A Midsummer Night’s Dream

As with all our Productions this was not just a show, it was an event!

After having over 3000 actors apply for the show we whittled it down to a cast of 10.

We had 2 weeks of rehearsal, 2 weeks of performances and played, in this our first season at Ripley, to over 2000 people.

Pre – Show entertainment ranged from music and magic to work with Knaresborough School Speech and Drama and our Charity, Henshaws College

(See more in our Education Section)

Our Slant

Bring your colleagues, family, and friends. Bring a picnic, chairs, rugs (warm clothing) and relax in the Castle’s beautiful gardens and grounds. Before most performances our strolling entertainers (anything from magicians and minstrels to musicians and jugglers) will be on hand to amaze and amuse you.

The show itself is brought to you by an exiting young company of actors who, using original live music, illusions and the wonderful setting of Ripley Castle, will create for you a spellbinding, all new production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

The “Promenade” style theatre you will be watching, which dates back to the 15th century, is usually used as a technique to bring the actor – audience relationship closer than in any other form of theatre. This enables us to make you, the audience, feel part of the action as we take you to five different “venues” in the Castle grounds. You do not need to know about the Lovers, Kings, Queens, Fairies, Robin Goodfellow, Bottom, Peter Quince, or any of the other plots or characters.

You will never have enjoyed Shakespeare so much!

Performance Schedule

Performances run from 9th – 26th June 2005

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Matinee	-	-	-	2pm	-	2pm	4pm
Evening	-	7pm	7pm	7pm	7pm	7pm	-

The Cast and Characters

Theseus, Duke of Athens – Derek Hagen
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus – Sarah Goddard
Egeus, Hermia’s father – Knight Mantell
Hermia, Egeus’s daughter, in love with Lysander – Hester Evans
Lysander, in Love with Hermia – Glyn Williams
Demetrius, suitor of Hermia – Tristan Beint
Helena, in love with Demetrius – Joanna Croll
Oberon, King of the Fairies – Derek Hagen
Titania, Queen of the Fairies – Sarah Goddard
Puck, alternatively known as Robin Goodfellow – Daniel Crossly
First Fairy – Joanna Croll
Peter Quince, a carpenter; Prologue in the interlude – Knight Mantell
Nick Bottom, a weaver; Pyramus in the interlude – Peter Stephens
Francis Flute, a bellows mender; Thisbie in the interlude – Glyn Williams
Tom Snout, a tinker; Wall in the interlude – Tristan Beint
Snug, a joiner; Lion in the interlude – Hester Evans
Robin Starveling, a tailor; Moonshine in the interlude – Geoff Hense

Producer – Liam Evans-Ford
Director – Stuart Harvey
Costume Designer – Hannah Gravestock
Company Stage Manager – Amy Southard
Original Live Music – Geoff Hense and the Cast
Illusions – Barry Jordain

For more please see

Photos and Reviews

Photos from our 2005 production of
A Midsummer Night's Dream

Not just a show - an event!
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