Royal Shakespeare
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
THE COMPANY'S PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES LAID DOWN IN THE ROYAL CHARTER ARE TO CONSERVE, ADVANCE AND DISSEMINATE THE DRAMATIC HERITAGE OF SHAKESPEARE AND TO ADVANCE AND IMPROVE THE DRAMATIC ART, BOTH IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THE COMPANY IS CHARGED WITH PRODUCING AND PRESENTING DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES OF ALL KINDS, AND WITH TEACHING AND TRAINING AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. THE ORGANIZATION IS BASED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HAS MINIMAL ACTIVITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
- Income
- $104.3 million
- Spending
- $106.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 4.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 71%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 36
- Highest pay
- $236,504, co-artistic director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 69 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.8 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 24% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $99.5 million spent. PRODUCTIONS PRESENTED IN 2024/25THIS YEAR WE WERE DELIGHTED TO PRESENT DANIEL AND TAMARA'S BOLD AND EXCITING INAUGURAL SEASON. THE SEASON OPENED WITH LUKE THOMPSON STARRING IN LOVES LABOURS LOST AT THE RST DIRECTED BY EMILY BURNS, WHICH DREW AN AUDIENCE OF ALMOST 30,000 PEOPLE. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA, A CO- PRODUCTION WITH WISE CHILDREN. IT WAS DIRECTED BY OUR GOOD FRIEND EMMA RICE, WHO WON BEST DIRECTOR FOR BUDDHA IN THE WHAT'S ON STAGE AWARDS. THIS PLAYED IN THE SWAN THEATRE BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO THE BARBICAN FOR A VERY SUCCESSFUL RUN IN THE AUTUMN.ENGLISH, WRITTEN BY SANAAZ TOOSSI AND PRESENTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE KILN THEATRE, OPENED IN THE OTHER PLACE. IT WAS NOMINATED FOR AN OLIVIER AWARD FOR BEST NEW PRODUCTION IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE. DURING THE SUMMER, DOUBLE OLIVIER AWARD WINNER SAM SPIRO PLAYED MISTRESS PAGE IN THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, PLAYING TO HOUSES OF ALMOST 42,000 PEOPLE. TINUKE CRAIG'S HOT PINK PRODUCTION OF RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN'S 1777 THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL PLAYED IN REPERTOIRE WITH THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR DURING SUMMER 2024. WE WERE DELIGHTED TO WELCOME UKRAINE'S THEATRE STUDIO OF IDP'S UZHIK TO THE OTHER PLACE TO PERFORM THEIR POWERFUL PRODUCTION OF KING LEAR, WHICH PLAYED TO SELL OUT AUDIENCES IN JUNE. AS PART OF THEIR VISIT, THEY MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM INTERNATIONALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE GROUPS ACROSS WARWICKSHIRE (INCLUDING WELCOME HERE, MOSAIC CHURCH, HAND IN HAND AND ASSOCIATION OF UKRAINIANS OF GREAT BRITAIN) WHO WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH A PERFORMANCE AHEAD OF THE PUBLIC OPENING. WE WERE THRILLED TO CO-PRESENT WITH GOOD CHANCE THE WORLD PREMIERE AT THE RST OF KYOTO, A NEW PLAY WRITTEN BY JOE MURPHY AND JOE ROBINSON WHICH WAS MET WITH CRITICAL ACCLAIM, PRIOR TO TRANSFERRING TO LONDON FOR A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL RUN AT SOHO PLACE. KYOTO WAS NOMINATED FOR TWO OLIVIER AWARDS - JOE MURPHY AND JOE ROBINSON FOR BEST NEW PLAY AND JORGE BOSCHE FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE. BRENDAN O'HEA DIRECTED AS YOU LIKE IT IN THE HOLLOWAY GARDEN THEATRE IN THE SUMMER, WITH LUKE BRADY AND LETTY THOMAS MAKING THEIR RSC DEBUTS AS SPARRING LOVERS, ORLANDO AND ROSALIND. TAMARA MADE HER DIRECTORIAL DEBUT AT THE RSC IN JULY WITH PERICLES, STARRING ALFRED ENOCH AT THE SWAN THEATRE. IT HAS BEEN 18 YEARS SINCE THE RSC STAGED THIS PLAY. EXCEEDING ALL TARGETS, IT THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER IN OCTOBER 2024. IN SEPTEMBER, WE WERE PLEASED TO WELCOME NORTHERN BALLET WITH THEIR PRODUCTION OF ROMEO AND JULIET IN SELLOUT SHOWS AT THE RST. THE NEW REAL, DAVID EDGAR'S 10TH PLAY FOR THE RSC, PREMIERED IN OCTOBER 2024 AT THE OTHER PLACE, AND BECAME THE HIGHEST GROSSING PLAY EVER IN THAT VENUE. DURING OCTOBER, JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON STARRED AS OTHELLO AND WILL KEEN AS IAGO IN TIM CARROLL'S OTHELLO AT THE RST. MATT BAYNTON REPRISED HIS BRILLIANT PORTRAYAL OF BOTTOM IN A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM DURING OUR WINTER RESIDENCY AT THE BARBICAN. A HUGE HIT WITH AUDIENCES, IT WAS ALSO WIDELY WELL RECEIVED BY CRITICS. FOR CHRISTMAS 2024, PLAYWRIGHT NANCY HARRIS BROUGHT HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSONS DARK FAIRY TALE INTO THE 21ST CENTURY IN THE SWAN THEATRE WITH HER INTERPRETATION OF THE RED SHOES, WHICH WAS SEEN BY AN AUDIENCE OF OVER 26,000. PRASANNA PUWANARAJAH'S TWELFTH NIGHT WAS THE CHOICE FOR A CHRISTMAS SHOW AT THE RST, WHICH EXCEEDED ALL TARGETS. SAMUEL WEST AS MALVOLIO WAS JOINED BY GWYNETH KEYWORTH AS VIOLA, FREEMA AGYEMAN AS OLIVIA AND BALLY GILL AS ORSINO. OPENING 2025, RUPERT GOOLD DIRECTED LUKE THALLON, JARED HARRIS AND NANCY CARROLL IN HAMLET AT THE RST, WITH SET DESIGN BY ES DEVLIN. CLOSING THE SEASON, DANIEL STARRED IN CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE'S RARELY PERFORMED TRAGEDY EDWARD II AT THE SWAN THEATRE, DIRECTED BY DANIEL RAGGETT. EDWARD II WAS LAST PERFORMED AT THE RSC IN 1990. MATILDA THE MUSICAL THERE WERE OVER 420 PERFORMANCES OF MATILDA DURING THE YEAR, REACHING AN AUDIENCE OF OVER 440,000. THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES OF MATILDA IN LONDON SINCE IT STARTED IN OCTOBER 2011, TO OVER 5,000. KEY HIGHLIGHTS - CREATIVE LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT DURING THE YEAR, WE WERE AWARDED A GRANT TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF A CULTURAL EDUCATION PLATFORM. IN 2024, WE WERE AWARDED SEED FUNDING FROM BLOOMBERG TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF A CULTURAL EDUCATION RESEARCH HUB FOR THE SECTOR. THIS HAS RESULTED IN THE RSC CONVENING ROUNDTABLES INVOLVING 40 REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ARTS AND CULTURAL SECTOR. THE ASSOCIATE SCHOOLS PROGRAMME WE WORKED WITH 290 SCHOOLS AND 16 REGIONAL THEATRES THROUGH OUR ASSOCIATE SCHOOLS NETWORK, DELIVERING 86 TEACHER TRAINING DAYS AND 18 PLAYMAKING FESTIVALS INVOLVING 863 TEACHERS AND 124,122 STUDENTS, INCLUDING 457 YOUNG SHAKESPEARE AMBASSADORS. RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN USING QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS, INCLUDING A RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIAL. RESEARCH - TIME TO ACT WE HAVE SHARED THE RESULTS OF OUR TIME TO ACT RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIAL UNDERTAKEN IN 23/24 WITH COLLEAGUES IN GOVERNMENT AND IN THE CULTURAL AND EDUCATION SECTORS THROUGH 3 ROUNDTABLE EVENTS, 5 CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND 10 STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS. FIRST ENCOUNTER TOUR OF ROMEO AND JULIET WE COMPLETED 89 PERFORMANCES ACROSS A 12-WEEK TOUR OF A 90-MINUTE PRODUCTION OF ROMEO AND JULIET AS PART OF OUR FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH SHAKESPEARE PROGRAMME. THE PRODUCTION WAS SEEN AND ENJOYED BY 17,212 PEOPLE (114% OF TARGET), 60% OF WHOM WERE SEEING SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND A QUARTER OF WHOM WERE SEEING THEIR FIRST PLAY. PUBLIC PROGRAMME FOR VISITORS AND COMMUNITIES, SUMMER 2024 DURING THE SUMMER OF 2024 WE RAN 3 SUMMER SCHOOLS, 44 ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AN INTERACTIVE LIGHT AND SOUND INSTALLATION 'THE GLASSHOUSE AND AN OPEN STAGE PROGRAMME OF PERFORMANCES BY COMMUNITY, STUDENT AND AMATEUR GROUPS. 10,056 PEOPLE OF ALL AGES PARTICIPATED IN THE ACTIVITIES. KEY HIGHLIGHTS - CREATIVE INNOVATION AND INDEPENDENT RESEARCH ORGANIZATION (IRO) IN MARCH 2024 WE WERE AWARDED A CREATIVE RESEARCH CAPABILITY (CRESCA) GRANT FROM T
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
The IRS master file records contributions to this 501(c)(3) charitable organization as not deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1981.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.