Have A Surprising Midsummer Night’s Dream

Published on: 14 Jun, 2017
Updated on: 14 Jun, 2017

By Alice Fowler

Four young lovers lost in a wood, warring fairies and a group of hapless amateur actors… So far so familiar, you might think. But the Guildford Shakespeare Company’s new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream has some surprises in store.

For Athens, read Guildford: the Guildford of 1967, with the Summer of Love in full, anarchic swing. Promising a groovy Sixties soundtrack and retro costumes, the production also features Pirbright army barracks, the ‘new’ University of Surrey and the fictional ‘Dennis Factory Amateur Dramatic Society’.

For the first time, the GSC has chosen Rack’s Close, off Quarry Street, as its venue. With its multi-level grass banks and meandering paths, this former chalk quarry promises to be the perfect setting for an exuberant night to remember.

Matt Pinches is Bottom…

The play is directed by Lotte Wakeham, currently Associate Director with the RSC’s West End smash hit Matilda. GSC co-founder Sarah Gobran plays Titania and Hippolyta, while .

The production runs from 15 June to 1 July. The first Saturday matinee – 17 June, 2.30pm – has been designated as a Relaxed Performance, open to everyone and intended specifically for anyone who may benefit from a more relaxed environment, including autistic spectrum conditions, sensory and communication disorders or learning disabled people. Babes-in-arms and small children are also welcome.

The GSC’s summer season continues next month with The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the University of Law.

See www.guildfordshakespeare-company.co.uk for more information and to book.