Gregory Doran makes Courtyard Theatre debut with A Midsummer Night's Dream
02 April 2008
Royal Shakespeare Company Chief Associate Director, Gregory Doran is reviving his hugely successful 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 Gregory working in the RSC’s 1,000 seat award-winning temporary theatre for the very first time.
‘It’s a great thrill to finally get into The Courtyard Theatre, says Doran on 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’ original 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: His Fall. 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 (Hermia) 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 Trinian's 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.
Further information
The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Plays in repertoire from 9 May – 13 November 2008
Press Night: Thursday 15 May, 7pm
Box Office 0844 800 1110, www.rsc.org.uk
For more information please contact Nada Zakula in the RSC Press Office on 01789 412622 or nada.zakula@rsc.org.uk
For regional enquiries and press tickets please contact Dean Asker on 01789 412660 or dean.asker@rsc.org.uk
A publicity image for A Midsummer Night’s Dream is available on www.epo-online.com. Production images will be available from 12 May 2008. Rehearsal images will be available on request from mid-April.
Notes to Editors:
Local connections:
Robert Curtis was born in Nuneaton
Jim Hooper was born in Bilston, near Wolverhampton
Edward Bennett was born in Worcester
Joe Dixon and Roderick Smith were born in Birmingham
Date of issue: Wednesday 2 April 2008
