Outdoor Shakespeare is a Dream!

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2 Outdoor Shakespeare is a Dream! Award winning MATE Productions (Best of Liverpool Theatre s 2012, Knowsley Artistic Group of the Year 2014) in partnership with Shakespeare North and the RSC Open Stages programme present this spectacular promenade outdoor production, premiering in the beautiful 15th century church and woodland gardens of Prescot Parish Church, and touring woodlands and community gardens across Knowsley, Liverpool and Stratford Upon Avon between May - August Over 100 local community actors, dancers, musicians, singers, sewers, crafters and volunteers aged 8 80 years have been working for the past 7 months with Artistic Director and Producer Gaynor La Rocca and MATE Productions team of professional practitioners including; Designer Adele Hayter, winner of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse design prize 2014, Musical Directors and Composers Aimee and Taran Harris, Choreographers Alan Pugh and Rachael Farrell and guest practitioners from the Royal Shakespeare Company, to create this magical outdoor promenade performance of Shakespeare s most loved comedy. Live musicians and singers, fairy dancers, stunning design and a talented local cast present to you this magical, unique and family-friendly production.

3 The Story... The King and Queen of Fairyland are having a furious row, as two pairs of star crossed lovers find themselves lost in a magical woodland where naughty sprites toy with hapless humans. A group of amateur actors are also in the forest rehearsing a play for the Duke s wedding day, watched by a wicked and mischievous Puck. Mishaps, love drugs and confusion as a Bottom is transformed, the Fairy Queen falls madly in love with a donkey, the lovers all love the wrong person and things get pretty dirty amongst the trees DATES & VENUES Sat 30th May pm and 7.30pm Sun 31st May pm & 7.30pm Sat 6th June pm Prescot Parish Church woodland gardens Sunday 21st June pm & 7.30pm St Nicholas Church gardens, Halewood Sat 11th July - 2pm & 6.30pm Calderstones Mansion House, Calderstones Park, Sunday 2nd August 12pm The Dell at the RSC in Stratford Upon Avon Sunday 9th August - 3pm Woodlands Rest Home gardens, Netherley

4 MATE Productions is a Knowsley based community arts organisation led by Artistic Director Gaynor La Rocca and a team of creative professionals. MATE uses the mediums of theatre, film, dance, storytelling and music to engage with communities and young people across Merseyside and has a reputation for staging exciting high quality productions in a wide range of genres in theatres, community venues and festivals, and spectacular site specific work in parks and woodlands, on boats, canals and in dockland warehouses, in great halls, museums and libraries, as well as socially important work in local community venues such as pubs, community centres, nursing homes and schools. MATE Productions operates several different strands, including: MATE Ensemble the community company open to all ages, MATE Young Actors for aspiring young actors aged 15-24, MATE Kidz creative workshops for 5 14 year olds. MATE Productions is now based in the Shakespeare North Community Arts Base in Prescot and is working in partnership with Shakespeare North to deliver a 4 year community engagement programme beginning this summer with our co-production of A Midsummer Night s Dream ; a three-way partnership with the RSC Open Stages Programme. For information about projects and how to get involved with MATE Productions (and the Shakespeare North community programme), check out our website: co.uk, admin@mateproductions.co.uk, telephone or follow MATE Productions on Facebook and Twitter.

5 Shakespeare North is an exciting, artistic and educationally important vision for the North West. The Shakespeare North Trust intends to celebrate the Elizabethan heritage of Knowsley by rebuilding The Playhouse in Prescot where, over four hundred years ago, as the only purpose-built playhouse outside London, Elizabethan drama was enjoyed by the people of this region. The Playhouse will have at its core an International University College, the first of its kind in the world focusing on Shakespearean performance practice. Shakespeare North aims to make Knowsley once again a place where actors, writers, artists, students and young people will be able to study and practise the plays of Shakespeare; place which will attract scholars, students and visitors from all over the world. The Trust aims to raise 15 million to build the theatre and this unique International University College. Generous donations and lottery funding have enabled an investment of 250,000 in the project so far. The architectural plans for The Playhouse are well advanced and feasibility studies and consultations with regional authorities, industry, schools, the theatre world and the community have taken place. If you can help us to raise the funds to enable this project to take the next steps please contact thetreasurer@ shakespearenorth.org or telephone: For more information go to

6 CAST Puck Rachael Reason Oberon / Theseus Jake Ryan Titania / Hippolyta Carmel Skelly Cobweb Vera Farrell Hermia Robyn La Rocca Lysander Carl James Fowler Helena Kirsty Taylor Demetrius Craig Sharkey Nick Bottom Francesco La Rocca Rev Peter Quince Chris Douglas / Eryl Lloyd Parry Francis Flute Kieran Hoare / Conor Burns Snug / Egeus Mike Mackenzie Tom Snout Peter Bromilow Robin Starveling Patrizia Palombella Hart DANCING FAIRIES / SPRITES Kelsey Hopley, Eliza Dolan, Nancy Dolan, Molly Welsh, Beth Cullen, Hollie Bryan, Millie Greenop, Ebony Woods, Megan Jones, Sophie Mae Howden, Faye Kirwan, Lillie Brown, Lili Roberts, Gemma Wade, Molly Gerrard. MUSICIANS Aimee Harris, Taran Harris, Emma Spike, Sean Sweeney, Dave Unsworth, James Welsh, Nathan Bates, Anastasia Gibson PRODUCTION STAFF Director / Producer Gaynor La Rocca Musical Directors Aimee Harris and Taran Harris Choreographers Alan Pugh and Rachael Farrell Set and props design Adele Hayter Costumes Joan Crail Media and photography Jake Ryan Education workshops Adele Hayter, Gaynor La Rocca, Carl James Fowler Event Management Gaynor La Rocca & Iain Watret Stage Management Adele Hayter & Gaynor La Rocca Event/Stage Management Support Francesco La Rocca, Carmel Skelly, Chris Douglas, Iain Watret Backstage Team The Company PRODUCTION VOLUNTEERS Anastasia Gibson, Shellby Hamer, Michelle Kirby, Chloe Sutton, Aimee Mullin, Moyra Edwards, Barbara Percy, Janet Sharp, Mercedez Bates-Lee, Beccy Lee, Nicola Hayter, Alan Hayter, Sarah Renshall, Emma Owens, Lucy Owens, Jim Sharp, Rita Sharp, Rose Unsworth, Terry Wright, Conor Grove, Sharon Clarke, Phil Sephton.

7 Community Engagement Community engagement has included an exciting programme of arts and craft workshops in local schools and with local community groups - making dream catchers, set, props and fairy bunting to hang on the trees and transform the woodlands into a midsummer s fairyland. Singing workshops with elderly people from Woodlands Rest Home helped them to engage with the production, and families have been encouraged to bring their children to performances dressed as flower fairies or naughty sprites to help them to feel a part of fairyland. Helping Kaley After each performance the company will be collecting for Kaley Fitzsimmons (cousin to the actress playing Puck in our production) - a brave young woman who needs your help. In 2014, after giving birth to her daughter, Kaley began experiencing pain in her hip. In February this year, she was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer (osteosarcoma). Chemotherapy only allowed the tumour to double in size, and surgery was the only option. Kaley has recently had surgery to remove her leg, hip, and most of her groin. All money raised will go toward Kaley s prosthetic limb and wheelchair to enable her a healthy and happy life with her daughter after cancer. Please give generously.

8 Thank You A huge thank you from MATE Productions and Shakespeare North to our volunteers and partner organisations for all their help and support gardening, sewing, making, marketing, selling tickets, stewarding, face-painting and providing refreshments and venues. A special thanks to Canon John Taylor from Prescot Parish Church for kindly loaning us his stunning woodland gardens, church and parish centre for rehearsals and performances over the past 6 months we couldn t be more grateful. And to all the staff and volunteers connected to the church and parish centre for their help and support - especially Norine who has been an absolute star! Another big thank you to the Friends of Prescot Cemetery and Churchyard - their stellar gardening skills transformed an overgrown space into a delightful woodland performance venue for us to use. We look forward to many more partnership productions in Prescot vicarage woodlands and gardens. So many people and partners to thank we are so grateful to everyone who has supported us this past year on our magical Midsummer adventure. Key Partners Royal Shakespeare Company Prescot Parish Church Friends of Prescot Cemetery and Churchyard Prescot Town Team Knowsley MBC Love Prescot St Nicholas Church, Halewood Halewood Culture Fest Halewood Town Council The Reader Organisation Woodlands Rest Home StreetFeet and WIKED dance Poco Coffee All That s Glam Jessie s Jewels Liverpool John Moores University