The RSC and amateur actors from the region are to present A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Northern Stage from 16 to 26 March.
The amateurs, one group from Newcastle’s People’s Theatre and the other from the Castle Players in Barnard Castle in Co Durham, will play the roles of the Mechanicals when the production visits Northern Stage.
The performers from the Castle Players will be Peter Cockerel (Bottom, the Weaver), Andrew Stainthorpe (Flute, the Bellows Mender), Harry French (Quince, the Carpenter), Ian Kirkbride (Starveling, the Tailor), Ben Pearson (Snout, the Tinker) and Graham Fewell (Snug, the Joiner), while the People’s Theatre performers will be Pete McAndrew (Bottom), Michael (Reg) White (Flute), Jo Kelly (Quince), Mike Smith (Starveling), Stuart Douglas (Snout) and Gordon Russell (Snug).
Initially the People’s Theatre team rehearsed in their Heaton theatre with their own director Chris Heckels and Assistant Director Laura Halford-Macleod, while the Castle Players rehearsed at The Witham in Barnard Castle with Barnard Castle director, Jill Cole. The two groups then rehearsed with the RSC creative team, led by RSC Deputy Artistic Director, Erica Whyman (formerly Artistic Director of Northern Stage).
Also taking part as Titania’s fairy train are children from The Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Fenham and St Michael’s RC Primary School in Elswick.
Whyman said of the Castle Players, “we really loved working with The Castle Players and we were impressed by how much they each pushed themselves. Peter, in particular, found something very special and courageous in Bottom, and they really captured the importance of the working lives of the characters. They are a lovely ensemble and make a warm and loveable gang of Mechanicals.”
“The People’s Theatre,” she added, “are an experienced and very skilful group of actors representing the long and glittering history of amateur theatre-making in Newcastle. This group had an impressive command of the text that made them stand out. They are delightfully funny, with a wonderful understanding of what Shakespeare was up to. They are a lot of fun to work with.”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Play for the Nation visits 12 theatres in each region and nation of the UK between 17 February and 4 June 2016 and will involve 14 different amateur theatre companies. It opened in Stratford-upon-Avon at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in February and, after the tour, will return to Stratford in June, where each of the 14 amateur companies will reprise their roles on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage.