Theatre grouop takes Shakespeare to open-air festivals
A British theatre company has planned a season of midsummer madness at outdoor festivals across Ireland this summer.
Chapterhouse Theatre Company will hit several arts events across the country with its open-air production of William Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Producer Richard Main said: “We feel very fortunate to be able to bring our production to such wonderful new settings.”
The company is taking the 400-year-old fairytale play to eight locations across the Republic and Northern Ireland during July.
It will kick off the season on July 5 at Boyle Arts Festival in Co Roscommon, before moving to play Muckross House, overlooking the famous lakes, at the Killarney Summerfest in Co Kerry on July 7.
It will also play at the 18th century Dublin National Botanical Gardens on July 8, Belvedere House Gardens and Park, Mullingar in Co Westmeath, on July 9 and Avondale House & Forest Park in Co Wicklow on July 10.
The company, which has been touring the UK for six seasons, will perform for the first time in Northern Ireland at Castle Leslie Estate in Co Monaghan on July 12 and 14, then Co Antrim’s Marine Gardens on July 15 and Letterkenny Town Park in Co Donegal as part of the Earagail Arts Festival on July 16.
Mr Main said: “Last year alone we performed at over 150 of the country’s most beautiful houses, in gardens where audiences arrive early in the evening to picnic among friends and family and then sit back to enjoy one of these wonderful plays.”
The producer said the company had chosen to perform a season of Shakespeare’s most popular plays under the theme of relationships.
He said: “From young and eternal love in Romeo and Juliet, the machinations of destructive passion in Macbeth, the hilarious and beautiful mismatches and eventual resolutions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the equally strong humour with an added edge of The Taming Of The Shrew.”
Some of the cast includes Sarah Henson, who will play Helena, and previously starred in Macbeth for the Black Cat Theatre Company and in the film The Pale Man.
Hamble Padden, who has played Maria in Twelfth Night for Catford Broadway and Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing in Greenwich Park, will join the cast.
Sarah Blackman will also star in the production, while Peter Hepworth will play Demetrius.
“The shows are beautifully dressed in period costume, are performed by a large cast and all have music especially composed for the performance with verse set to song, all providing an added atmosphere for these great plays,” the producer said.
