The Dream Team

Christine Hughes as Hippolyta

Since late February The OD Project has been working on it's latest open-air Shakespeare production. After the success of Much Ado About Nothing in July 2013, we returned this year with more gusto than ever for a unique performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream, a play of mischievous fairies, confused lovers and rude mechanicals.
Lead by Debbie Glenn, rehearsals started in early spring, a mixture of old faces and new. The play was cast but we were missing a Puck (a rather vital character) and Philostrate, an attendant to Duke Theseus.
Three auditioned for the playful Robin Goodfellow, veteran Tom Evans (aged 15), and newcomers Katy Bird and Shaun Higgins. The part was given to Mr Higgins, Tom taking the role of the bumbling Philostrate and Katy becoming lead fairy.
We were cast, rehearsals began with vim and vigour, there was lots of jumping, magic glowing fingers and giggles. Then two people had to drop out for unavoidable reasons, leaving places for Lysander, one of the four lovers and Bottom a rather vital mechanical who suffers from Titania's affections. It seemed that wherever we turned we were losing cast members, at no one's fault, but we needed to replace them and quick for the upcoming performances in July.

From lft to rght: Rhys Davies, Nick Chesters as Bottom, Larry
Collins as Peter Quince, Sander Van der Horst as Oberon,
April Ryder as Titania

Morgan Buswell and Nick Chesters stepped up to the roles respectively and rehearsals continued, helping our newcomers settle in as much as possible.
As the Stage Manager I got to work tea staining paper and gluing ribbon to make scrolls. I had meetings with Mark Evans, our brilliant set designer who made pillars turn into trees and Rosie my fellow Stage Manager who had somehow been put in charge of the costumes (and a mighty good job she did of it too!).
Rehearsals seem to go on forever. This year was a six month period, the year before was a staggering ten months. As always we seem to have all the time in the world, until suddenly it's on us and there is so much to do. Fairies need fairy lights, the marquee needs to be erected, costumes need to be altered. The list is never ending.

Tom Evans as Philostrate, Harry Ford as Flute, Rhys
Davies

Our first rehearsals as The Vaults (a fantastic pub in the heart of Oswestry with a beautiful performing space) always gives the cast a burst of energy. Being outside in the summer weather with everything coming together, costumes finally being completed, set pieces starting to arrive makes us realise how close we are to opening night.
We hired several costumes from the Royal Shakespeare Company and they were picked up on the Friday before the week of performance. Thankfully we received them early as several of them were in states of disrepair and despite us giving accurate measurements they didn't all fit properly. Out of all the costumes, only two needed no alteration or required the removal of a few ribs.
On Sunday a technical rehearsal at Chirk Castle (our first and only rehearsal) really put everything in perspective. It's a beautiful location, but it is huge. In comparison The Vaults is intimate.

Gabriella Edge as a fairy

Dress Rehearsal came and went with the only hitch being Puck misplacing his costume. As the character is bare chested a pair of trousers was all that was required and could be supplied. This time around Dress Rehearsal felt like opening night, so by the next morning I felt relaxed and ready to crack on with a show that I knew was going to be a hit.
Cast members started to arrive around six thirty. I'd been there for a few hours setting up and adding the finishing touches. Then came the news that no amateur dramatic company wants to hear. Someone was sick. Ian Collings played Starveling, a small role that he had really made his own. But looking like he belonged in The Simpsons he was sent home with orders to rest and our musical director Michael Jenkins stepped in. By Wednesday night he looked less yellow, more cream and rejoined the cast for two more successful performances at The Vaults. Each night our audience seemed to grow in size. Our Thursday audience definitely laughed the most and for the actors to hear the reaction it put a spring in their step.

Elly Clark as a fairy

Friday came with a change of location. So we packed up our pillars, trees, balloons and fairy bower and made our way to Chirk Castle. The heat was blistering and setting up a marquee in the midday sun was torture. At this stage we were unsure of numbers. Malcolm Lord, who was selling tickets to the cast had only sold four. I went home for a shower and a change of clothes and by the time I had returned to the wonderful Chirk Castle, the place was filling up. After a rousing speech from Debbie we put on a brilliant show, with no issues and an audience of more than a hundred. Roll on the last night!
All week, as an open-air production, we had been watching the weather forecast. A storm was coming. From friends on Facebook that still live in Sussex I had seen magnificent pictures of the sky filled with lightening. But that meant at some point it had to reach us.
During the day it had been raining on and off, but as the evening came round the sun came out and we all remained cautiously optimistic. We prepared for the worst with pac-a-macs and umbrellas at the ready, but hoped for the best. The first half of the performance went off without a hitch. The sky looked a bit darker but no sign of adverse weather yet. Then after the interval spots of rain began to appear, thunder rumbled and the sky lit up. I huddled under the tent, counting with the cast to work out how far away the storm was while the poor lovers were 'asleep' in the middle of the stage getting completely soaked. The worst thing was that with the pummelling rain I couldn't hear the cues for the actors or set changes. In the end I abandoned my script and the tent and went to stand by the hedge. Once I'd gotten over the fact that I was going to get soaked I just didn't care! But miraculously, despite the raging storm, the audience stayed. They were nearing two hundred and a few people sneaked off, but most stayed until the bitter end with us. As soon as the play came to an end, the rain eased up and stopped and the actors took great joy in adding in weather related lines.
So another successful year, working with a group of people that make everything so much fun, even in stressed and weather torn conditions. I can't wait until next year, when it all starts again. There are readings in September and October for the four plays under consideration as our next production.
If you wish to be a part in the OD Project, please don't hesitate to contact me.

'So, good night unto you all, / Give me your hands, if we be friends, / And Robin shall restore amends.'