Stamford actress commissioned to perform her one-woman William Shakespeare show at his birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon

An actress and writer is in dreamland after she was asked to perform her one-woman William Shakespeare show at the Bard’s birthplace.

Beckis Cooper, who plays around 10 characters, has been commissioned to put on a small run of Unversed early next year at Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Bard is believed to have been born in the restored half-timbered house in Henley Street in 1564 and spent his early childhood there.

So how does it feel to be chosen to perform, literally, in such illustrious footsteps?

“It’s like a dream come true,” said Beckis, who grew up in Nassington.

“We did it a couple of months ago in Dr Johnson’s house, in Fleet Street, and there were lots of props from various theatres in Drury Lane so it had quite a theatrical history.

“But to be performing the play in Shakespeare’s birthplace, well, it doesn't get any better than that if you love Shakespeare.”

Unversed tells the story of Antonia Carrington, an actress denied the chance to be on stage in 1623 London.

Desperate to perform, she sneaks into The Globe, armed with an illicit copy of Shakespeare’s first folio and decides to perform several roles in secret.

After receiving good reviews, the show could also be heading for New York in spring 2025 for the United Solo Festival - the world’s largest festival of solo plays.

“It’s been booked all over the place,” said Beckis.

“People keep contacting me which is amazing.”

In the meantime, however, the London-based actress is excited to be heading closer to home for a performance at the Stamford Arts Centre on Saturday, June 22.

Beckis last performed on stage in Stamford at Mama Liz’s in 2016 when she previewed her Edinburgh Festival show.

Prior to that she was part of Stamford Shakespeare Company’s production of Romeo and Juliet at Tolethorpe.

“It’s so exciting,” she said.

“If you’re from Stamford it’s lovely, but if you’ve been living in London and you come back to Stamford I think you appreciate it so much more.

“It’s got everything you could possibly want but it also feels so idyllic.”

She added: “You can normally tell within the first five minutes whether you’ve got the audience or you’ve lost them, so hopefully Stamford will be with us as well.”

In April, Beckis sold out The Painted Room, in Oxford - where Shakespeare is believed to have stayed - as part of a festival celebrating the legendary playwright’s birthday.

It is not the first - or last - atmospheric historic venue in which Beckis has taken the show.

Having debuted Unversed at Keats’ House last December, she will head to Gordon Castle, in Scotland, later this year, as well as Uppingham School

“Stamford is probably one of the only official theatre spaces I’ve been in so far,” she explained.

“It’s a theatre piece, but it’s designed so that it can pop up in someone’s living room or a castle space - it’s adaptable.

“A true Shakespearean travelling show, I guess.”