Act One Scene One

Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on soon,
Four happy days bring in another moon;
But O methinks, how slow the old moon wanes,
Like a step-dame or a dowager, doddering with her canes.

Four days will quickly steep themselves in night;
Four nights will quickly, like dreams, take flight,
And then the new moon, like a silver bow bent on high
Shall behold the night of our solemnities draw nigh.

OK  we've not gone all Kultcharall.  No not really...... well sort of I suppose.  Chris and I went to the Grosvenor Park open air theatre (http://www.grosvenorparkopenairtheatre.co.uk) last night to see a performance of Shakespeare's Mid Summers Night Dream.  The theatre is in the grounds of the lovely Grosvenor Park in Chester and is modelled on a small Roman amphitheatre complete with overhead canopies.

The Grosvenor theatre in the Park

  I'd never really given Shakespeare much of a look before now, though I am aware of his plays, but as I work for Essar UK and they were sponsoring the whole event we were lucky to be given two tickets to attend a performance so we thought why not.  I had an idea what Mid Summers Night dream was about so booked for that performance and that came with a picnic hamper to enjoy during the show as well.

The two of us enjoying a picnic hamper before the show

Well I have to say the performance was spectacular and the acting absolutely fantastic.  The actors played their parts so well it was easy to forget they were not the actual characters they portrayed.   They clearly enjoyed their work and entertained everyone immensely.

Helena receiving amorous attention from spell bound
Lysander and Demetrius whilst the fairies look on

The whole play was carried out with much humour, so much so many of the audience, including us, had tears, streaming down our faces with laughter through most of the show.  We have never laughed so much at a show for a long time.

The final act was particularly funny.  Peter Quince and his band of performers stage a play in front of Lord Theseus with side splitting comedy

ending with a Morris dance like none other that had the audience in hysterics whilst clapping in time to the music.  A great night in all and well worth seeing if you can.  If you are ever in Chester next year whilst the theatre is running you must put it on your to do list, I assure you  you will enjoy the performance greatly.