A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, with the timeless theme of love at its very centre. While the play is set in Ancient Greece and Shakespeare wrote it over 400 years ago, there are characters and situations to which we can all relate. Hermia’s love for Lysander is forbidden, and Helena’s love for Demetrius isn’t returned, while Demetrius is Hermia’s father’s choice of future son-in law. Then we come to the supernatural. Shakespeare lets his imagination run wild when he moves the action to fairy land in the Athenian wood. He draws upon Edmund Spenser’s verse The Faerie Queen and figure from English folklore as inspiration, but the interweaving of the plots between the young lovers, the troupe of actors rehearsing their play for the Duke’s wedding and the argument between Titania and Oberon is entirely his own invention. We are delighted to present a highly original Elizabethan play, set in Ancient Athens and performed for you now in 2007. Let Shakespeare whisk you away to his very own midsummer night’s dream.

Bec Gadsby

Once the action moves away from the ‘envious court’, ruled by the terrifying dictator Duke Frederick, As You Like It is a celebration of love. It was probably first performed as part of the festivities of an Elizabethan wedding; indeed, we even have a wedding of sorts in the play, when Rosalind instructs her cousin to perform a make-shift marriage ceremony. The play explores love in its many guises... Orlando’s romantic love for Rosalind, Adam’s paternal love for Orlando, Celia’s sisterly love for Rosalind, Oliver’s love-at-first-sight for Celia, Silvius’ unrequited love for Phebe, and even the jester Touchstone’s love for the sound of his own voice!. Shakespeare’s sparkling heroine Rosalind is at the play’s emotional and intellectual centre. She is well-read (she knows all about Hero and Leander, as well as other ancient lovers), intelligent (always one step ahead of Orlando!) and, most importantly, capable of loving so deeply that she finds a way of expressing her love for Orlando even while disguised as a boy! with so many kinds of love on offer in this brilliant play, Shakespeare has created a play as YOU like it!

Bec Gadsby

'Much Ado About Nothing’ is one of Shakespeare’s finest comedies presenting us with a rich variety of characters from the warring would-be lovers Beatrice and Benedick to the malevolence of Don John and through to the buffoonery of Dogberry and company. The title of the play could signify a number of meanings. Firstly the word ‘nothing’ would have been pronounced ‘noting’ in Shakespeare’s time, and ‘noting’ suggests eavesdropping or overhearing, of which there is plenty throughout the play. Secondly ‘nothing’ was also used as a sexual reference for the female with ‘something’ being a reference for the male. Thirdly ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ implies that in the end the events turn out to be no more than ‘a lot of fuss over very little’. At the opening of the play the soldiers are returning victorious from a war. But which war? I have taken the decision to set this play directly after the First World War of 1914-1918. I wanted the audience to identify with the period in which the play is set and this is one of the primary reasons for bringing the play into the 20th Century. It is unlikely that any audience members will have had direct experience of this war, but the period is still recognisable through music and dress and it is a time with which we can have some empathy. I chose not to set the play in the present day as I feel that the actions and attitudes of the characters would be different. For example a young girl of 2007 accused of adultery in front of her wedding congregation may react differently than a more subservient girl like Hero. In the recent ‘Much Ado’ as part of the BBC’s ‘Shakespeare Re-Told’ Hero and Claudio were not reunited at the end and she was unforgiving towards Claudio. The actions of Hero in Shakespeare are closer to a young girl in 1918 than one in 2007.I am delighted to have the opportunity to direct the summer 2007 production of the play for Chapterhouse Theatre Company. Last year I had a great success with the production of ‘Twelfth Night’ and this year’s show promises the same mix of comedy, music, song and the exquisite poetry of William Shakespeare. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is a play I know very well having directed the show previously and I relish the chance to present this sparkling comedy in some of the most beautiful open-air venues that Britain has to offer. 

Andrew McWilliam – May 2007

Welcome to our performance of Jack and the Beanstalk and Hansel and Gretel at whichever beautiful venue you have chosen to see it. This play is an ensemble storytelling piece that brings us into the lives of six children during World War Two and shows how they use their imagination to hide from the world outside. Using a variety of ‘found’ props and costumes from their dressing up box, they present their version of the stories. Having had a great success with Goldilocks and Little Red Riding Hood in 2006, I am delighted to have the chance to direct this new adaptation of the two classic fairytales. So sit back and enjoy a story for all ages full of comedy, song and a giant.

Andrew McWilliam – July 2007

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