SHAKESPEARE came to Belper's newly renovated River Gardens for midsummer this year, with an outdoor performance inspired by the plot and characters of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Over four sunny evenings, Midsummer Magic mesmerised audiences with the story of Titania the fairy queen and Bottom the weaver, which unfurled in the rockeries and structures of the Edwardian gardens. Mischevious fairies re-awakened by the recent renovations led people from scene to scene, allowing them to explore areas of the gardens not always noticed by visitors.
The free performances by 1623 Theatre Company were fully booked every evening, and proved to be overwhelmingly successful. They were made possible by the support of Amber Valley Borough Council, Derbyshire County Council, the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site Partnership and the Friends of Belper River Gardens.
World Heritage Site Coordinator Adrian Farmer said: "It was wonderful to see the delighted faces of so many people as each performance gradually opened their eyes not only to the mischiefs of the fairies, but the beautiful hidden spaces to be found in the gardens.
"We've had 100% positive feedback from this event - it would be wonderful to think we could do this again. I'm very grateful to all the funders, and to 1623 for such an outstanding production - we were so lucky to have such an exceptional cast, who worked with the landscape in such extraordinary ways, and in Ben Spiller a director with such a fantastic eye for storytelling, through one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies, to create one of the most unique events in the garden's history."
The cast of Midsummer Magic were: Jonathon Levers (Cobweb); Nathan Masterson (Bottom); Amy Scott (Titania); Grace Scott (Mustardseed); Rebecca Sowter (Moth); and Oliver Tunstall (Peaseblossom). Costumes were by Pamela Keeling and Vivien Spiller, and music by Christopher Lydon. Stage manager was Nathan Masterson and the director was Ben Spiller.
