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Dateline: 2nd April, 2008
RSC Revives 2005 Dream Royal Shakespeare Company Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran is reviving his production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The production was originally staged in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in 2005, and this production will see him working in the RSC’s one thousand seat award winning temporary theatre for the very first time.
"It’s a great thrill to finally get into The Courtyard Theatre", says Doran of his Courtyard debut. "It’s a whole new box of tricks to play with."
Designer Francis O’Connor has taken inspiration from Stephen Brimson-Lewis’ designs for the original Royal Shakespeare Theatre production, and come up with a magical setting for The Courtyard’s distinctive thrust stage.
Gregory Doran will be keeping certain elements of the original production, and taking the opportunity to change things and look at the production afresh:
"It will be a different production. It’s a different company, with the exception of Joe Dixon who played Oberon last time and is now playing Bottom. I believe that actors always define what a play is. There are certain things I don’t want to change, and there are some things I will change."
Playing Oberon in this production is Peter de Jersey, whose previous work for the company includes Evander in A New Way to Please You, Antiochus in Believe What you Will and Macro in Sejanus. Andrea Harris, who plays Titania, recently played Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird for West Yorkshire Playhouse and Birmingham Rep.
Mark Hadfield also makes a welcome return to the RSC to play Puck. His last role for the company was as Chaucer in Gregory Doran’s production of The Canterbury Tales in the Swan Theatre and on tour.
Playing the young lovers are Tom Davey (Lysander), Edward Bennett (Demetrius), Kathryn Drysdale (Helena) and Natalie Walter (Helena).
Tom Davey performed in the RSC’s productions of The Comedy of Errors (UK tour) and Twelfth Night last year. Edward Bennett, who makes his RSC debut with this production recently played Roderigo in Michael Grandage’s Othello at the Donmar Warehouse with Chiwetal Ejiofor and Ewan McGregor.
Kathryn Drysdale is probably best known for her role as the dizzy Louise in the BBC sitcom, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. She also appeared in the films St Trinians and Vanity Fair, and her stage credits include Catch for the Royal Court Theatre. Natalie Walter played Carolyn in two series of Babes in the Wood for ITV, Molly in Harry Enfield and Chums and her stage work includes As You Like It for the Peter Hall Company. Joining Joe Dixon as the mechanicals are Ricky Champ as Snout, Ewen Cummins as Snug, Ryan Gage as Flute, Jim Hooper as Starveling and Roderick Smith as Quince.
Also in the cast are: David Ajala (Cobweb) Sam Alexander (Philostrate) and Robert Curtis (Theseus) and Keith Osborn (Egeus). Samuel Dutton who was one of the puppeteers on Fantastic Mr Fox, which played in Stratford’s Civic Hall over Christmas, returns as a puppeteer and to play Mustardseed. Riann Steele plays Hippolyta and Zoe Thorne makes her RSC debut as Moth.
Mariah Gale, who plays First Fairy, played Miranda in Rupert Goold’s The Tempest, Portia in Sean Holmes’ Julius Caesar and Octavia in Gregory Doran’s Antony and Cleopatra during the RSC’s Complete Works Festival in 2006. Jim Hooper’s extensive theatre credits include The Revenger’s Tragedy, Cymbeline and The Taming of the Shrew in 1990/1 for the RSC and The Changeling for Cheek by Jowl in 2006.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is designed by Francis O’Connor, lighting is by Tim Mitchell, music by Paul Englishby (who has collaborated with Doran on various projects including The Taming of the Shrew, The Tamer Tamed and Merry Wives The Musical), sound is by Martin Slavin and Jeremy Dunn, movement is by Michael Ashcroft and fights by Terry King.
Gregory Doran will be directing members of this same company in Hamlet and Love’s Labour’s Lost later this season. Full casting details for these productions will be announced soon.
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