A Midsummer Night's Dream Written By William Shakespeare

Maybe your like

Written by William Shakespeare

Thurs 2nd March - Sat 4th March & Thurs 9th March - Sat 11th March 1978

Directed by Jaki Curtis

"The course of true love never did run smooth." - WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

previousproduction nextproduction author play bench production

AuthorWilliam Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

Shakespeare is considered by many to be the greatest playwright of all time and is possibly the most famous playwright in the English-speaking world. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he was also probably educated there however, very little is known of his early life. The next documented event in his life is his marriage in 1582 to Anne Hathaway. The couple had a daughter the following year and twins in 1585. Another gap followed (referred to by some scholars as 'the lost years') with Shakespeare only reappearing in London in 1592, when he was already working in the theatre.

Shakespeare's acting career was spent with the Lord Chamberlain's Company, which was renamed the King's Company in 1603 when James succeeded to the throne. The group acquired interests in two theatres in the Southwark area of London, near the banks of the Thames - the Globe and the Blackfriars.

Shakespeare's poetry was published before his plays, with two poems appearing in 1593 and 1594, dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton. Most of Shakespeare's sonnets (of which there were 154 in all) were probably written at this time as well. Records of Shakespeare's plays begin to appear in 1594 - the first of which was Richard III - and he produced roughly two a year until around 1611 making 37 in all. Shakespeare spent the last five years of his life in Stratford, and he was buried in the Holy Trinity Church there. The first collected edition of his works wasn't published until 1623, some 7 years after his death.

other plays we've staged by this author

PlayA Midsummer Night's Dream

Believed to have been written around 1595, A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies. The story follows four young Athenian lovers (Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius and Hermia), and the complications which arise when the object of a man's desire is betrothed to another. Hermia loves Lysander and Helena loves Demetrius, but Demetrius is supposed to be marrying Hermia. When the Duke of Athens tries to enforce the marriage, the lovers take refuge in the woods outside the city, and walk into the midst of a dispute between the king and queen of the fairies. But they are not alone. So too, does a group of amateur actors rehearsing a play. Between the angry fairies, the bumbling players and the dazed lovers, flies Puck armed with a love potion capable of making anyone fall for the first person they set eyes upon, no matter how unsuitable.

top of page

The Bench Production

This play was only the second production that Bench Theatre staged in their new home of the Havant Arts Centre (now known as The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre) in East Street, Havant. The conversion of the building from its former use as the Town Hall was an ongoing project at this time and the programme notes beg the audience's forbearance during the transition; "The conversion of the Council Chamber into a theatre continues apace and despite the obvious upheavals, the extra wear and tear on the participants, concerts, recitals and full-blooded productions are miraculously presented. We hope you will overlook the temporary inconvenience and enjoy our performance. As Quince says 'If we offend it is with our good will. That you should think we come not to offend but with good will. To show our simple skill, that is the true beginning of our end.'

Cast

Theseus	Tony Czapp
Egeus	Derek Cusdin
Lysander	Peter Holding
Demetrius	Robert Macgregor
Philostrate	Ray Osborne
Quince	Peter Duncan
Snug	David Spackman
Bottom	John Scadding
Flute	Paul Morris
Snout	Brian Sweatman
Starveling	Trevor Hare
Hippolyta	Jill Duncan
Hermia	Anne Brodrick
Helena	Nicola Fraser
Oberon	Spokey Wheeler
Titania	Jenny Jones
Puck	Jill Sawyer
First Fairy	Janet Simpson
Peaseblossom	Robbie Cattermole
Cobweb	Pat Woods
Mustardseed	Cindy Findon
Moth	Nicola Woods
Fairy	Katie Dodd
Fairy	Barbara Millington
Fairy	Allison Dorey

Crew

Director	Jaki Curtis
Stage Manager	Tim Mahoney
Lighting	Tony Terribile
Sound	Judith HatcombeIan Sinclair
Costumes	Eve MooreLisa Moon
Set	Peter Mahoney
Props	Mary Lowes
Make-up	David PenroseHeather Turnham
Hairdressing	Peter Mahoney
Art work & Make-up	Chris Shaw

Director's Notes

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is one of the small group of plays in which Shakespeare appears not to have depended upon already existing narrative material. In this, as in other respects, it is one of his most individual creations.

Jaki Curtis

top of page

Reviews

The News J.S.

Bottom Lifts The Bench

The Bench Theatre's 'Midsummer Night's Dream' in Havant is truly comic - mostly by design but sometimes unintentionally. At the Arts Centre, a small audience laughed uproariously, above all at the antics of John Scadding as Bottom and his crew of artisans. Far from being the tiresome clowning which can weary modern audiences, the Bench Theatre's mechanicals scenes are breathtakingly funny. The Bench's fairies are weird-featured and menacing, and full of the movement which is characteristic of this production. Producer Jaki Curtis's experience in the visual liveliness of the play. She has made full use of the Arts Centre's new stage and raised auditorium.

Titania and Oberon (Jenny Jones and Spokey Wheeler) have studied well the aggressive bickering of a couple who are fundamentally indivisible. Unfortunately the two pairs of Athenian lovers are less credible. At times their acting was not so different from that of the mechanicals, woodenly playing a Greek tragedy. It was a tendency of all four lovers to lay too much emphasis on unimportant words and phrases - to wrench out of simple lines agonised proclamations which were inappropriate.

The Bench Theatre added a line to its history last night - with no pleasure at all. Jill Sawyer, who should have played Puck, was too ill to appear, and Jaki Curtis took the role - reading the part. She managed quite splendidly to move with the vivacity she has passed on to the rest of the cast. Peter Mahoney designed the versatile set, which did much to create an atmosphere of summer on a wet and wintery night. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' will be played again tonight and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday next week

The News, 4th March 1978

top of page