</em></h3>



<p>Still producing exciting theatre in exceptional places. We’re currently working on that plan and if the last 20 years are anything to go by the world is our oyster -to pinch a line from Shakespeare! Further partnerships will help spread the word of GSC and of course Guildford, as well as extending friendships in London and overseas. The Creative Learning Department continues to grow and we’d love to see the Knife Crime Programme – <em>Put Up Your Swords</em> – extend across the country.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-would-you-recommend-to-someone-who-is-new-to-shakespeare"><em>What would you recommend to someone who is new to Shakespeare?</em></h3>



<p>Forget everything you might have heard about it being inaccessible or that you won’t understand it. If you didn’t have the best experience at school put that to one side. At their heart these are great stories with characters just like you. They might be a princess or a fairy, they might have terribly fancy names like Trinculo or Volumnia, but they could also be called Jamie or Lucy, be tailors or shopkeepers. They are mothers, sons, siblings, best friends, managers, soldiers. And they all share the same emotions we have. Come and see a GSC show and we’ll open a whole new world for you!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ-1000x1000.jpg" alt="Guildford town centre, Surrey" class="wp-image-49685" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/09/Guildford-Town-Centre-©GBC-03-SQ.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The historic streets of Guildford. <em>Photo courtesy Guildford Borough Council</em></figcaption></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-how-do-people-get-involved-in-a-shakespeare-walk"><em>So, how do people get involved in a Shakespeare Walk?</em></h3>



<p>I love devising and directing these every year. Part treasure hunt, part walking tour, they take you on a journey of discovery, encountering hidden heritage gems, actors in the least likely of places, and of course beautiful Shakespeare performances. There are 15 self-guided group walks a day &#8211; simply book on our <a href="https://www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/spring-2026/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">swebsite</a>. They always sells out so don’t hang about!</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-your-favourite-historical-finds-around-guildford"><em>What are your favourite historical finds around Guildford?</em></h3>



<p>I love St Mary’s Church on Quarry Street – it’s Guildford’s oldest building, and the wealth of history it holds is incredible. Lewis Carroll preached there, pilgrims passed through its doors, and the collection of corbels on the ceiling is just amazing… oh, and I got married there!</p>



<p>Racks Close is also a gem – arguably Guildford’s best-kept secret. These former chalk quarries, once a key part of the town’s industrial heritage, are now a green oasis of calm in the centre of Guildford, and perfect for <em>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</em>, <em>Robin Hood</em> or <em>As You Like It</em>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-some-of-your-favourite-modern-highlights-in-the-town"><em>What are some of your favourite modern highlights in the town?</em></h3>



<p>I really love the various public art installations dotted around the town – from the sundial on the High Street to the movie quotes set into the pavement where the old Odeon used to be, and even the poem on the west end of the Premier Inn on Ladymead.</p>



<p><strong>On Shakespeare’s birthday itself &#8211; Thursday 23 April &#8211; The Guildford Shakespeare Company invites audiences to a special evening with its co-founders, Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches – <em>What’s Past Is Prologue</em>. Book tickets <a href="https://guildfordshakespeare.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173676065?_gl=1*1cwby2*_ga*NDE4MjExNjk2LjE3NzM3NTcxMjE.*_ga_S6GJHL04W0*czE3NzM3NTcxMjAkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzM3NTcxMjAkajYwJGwwJGgw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</strong></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-want-more">WANT MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://surrey.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/arts-culture-things-to-do/review-romeo-juliet-guildford-shakespeare-company-surrey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Review: Romeo and Juliet by the Guildford Shakespeare Company</strong></a></li>



<li><strong><a href="https://surrey.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/arts-culture-things-to-do/review-pride-and-prejudice-guildford-shakespeare-company/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Review: Pride and Prejudice by the Guildford Shakespeare Company</a></strong></li>
</ul>


Twenty years of the Guildford Shakespeare Company

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