35 years after their very first outdoor production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Holt Dramatic Society is performing that very same play this year on four nights from 10th to 13th September at The Courts Garden Arboretum in Holt.
It is believed that HDS were the first amateur company to stage an outdoor Shakespeare in this part of the world, which set the precedent for many others to follow suit.
Directed by Rachel Elsy ‘Dream’ is set in the Edwardian era this time around. This comedy play is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works for the stage and it features three interconnecting plots, connected by a celebration of the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazon Queen Hippolyta; the adventures of four young Athenian lovers; and a group of six amateur actors (mechanicals), all of whom are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set.
Regular followers of Holt Dramatic Society will recognise many a familiar face in the 20+ cast of very talented actors, both adults and children, including the older version of the 1979 Demetrius played by John Palmer who, 35 years later, is now playing the part of Oberon. Tickets are available from the Holt Superstore, next to the village hall, at £15 (£12 concessions) and online at www.holtdrama.org.uk.
The entrance will be through the gate at the Ham Green end of The Courts from 6.00pm onwards for access to picnic facilities, and the seating area will be available from 7.00pm on a first-come-first-serve basis.
