I think it is fair to say that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is Shakespeare’s most popular comedy. A play that has delighted audiences for over 400 years with such favourite characters and settings as the lovers quartet of Helena, Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius, the magical fairy land of Oberon, Titania and Puck and of course the amateur theatricals of Bottom, Quince and the rude mechanicals. One of the first questions for a director setting out on a new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is what is the meaning of the play? Is the whole thing a dream or perhaps a nightmare from which the protagonists eventually wake knowing the answers to their particular quandaries? Maybe this is a world created by Theseus who, in this version and in many productions of the play, doubles with the character of Oberon. Perhaps the necessity of having actors doubling was used for the intended effect of suggesting that they are in fact the same person. I lean towards this theory and have taken the decision to play the action as being orchestrated by Theseus/Oberon in a bid to solve the conflict within the story. I have chosen to place my version of The Dream in the late Victorian/early Edwardian era of the turn of the 20th century. Presented here is the world of Theseus and Hippolyta as a rather oppressive, upper class society with strict values and morals. This is contrasted with the much more Bohemian spirit of the forest; the forest being the place where the protagonists seek solace from the outside world. In the creation and realisation of the ‘other world’ I have taken some of my inspiration from Peter Pan author J. M. Barrie and the period in which he lived. Barrie, like Shakespeare, created an alternate world of the fantastical from the rather sober Victorian and Edwardian society he knew, taking us to a place where we could be free, away from our problems and our fears and a world where we didn’t have to grow up. This is the world of Shakespeare’s Dream. Having directed Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing for Chapterhouse in 2006 and 2007 respectively I am delighted to be given the chance to present this most magical of comedies in some of the most beautiful locations across the country.

Andrew McWilliam, Director

A Midsummer Night’s Dream 

Even those of you that have not read or seen a version of this famous work of ‘literary nonsense’ could probably name at least four or five characters from it. The Mad Hatter, The White Rabbit, The Queen of Hearts, The Mock Turtle and of course Alice herself are some examples. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is an enduring story that can appeal to all ages and generations, a story of breaking free from the society in which we live to explore an improbable fantasy world of our imagination. It has been suggested that the author based many of the characters on his friends (and enemies); my version of this classic story highlights the use of Alice’s imagination by having the people around her in the real world become the characters in her fantasy. This is realised through the use of simple props and costumes and through the imagination of both performers and audience alike. This is a magical tale for anyone who has ever wanted to escape or to use his or her imagination; even the author (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) himself used a pseudonym (Lewis Carroll) and became someone else to write it. This new production features all of the favourite characters and adventures and I hope you enjoy them all at whichever beautiful location you have chosen to see it.

Andrew McWilliam, Director

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Although some scholars have speculated that Shakespeare wrote portions of The Tempest at an earlier stage in his career, it is widely identified by most literary historians as the Bard's last stage piece. This makes it an exciting production for any company to work on; particularly as the final epilogue from the character Prospero is seen as Shakespeare’s bowing out from his work in the theatre;
Now my charms are all o’erthrown,
And what strength I have’s mine own,
Which is most faint…
As you from crimes would pardoned be,
Let your indulgence set me free.
It combines elements of tragedy (Prospero's revenge) with those of romance (the young lovers Miranda and Ferdinand), and also comedy (the drunken meeting between Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban). This production is set in the Regency era – a time of adventures at sea, conquests of islands to be part of the British colonies and grand romantic illusions, all of which are common themes in The Tempest. It is also a period of great literary works, such as Jane Austen and Sir Walter Scott, which focus on human relationships and a highly developed sense of social standing between the characters. In The Tempest there is a strong portrayal of status – from the King of Naples and Milan, down to the ‘servants’ Trinculo and Stephano. But there is another link to the Regency era – Shakespeare tackles the difficult issue of colonisation in this play with Prospero’s treatment of the native Caliban. Despite trying to educate and "westernise" him, in the end he decides to free him from his slavery and leave him to rule his own island. 

There are many visual treats in this play – the storm at the beginning of the story, the mystical, magical spirits on the island, and the marriage blessing with the gods Juno, Iris and Ceres. I have tried to incorporate all of these very theatrical elements into this production – which has sometimes been a challenge for open air theatre! However, it is these visual elements that stand The Tempest apart from the Bard’s other plays and make it an exciting production.  

Beck Gadsby, Director

The Tempest

The stories and myths surrounding the legend of King Arthur have fascinated people for centuries around the world. According to various medieval historians, Arthur led the defence of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. However, the details of King Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians. But the legend of this king and his knights has not died over 1,400 years, with 20th Century films such as Excalibur, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and most recently, King Arthur (2004) and The Last Legion (2007). When I began working on this new production I asked myself the question; why does the legend of this King and the Knights of the Round Table still continue to interest us today? It is clear that these old stories and fables have connections to many modern epic works of art – for instance, the quest for the holy grail and the other adventures of the knights could be equated to stories such as The Lord of the Rings, whilst Merlin and Excalibur appeal to our curiosity of magic and things divine. But I think it is more fundamental human qualities that appeal to us, and that is the camaraderie of the Knights of the Round Table – chivalrous, courageous, honest and adventurous. In essence, a group of friends who are a model for human behaviour in our modern society. But it is also a celebration of love, friendships and the triumph of good over evil. 

Beck Gadsby, Director

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

By Laura Turner

Sleeping Beauty is an ensemble storytelling piece set during World War Two that shows the characters using their imagination to escape the world outside. Using a variety of ‘found’ props and costumes from the garden and the dressing up box, they present their version of the story. Following the success I had with Goldilocks & Little Red Riding Hood in 2006 and Jack and the Beanstalk & Hansel and Gretel in 2007, I am delighted to have the chance to direct this new adaptation of this classic fairytale. So sit back and enjoy a story for all ages full of comedy, songs and the return of Milky-White!

Andrew McWilliam, Director

Sleeping Beauty

By Laura Turner

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