A fundraising ‘Shakespeare-a-thon’ in Oxford saw fans of The Bard recite 37 plays in 12 hours.

The Creation Theatre Company called on Shakespeare lovers to read his works at Oxford Castle from 9am on Saturday, to help support the company.

More than 50 volunteers performed plays including Macbeth and Hamlet in front of passing shoppers and diners.

The theatre company is best known for its open air summer Shakespeare performances and its Christmas shows.

But last summer’s disappointing weather hit the company hard and it needs to raise funds to ensure its survival.

Erin Sanders, 11, of Ginge Close, Abingdon, said: “My mum and I read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and lots of people turned out to hear us read.”

The event marked Shakespeare’s 445th birthday.