A touch of Shakespeare for Welshpool

 

But Montgomery Youth Theatre has solved the problem by shunning the theatres and taking the play into the woods.

 

Its production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed at the wooded enclaves of The Wilderness in Powis Castle’s gardens this weekend, and is set to be an accurate recreation after members spent time learning from the best at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) at Stratford-on-Avon last month.

 

“The play is written to suit somewhere like the Wilderness as each location fits the scenes,” said Penny Jones director of Montgomery Youth Theatre.

 

The performances will be processional, set in three different locations in the Wilderness, and each performance will last approximately 45 minutes. There will be two performances on each day beginning at 12pm and 3pm, and there will be no additional charge to watch, although the usual National Trust admission price to the gardens will apply.

 

“The audience will follow the actors through the woodland from one scene to the next, yet the two furthest locations are only 300 yards apart,” explained Penny.

 

Moving a whole theatrical production into The Wilderness may suit the play but could present a raft of challenges to the teenage actors.

 

Penny said: “We’ve been working hard on helping them project their voices so they can be heard outside. But surprisingly in technical terms staging the play outside is a lot easier because there are no lights or electrics.

 

Even the thought of rain doesn’t deter the performers as Penny explained that the play was originally set in a storm so it would “still work well”.

 

 

For further information, contact Penny on 01938 554899.