~ Previous Productions ~

2004 - King Lear

2006 - The Merchant of Venice

2005 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Hatherop Castle

 

Potential directors who wish to direct a production for Cotswold Arcadians are always asked to present their ideas and format to a meeting of the members, who then vote to select their preference of Production and Director.

 

When David Sherratt presented his idea of a semi-promenade production of A Midsummer Night's Dream moving the audience from Athens, represented by the North face of the Mansion, to the forest amongst the trees in the grounds, the membership were enthusiastic, whilst some members of the Committee were doubtful about logistics. In the event, the audiences, led by a medieval bagpiper, enthusiastically embraced the concept, uprooting themselves willingly from the comfort of the covered stands to return to Athens led by flaming torches. Mercifully, it never rained!

 

 

Auditions proved popular and very competitive. The Director chose four teenagers as the lovers, Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia and Helena. A risk? Certainly ― but each rose to the challenge competitively, and their energy and vigour swept the audiences along. Gravitas came with Titania and Oberon whose sophisticated quarrellings and storms acted as a foil to the noisy youngsters. Fortunately, the Cotswold Arcadians have solid, experienced comedy players, and Bottom and the Mechanicals proved their worth; even when their cart collapsed on the opening night they absorbed it into their tomfoolery.

 

Sadly, Bottom's donkey cart did not appear ― the narrow Cotswold lanes on the route home proved too dangerous for a horse-box.

 

Children infested the scenes as energetic sprites, two danced memorably for Titania and earned plaudits from their audiences even when their music failed. Puck enchanted his audiences not least because of his tremendous energy and acrobatic cavorting ― without even being short of breath.

 

Green painted 'fairies', dishevelled lovers and all comes right in the end, even when an old lady from the audience, carrying a plastic bag, walked right across the stage during the reconciliation scene. Our four, undaunted, played on like true professionals.

 

A Midsummer Night's Dream, in spite of Pepys's condemnation "the most insipid, ridiculous play that I ever saw" remains one of Shakespeare's most popular plays and the 2005 audiences went away gratified, charmed, and cheerful. Even the Director expressed himself pleased!