Based on the real-life scandal surrounding Shakespeare’s daughter in the summer of 1613, The Herbal Bed places under scrutiny the contradiction between human desire and the social convention often repressing it.

In Stratford-upon-Avon, 1613, allegations of infidelity are publicly declared towards William Shakespeare’s daughter, who is deemed to be having an affair with her neighbour.

Standing by her, her husband sues the accuser for slander, but in doing so places both lives under the intensely microscopic glare of the public.

An emotional thriller based on actual events, The Herbal Bed is directed by Artistic Director James Dacre, and marks the Rose Theatre’s contribution to a year-long season of events nationwide marking the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death.

Promising a harrowing, moving and uplifting journey, Peter Whelan pens a beautiful evocation of life in Shakespearean England.