This year marks 450 years since the birth of Stratford-upon-Avon’s most famous son. On April 29, Stratford MP Nadhim Zahawi will be holding a special reception at the House of Commons, bringing together special guests from Parliament, the Arts and Stratford schools to celebrate Shakespeare’s life and works. With kind permission of the Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow MP, the event will take place at his State apartments in Westminster Palace. The evening will feature a scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays, performed by an ensemble cast of pupils from Stratford schools under the direction of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Also present will be the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, displaying precious artefacts from Shakespeare’s life with the help of Stratford schoolchildren. Commenting on the event Nadhim said: “William Shakespeare and parliamentary democracy are two of Britain’s greatest gifts to the world, so I’m delighted to be able to bring them together for this special evening. For the young actors from Stratford this will be unforgettable evening, for politicians in the audience a rare chance to hear some real eloquence spoken in the House of Commons. I am extremely grateful to the RSC, the Birthplace Trust and our financial sponsor for making this event possible. All three make a huge contribution to the life of Stratford and the RSC and Birthplace Trust have a great track record of going into schools to share their expertise. It’s great to have the opportunity to show off the best of Stratford in the heart of Westminster.”