Description"Romance! Magic! Laughter!"
The Lane End Players have done many things over the years, a variety of different styles of plays but this is the first time a play by William Shakespeare has been produced by the LEP. An what better play to choose than the super popular comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. Director Bob Connor and his amazing team (managed by producers Inga Jens and Naomi Venables) bought this fan favourite to life in spectacular fashion. A very well directed and acted play, this truly was a success for the LEP and paved the way for upcoming 'blockbuster' productions that would be produced following on from this triumph. Cast THE MORTALS Theseus - Paul Brown Hippolyta - Libby Beck Egeus - Frank Brooks Lysander - Nigel Bacon Demetrius - Mark Stuart Hermia - Hilary Horne Helena - Catherine Everitt Philostrate - John Trett Other Lords and Ladies - Alison Edgley, Georgie Brooks, Carole Page, Sally Sugrue and Tom Everitt THE FAIRY KINGDOM Oberon - Dave Bowden Titania - Kath Gill Puck - Dan Sugrue Peaseblossom - Eve Berry Cobweb - Tracy Perkins Cobweb - Tish Marshall Moth - Judy Shepherd Mustardseed - Phillipa Lee Other Fairies - Amy Everitt and Faye Davey THE PLAYERS Peter Quince - Clive Lumbers Nick Bottom - Nick Wyse Francis Flute - Liam Bowden Tom Snout - Peter Stokes Robin Starveling - Mike Roscoe Snug - Phil Charlesworth "Elfin magic is captivating" (Bucks Free Press review by Archie Wilson) A Midsummer Night's Dream is about love, laughter and above all magic. Not matter what our ages, we're still all kids at heart and a bit of humorous sorcery can unfurrow even the darkest brow. As so it was last week at Lane End as the Players put on a millennium version of Shakespeare's fairy masterpiece. Set in no particular time (the play is a relevant today as "when Shakespeare put quill to paper" says director Bob Connor) the company allowed our imaginations to roam free and unfettered. Lysander and Demetrius, played by Nigel Bacon and Mark Stuart, were as lovestruck and bewildered as the parts called for, although Nigel needs to slow his speech a little if more Shakespeare is planned - we need to hear the Bard's wonderful language clearly. Hilary Horne playing Hermia was confident and assured and Catherine Everitt was simply splendid as the love-thwarted Helena. Oberon (Dave Bowden) exhibited the necessary streak of evil comic humour whilst Kath Gill was positively regal as the Fairy Queen Titania. Daniel Sugrue bounced athletically about the stage as the splendidly impish Puck and Titania's fairy helpers fawned mercilessly over their Queen and the hapless ass-headed Bottom. I always though the plum part in this play was this same Bottom - room for great characterisation here and Nick Wyse lapped it up. Exuberant, extrovert, red cheeked and infinitely cheeky, he had the audience in the palm of his hoof. I must mention the music; composed by Musical Director Mike Watson, it complemented the action on stage to perfection and gave a delightful elfish feel to the whole production. |
Author
William Shakespeare
DirectorBob Connor
Producers
Inga Jens and Naomi Venables
VenueLane End Village Hall
Church Road Lane End Bucks HP14 3JE (see map below) |
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