The RSC has played a major part in my personal life - Martin O'reilly - Silver Patron

I came to Stratford first in 1985 to see Othello with Ben Kingsley, David Suchet and Niamh Cusack, but I didn’t start going regularly until 1988 when I was 23.

I remember the Adrian Noble production of the Plantagenets that summer, I travelled up from London (via the advertised way by public transport, train to Coventry then bus to Stratford! No M40 or Chiltern railways back then) and stayed over, it was an amazing event and I was hooked. I also saw the Stratford season transfers at the Barbican during same period which introduced me to Antony Sher, Roger Allam, Harriet Walter, Simon Russell Beale and Alex Gilbreath.  Actors who I love to this day.

The RSC has played a major part in my personal life too. I rang my future wife to arrange our first date from the phone box outside the Pen and Parchment during the interval of Julius Caesar in January 1992. Our first family holidays with our children were in Stratford. We went to many plays as a young family, not Titus Andronicus obviously!

We moved from London to Alcester in 2002 so Stratford was on the doorstep which made trips even easier.  The children loved the open days and my son in particular used to love having cuts and bruises applied and then walking around the town to horrified looks! Those experiences certainly played a part in him going to Rose Bruford Drama School in London to study Scenic Arts, focusing on make-up and prosthetics, I am proud to say he graduated with a first. My daughter, who has a preference for Musicals nowadays can, I'm pleased to say still be persuaded to see Shakespeare. We all saw The Tempest with Simon Russell Beale recently.

Now single and living in Redditch, I have recently upgraded to Silver patron having been Bronze for the last decade and before that a member. The RSC remains a pivotal part of my life and will continue to do be. My favourite play is King Lear, I have seen 38 productions in theatres big and small around the country. The best is still the 1990 revival at Stratford directed by Nicholas Hytner with the late great John Wood in the title role. He was surrounded by an amazing cast including David Troughton, Ralph Fiennes, Norman Rodway, Estelle Kohler and Alex Kingston.