1616: A Bad Year for Playwrights

There are two Shakespeare anniversaries looming: 450 years since his birth in 2014 and 400 since his death in 2016... but which to celebrate? We're just starting to plan a big programme of stuff in China. We favour the later date: it's a nice round number and gives us more time to plan. The Chinese prefer next year since they think it's a bit weird celebrating someone's death. A meeting with the National Centre for Performing Arts this morning was indicative of how things may go. We'll probably do both.
Interestingly, China's most celebrated playwright, Tang Xianzu, was an exact contemporary of Shakespeare and also died in 1616. And Cervantes (who died the day before Shakespeare). I feel a British-Chinese-Spanish conference might be in order...