Auditions are now open for this year's Shakespeare Cup, which will take place in Inner Temple Hall on Friday 22 May 2026.
The Shakespeare Cup is an evening of theatre in which Middle Temple and Inner Temple each put on one hour of Shakespeare. Past performances have been of Cymbeline, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. A panel of experienced judges, typically made up of actors, directors and producers, select a winner from the two performances. We are proud to say that, to date, Middle has never lost the competition.
Whether you are a Bencher, Hall member or Student, we are looking for enthusiastic performers to join the cast. While we would hope that any applicant would have an interest in Shakespeare and in theatre, past acting experience is not a requirement and indeed several members of the previous victorious team had never before been on stage.
Last year featured two silks, a Bencher, a retired member of the criminal Bar, and an assortment of those in practice in other areas.
Auditions will be held on Thursday 12 February 2026 from 18:30 onwards in Middle Temple. In-person auditions are preferred, but we will happily arrange a remote audition for anyone who is away or unavailable.
Auditions will be straightforward and informal. We will ask each applicant to choose and perform one short piece of Shakespeare (from a set of three pre-selected extracts), and one more general exercise.
Rehearsals will be once per week with a dress rehearsal closer to the performance.
We are also aware of the demands of the Bar course and life at the Bar generally; the production is designed to fit around those demands and hopefully offer some respite from them.
If the above seems of interest, and equally if it sounds strange and terrifying, please do apply.
To register for an audition simply send an email with the subject 'Audition' to shakespearecup@gmail.com, setting out briefly whether you are a Student, Hall member or Bencher and your year of Call if applicable. Please also let us know if you have a required time slot. We will do our best to accommodate requests.