A Midsummer night’s dream
“The course of true love never did run smooth”
The course of creating live theatre has been a tad bumpy. Could we manage to do a production again in these Covid times? Our last production had to be Live Streamed from the Drama Studio: last year’s Junior Production of Adrian Mole turned from a theatre production into a feature length film. The odds have been stacked against us. The weather is our final barrier.
Come rain or shine, we have taught the students about how to reinvent and reinterpret Shakespeare. Ian McKellen is currently playing Hamlet in a gender-blind, age-blind production at Windsor. He is 82 years old and reinventing the role.
“I don’t think people should bother to read Shakespeare. They should see him in the theatre.” said McKellen. Anthony Hopkins, who has just won an Oscar for his performance in The Father disagrees: “Read Shakespeare. It’s about getting a knowledge of civilisation, a knowledge of how humans think.”
What everyone has in common is the desire to ensure that future generations will value Shakespeare as much as their predecessors have. Shakespeare is robust enough to withstand any number of new interpretations. The world of the play is its cultural and historical context as well as the characters' situation and relationships. Old plays can be reinterpreted and their time and setting changed.
The cast themselves have been instrumental in setting the agenda for this version of the play. Thus, the Elizabethan Court in Athens becomes a school and the Wood becomes a cool place to hang out at night and escape the madness of the day.
Want more Dream? Why not go to The Globe this summer?
Cast and Crew
The Athenian Academy of Excellence
THE GROWN UPS
Theseus Fergus Wotton
Hippolyta Shreya Kirubakaran
Philostrate Leila Baker
Mrs Egeus Elizabeth Sears
Mr Egeus Tom Clarke
THE STAFF
Head of PE Ruby Rollason
Head of Maths Krishna Kamalakannan
Head of MFL Gabriella Shukla
THE PUPILS
Head Boy/Oberon Billy Radford
Head Girl/Titania Hannah Brewer
Senior Prefect/Puck Savannah Nsofor
Helena Sofiya Davis
Hermia Sabina Webb
Lysander Alexandra Coupland
Demetrius Daniel Davey
CACOPHYNY CHOIR AND TITANIA WOOD GANG
Peaseblossom Edie Whittam
Cobweb Katherine Kiteley
Moth Maebh Gibbs
Mustardseed Isabella Quayle
Luna Ruth Charlton
Roma Alexandra Harrison
Atlas Yerin Heo
THE MECHANICALS
Quince Harry Harcourt
Bottom Erinn Curnow-Baker
Flute Sebastian Hulme
Starveling Evie Rotherham
Snout Niamh Maddick
Snug Diya Patel
Stewart Aydin Barker
Compliance Ada Silva Akkya
Basil Oliver Sproston
Quercus Olivia Harris
Sniffle Caitlin Hill
Lolly Imogen O’Donnell
PUCK GANG
Jasmine Doherty
Claudia Shaw
Ella Bates
Ella Westley
Isabelle Shelley
Pepper Jessop
Anastassia Lempidaki
OBERON GANG
Henry Helm
Toby Street
Artie Hoskins
Sam Whitton
Harry Hutson
Zac Ford
Oliver Burton
Louie Lemon
Creative Team
Musical Director
Bronwen Roberts
Assistant Director
Sarah Pearson Lukas Carlen
DSM
Jasmine Wills
ASM
Jacob Ciuchini
Marketing/Video Editing
Amika Sanun Orla McNally Ryan Attfield
Photography
Daisy Fulcher
Choreography/Movement
Sylvie Eustace Jessica Smith
Lighting & Sound
Hugo Rees Harixsan Kamalasiri
Costume, Hair & Make-up Team
Elise Whiteley Olivia Ostrowska Kate Morten Scarlett Greenall
Music/Band
Orla McNally Isabelle Shelley
Set and Props
Advait Sharma Jessica Smith Ella Horne Harry Julian
ASM
Gabriella Jackson Garcia Harry Julian Alice Skinner
FRONT OF HOUSE TEAM
Alice Skinner Georgina Winters Scarlett Greenall Alice Williams
Eleanor Brown Sajuthan Sathees Sophie Sharma
THANKS TO:
Ryan Nicholls for events managing, risk assessing and site set-up plus all the sound and lighting design advice
Rosie Bottomley for all her support providing costumes and helping students look and feel great
Hugh Edwards for helping with the comedy
Dannie Harris for polishing some dance bits and vocal coaching
Bex Erratt for set and prop creative additions
Steve Fairclough and Caretaking Team for all their help with rehearsal lock-up and solving problems when we had to call the fire brigade
Parents – for listening to lines and providing transport
Staff who volunteer to work backstage and support the department
Linda Stephens for always being there
The football scheduling gods for arranging a 5pm kick-off against The Germans on a show night (we’ve mentioned it once but I think we’ve got away with it)
The Weather – for being kind (delete this if we are rained off)
All the students for being so good about rehearing under Covid restrictions
The Catering Team for organising food for the cast to sustain energy
Simon Collins for being super helpful
Jane and the family for giving up peace and quiet in their home