A Midsummer Nite's Dream

[matthewmt]

Another Friday afternoon bored at the Library Counter, another raft of memories.

After Twelfth Night in 1991, it was another eighteen months till the next full Love Dangerously production, in the summer of 93, although plenty of Week Tens and things happened in the interim (ask your Grandad). Electing to stick with the Bard, our attention turned to "A Midsummer Night's Dream". One of the most Ludamussy of Shakey's works, it seemed an ideal choice.

This one was the first play we did in the old Dining Hall in Upper Level, which has now long since been converted into a Dance Studio. The set was mainly made out of scaffolding for fairies to jump around on. The story, as I'm sure you know, is split into three major groups, the Lovers (and their famblies), the Fairies, and the Rude Mechanicals. We had a stellar cast of LD legends, including Diane making her debut as one of the Lovers, Ross, Chris and Bron as hilarious Rude Mechanicals (The scene where Ross has to act as a coy lady is still one of my all-time top LD moments, made even funnier by how short and squeaky he was in those days!), Simon as Oberon (barely having to act at all!), and Steve Kendall as the sprightly Puck.

I had been banned by Mary Massey from having a speaking role as she feared (irrelevantly, as it turned out) for my Biology A Level grade, so the directors very generously allowed me to be a mute fairy, who was called, I think, Buttercup. No laughing at the back. They also hit on the idea of me having a video camera onstage so I could film the action close up, and we'd have a good record of the play. So I kind of lurked around in the back of scenes looking menacing. I think there was some half-assed subtext I created about the relationship between Buttercup and Titania, but that was probably only so I could deliver meaningful glances at Jo Grant, who I fancied.

There was music (Matthew Reeve?), and plenty of exciting fairy costumes. Jase came back from Hull and did the lights from on top of some very ricketty scaffolding. I've still got a kind of behind the scenes video I shot as well, which I may dig out at some point. It's got some excellent footage of Shane eating an apple which I can't even begin to describe.

[matthewmt]

THEN SIMON SAID:


That was the year I decided to use an air brush to do make up, replaced the watercolour with black calligraphy ink and gave Steve permenant eye liner for a week and a half... happy days.

I also stubbed a ciggie out on his tongue...

y'know, there are people in LD who actually trust me.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[matthewmt]

THEN JON SAID:

i can't imagine ross as short and sqweaky i cant imagine him under 6ft. Steve with eyeliner however is way too easy to imagine (Is pixie juice tied into this play somehow)[/b]

[matthewmt]

THEN I SAID AGAIN:

Strange as it may seem, Ross wasn't always the chiselled 6'2" hunk he is today - he was once a squeaky half-pint with an interest in wrestling moves!

I'll try and dig the video out to show at some party or other - it's worth it to go "ha ha ha ha isn't everyone young - and hasn't Simon stayed EXACTLY the same for the last twelve years!!!"