The Good Life; Issue Dated March 20, 2006.

Byline: Raina Kelley and Michelle Jana Chan (by Emily Flynn Vencat by Sana Butler by Lauren Mack by Tara Weingarten)

Travel: The Play's the Thing

By Raina Kelley and Michelle Jana Chan

All the world may be a stage, but many of this year's best productions will be mounted in Stratford on Avon this spring. England's Royal Shakespeare Company is launching the "Complete Works" festival in the Bard's hometown. Starting April 23 (Will's birthday), the yearlong festival will feature--for the first time--all 37 of Shakespeare's plays and all his poems. The RSC's many theaters, as well as the surrounding streets, will be filled more than usual with all things Shakespeare, including a free outdoor film festival and a concert of the sonnets set to music by artists like Natalie Merchant. The RSC is staging 23 of the productions, while companies from as far afield as India, Japan and South Africa will contribute 30 more. Our picks: "The Tempest," starring Patrick Stewart; Ian McKellen in "King Lear"; "The Baghdad Richard" featuring an Arabic cast, and a musical, "The Merry Wives of Windsor," starring Judi Dench. Buy tickets at rsc?coompleteworks.co.uk ; prices range from $9 for standing room to $95.

Stratford-on-Avon, a medieval market town northwest of London, is a lovely place to spend a few days. Check into the recently refurbished Shake-speare Hotel, dating back to 1637 (from $240; macdonald hotels.co.uk ). Or splurge at the sprawling Menzies Welcombe country-house hotel (from $450; www.menzieshotels.co.uk ). Eat hearty pub food at the legendary Dirty Ducky, where Laurence Olivier hung out. Or try the stylish new Oscar's Cafe for traditional fare with a modern twist, like grilled sea bass with fennel salad. But as King Lear said, "Nothing comes from nothing," so start planning now.

The Beacon: Dublin, Ireland

For anyone who still needs proof that the Emerald Isle is no longer all pubs and pints of Guinness, this chic new hotel in Dublin's burgeoning Sandyford business district (25 minutes by tram from the city center) will do the trick to perfection.