Starring Shakespearean role for Doncaster's Amy

it is all part of a series of special events to celebrate the women in Shakespeare's life and works.

Doncaster woman Amy will take up residence in Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Shottery, Stratford-upon-Avon,  to give first-hand insight into her life and tell of her romance and eventual marriage with William Shakespeare 436 years ago.

Anne and William tied the knot in November 1582. Anne, who was pregnant at the time, was aged 26 and her husband-to-be was just 18 years old and so would have required his parents' permission to marry.

Visitors will learn about Elizabethan life, including marriage traditions from that era and what life was like for a Tudor housewife, through Anne's personal testimony.

Amy, 22, recently graduated from the University of Leeds, where she studied Classical Literature and History. She works at Epworth's Old Rectory, the childhood home of John and Charles Wesley, who went on to develop the Methodist movement.

Amy said: "I am very much looking forward to bringing Anne Hathaway back to life. Anne played such a key part in William Shakespeare's life, and people travel from across the world to visit Stratford-upon-Avon.

"There will be a challenging element, because there have been a lot of theories put forward and speculation about what Anne was like, but with a lack of concrete historical evidence we will never really know.

"I want to make Anne accurate to the era in which she lived, so that visitors feel like they have met a real-life Elizabethan."

Other events will also take place across the historic Shakespeare Family Homes throughout November as part of Women and Shakespeare month. 

For details, see www.shakespeare.org.uk/events'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹