The Freewill Shakespeare Festival (known as the River City Shakespeare Festival from 1998–2009) is produced by The Free Will Players Theatre Guild (FWP) in Edmonton and is one of the longest running outdoor Shakespeare Festivals in Canada. FWP was formed as a not-for-profit theatre company in 1989 by a group of seven recent graduates of the U of A in a truly cooperative, pass-the-hat spirit with the mandate to produce the works of William Shakespeare. Since then, FWP has grown to an organization that employs over 50 artists, administrators, and support staff at the height of the summer season of plays and has drawn over 250,000 people to its productions. In addition, the summer season down at the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park also has over 150 volunteers assisting with the afternoon and evening shows and special events. These volunteers put in over 4000 hours each summer.
FWP’s seasons consist of two fully realized Shakespearean productions that play in repertory over 4 weeks from late June to late July. Productions boast contemporary interpretations of setting, theme, and character to best communicate the plays ideas for a modern audience. Some seasons have also included ancillary events such as an off-site secondary production, guest productions, puppet shows, and Camp Shakespeare. FWP endeavours to make the productions accessible to all audiences, regardless of age, ability, education or income levels, while also developing new audiences and mentoring theatre professionals of the future. In the spirit of the original artists’ ‘pass the hat’ philosophy FWP continues encouraging audiences with Pay-What-You-Will and special pricing for students and seniors.[1]
Due to significant damage to Freewill's traditional venue at the Heritage Amphitheatre, the festival's 2014 season took place inside the Myer Horowitz Theatre in the University of Alberta's Students' Union Building (8900 114 Street).
In 2023 the festival was required move from the venerable Hawrelak Park Heritage Amphitheatre, which has been its home since its founding due to the City of Edmonton's Rehabilitation Project. The 2023 festival was produced inside and around a vintage Spiegeltent set up in the Edmonton Expo Centre parking lot.
The 2024 season will see the Freewill Shakespeare festival set up in four different community leagues across Edmonton, from June 18 to July 14, 2024.
| Year | Tragedy | Comedy | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Romeo and Juliet | Twelfth Night | August 8 - September 3 | |
| 2022 | Measure for Measure | A Midsummer Night's Dream | June 14 – July 10[2] | |
| 2021 | Macbeth | Much Ado About Nothing | August 10 - 29 (travelling shows on-demand) | |
| 2019 | The Winter's Tale | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | June 18 – July 14[3] | |
| 2018 | Hamlet | The Comedy of Errors | June 19 – July 15 | |
| 2017 | Merchant of Venice | The Merry Wives of Windsor | June 20 – July 16[4] | |
| 2016 | Romeo and Juliet | Love's Labour's Lost | June 21 – July 17[5] | |
| 2015 | Coriolanus | As You Like It | June 23 – July 19 | |
| 2014 | cancelled | The Taming of the Shrew | ||
| 2013 | King Lear | A Midsummer Night's Dream | ||
| 2012 | Julius Caesar | The Tempest | June 26 - July 22 | |
| 2011 | Othello | Twelfth Night | June 30 - July 24 | |
| 2010 | Macbeth | Much Ado About Nothing | ||
| 2009 | Titus Andronicus | The Comedy of Errors | June 30 - July 26 | |
| 2008 | Richard III | As You Like It | June 24 - July 20 | |
| 2007 | Two Gents (musical) | The Winter's Tale | ||
| 2006 | Hamlet | The Taming of the Shrew | ||
| 2005 | Romeo and Juliet | Love's Labour's Lost | ||
| 2004 | The Merchant of Venice | Twelfth Night | ||
| 2003 | Henry V | A Midsummer Night's Dream | ||
| 2002 | The Tempest | The Merry Wives of Windsor | ||
| 2001 | Richard III | As You Like It | ||
| 2000 | King Lear | Much Ado About Nothing | ||
| 1999 | Macbeth | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | ||
| 1998 | Julius Caesar | The Comedy of Errors |
Information on the festival's history and the Free Will Players