Love’s Labour’s Lost
Directed by Carol Dumbleton
King Ferdinand and his three companions, Berowne, Dumaine and Longaville swear an oath that for three years they will reject the world’s pleasures , including women and commit themselves to a life of study. Some hope ! Trouble soon comes in the form of The Princess of France and her three ladies in waiting.
Shakespeare delights in upholding and then unravelling an unrealistic vow and mischievously suggests that study of the opposite sex is the highest of all academic endeavours. There is laughter during the play, arguments and music.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Directed by James Bell
The festivities of Midsummer’s Eve and Midsummer Day were traditionally occasions when fairies and other sprites made themselves visible to humans – though the quaffing of great amounts of rough cider may have had some bearing on that !
The play has four interwoven plot lines but the unifying thread is the approaching wedding of the Duke of Athens and the Queen of the Amazons. A thoroughly love-tangled quartet get very worked up and there are some rustic comic characters and assorted fairies and woodland sprites.
Shakespeare masterfully combines the resources of the theatre with the realities fantasies and mythologies of everyday life.
Don’t want to see both shows after all?
Book for Love’s Labour’s Lost only (one show)
Book for A Midsummer Night’s Dream only (one show)
The amphitheatre is tucked in behind the French Rendez-vous Cafe building next to The PumpHouse main theatre. Access is via the courtyard stairs adjacent to the main theatre. Wheelchair access to the amphitheatre is via a path on the park side of the complex.
Tickets to performances in the amphitheatre are general admission i.e seating is ‘first come first served’. The amphitheatre has tiered wooden bench seating. Seats do not have back support. If you require a seat with back support please advise the ushers when you arrive at the performance. They will provide a chair for you in the back row. Similarly, if you have any other special requirements, e.g mobility access assistance, please see one of the ushers when you arrive.
Audience members often bring cushions to sit on for greater comfort and blankets in case the evening cools down towards the end to the show. If the mozzies are biting this summer, it might a good idea to have repellent on hand.
Sorry, BYO alcohol isn’t permitted under our Liquour Licence but the French Rendez-vous Cafe Satellite Bar will be open and the usual sausage sizzle will crank into action at interval.
In the event of persistent bad weather a performance may take place inside the main theatre. If the weather looks changeable, bring a raincoat and something waterproof to sit on. If there’s a passing shower, the performance may go ahead outdoors as planned. If a performance is cancelled, tickets may be transferred to another date in the season without incurring a transfer fee.