After a lifetime of reading books on chivalry, Don Quixote decides to embark on a quest of his own. Taking up a lance and sword, he sets out to become a wandering knight, defending the helpless and vanquishing the wicked. Hopelessly unprepared and increasingly losing his grip on reality, he travels across Spain accompanied by his faithful and equally ill-suited squire, each calamitous adventure widening the gap between reality and the romantic ideal of Quixote's books. Cervantes' comic novel is widely regarded as one of the foundation stones of modern fiction. James Fenton's stage adaptation ofDon Quixote marks the 400th anniversary of Cervantes' death. It premiered at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, with the Royal Shakespeare Company in March 2016. This playtext contains song lyrics by James Fenton. The music was composed by Grant Olding.