“Shakespeare was inspired by the landscape, the area in Warwickshire… when Maggie O’Farrell visited she was equally inspired,” he said.
He said the town already had relatively high footfall, and although too early to definitively say what effect the film would have, he believes it will make its mark.
“The town can only expect an uplift, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a 10, 15, 20 per cent uplift.”
He added that the exposure was “absolutely critical” in keeping Shakespeare alive.
“What is so great about film, and the book, and the reimagining, is it demonstrates how Shakespeare still resonates today.”
“Any recreations will benefit regionally, nationally, and globally – it emphasises and amplifies the importance of him and his works.”
The trust owns five family homes related to the playwright, Anne Hathaway’s cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace, his mother’s farm, Shakespeare’s new place (where he died) and Halls Croft, where his family lived beyond his life.
“Stratford as a town is still unchanged, so you’d still be walking down the same streets as Shakespeare and his family did,” he added.
