Transferring to the Barbican following its run in Stratford-Upon-Avon is the Prasanna Puwanarajah-directed Twelfth Night, Shakespeare's delightfully spirited tale of Viola, a shipwrecked orphan who takes matters into her own hands when stranded on the shores of the ancient isle of Illyria. With music by Matt Maltese bringing a contemporary flavour to this production, Twelfth Night includes Shakespearean mainstays - mistaken identity, mischief, a shipwreck and, of course, his deft wit, yet this RSC staging has been praised for its search in between the lines of the text, revealing new insight to an age-old classic.

Launching a major five-year Shakespeare series for Chris Harper Productions, Tom Morris (War Horse, Touching the Void) directs trailblazer David Harewood (Homeland, Supergirl) - the first Black actor to play Othello at the National Theatre in 1997 - in a searing, contemporary take on the Bard's tale of jealousy and betrayal, featuring music by Grammy nominated PJ Harvey.