A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens at Noosa Arts Theatre on 27 July for a two week season. It is one of Shakespeare’s most beloved and clever comedies. It weaves together three stories of love, mischief and magic in a moonlit forest on a midsummer night. The course of true love becomes rather bumpy for the criss-crossed and double crossing lovers who run away from home and straight into trouble. Manipulating fairies battle in the treetops and an amateur dramatics troupe gets more than they bargained for in their leading man. Turning more than 40 Sunshine Coast residents into mythological characters, fairies, elves, eloping lovers, domineering parents, Ancient Greek tradesmen, servants, musicians and courtiers, all able to evoke the magic of Shakespearean language, is a task most directors would politely turn down. However Eumundi’s, Eileen Walder, relished the challenge of bringing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, to a new generation of actors and audiences. Born in Warwickshire and a former Drama and English teacher, Eileen believes people are only put-off Shakespeare by poor teachers who treated his plays as boring, incomprehensible and outdated. Shakespeare’s plays were always spectacles combining music, singing and dance along with lavish costumes and numerous sight gags to offset the serious passages. This production stays true to the original with the same blend of Ancient Greece mixed with down to earth Elizabethan humour. Set in Ancient Athens the cast wear around 60 incredible costumes, designed by Synda Turnbull with Wardrobe Mistress Margaret Courtney, to create the atmosphere but there is also a traditional Elizabethan madrigal and courtly dance. However a major highlight is the magical music especially composed for this production by local musician Andrew Healey, choreographed by Brigette Kay. This production again features many newcomers to Noosa Arts Theatre, along with several popular actors and even several family groups. Among the cast are Crizanne Bracken (Hermia), Chelsea Wallis (Helena), Jordan Fraser (Demetrius), James Andrew (Lysander), Summer Bowan (Titania), Stephen Hamacek (Oberon), John Moffat (Puck), Sean McBride (Theseus), Sharon Ward (Hippolyta), Rex Halverson (Egeus), John Woodlock (Quince) and the ever versatile Stephen Moore as Bottom Performances are on July 27, 28, 29, 30, Aug 3, 4, 5, and 6, at 7.30pm: July 31 at 2pm. Tickets are Adults $26, Concession $22 or $20 groups of 10+. Student groups of 10+ are just $15 with one free teacher on July 28, August 3 and 4 only. Book at Theatre box office 9am to noon, phone 54499343 or online at www.noosaartstheatre.org.au