Play announced for Shakespeare Festival

A Dream of a show is heading to the 2019 Shakespeare Festival at Norwich Cathedral. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will this year take centre stage in the Cloisters for the annual open-air event that is always a summer highlight in the Cathedral’s cultural calendar.

Tickets are on sale now for the show which will take place on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 July.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men – who last year wowed audiences with a spellbinding production of The Tempest – will be returning to the Cathedral to perform the magical midsummer comedy featuring mischievous fairies, feuding lovers and a hilarious group of rude mechanicals.

Set in an enchanted forest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a tale of tangled and true love where chaos ensues as lovers at war cross paths with a fairy king and queen at odds and a meddling sprite named Puck.

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men are a modern day incarnation of the Bard’s own travelling troupe of players, and they will be performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream just as it would have been played out in Shakespeare’s day - with an all-male cast, full Elizabethan costumes and traditional music and dance.

The Dean of Norwich, the Very Revd Jane Hedges, said: “The Shakespeare Festival has become a wonderful summer tradition here at Norwich Cathedral and over the years thousands of people have enjoyed watching some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays performed against the backdrop of the beautiful Cloisters.

In recent years The Lord Chamberlain’s Men have become regular visitors to the festival and we are delighted to be welcoming them back again this summer.

Last year audiences had a great time watching their production of The Tempest and we cannot wait to see what is in store with A Midsummer Night’s Dream - and whether our resident peregrine falcons will once again join in the show!”

It is an extra special year for The Lord Chamberlain’s Men because they are celebrating their 15th anniversary, and for TLCM artistic director Peter Stickney the Norwich Cathedral performances are always something of a homecoming as he grew up in Saxlingham Nethergate and went to Long Stratton High and Hewett School.

Mr Stickney, who became TLCM’s artistic director and chief executive in 2016, said audiences would be in for a treat with the company’s special anniversary show.

He said: “To reach our 15th birthday is no mean feat. We work hard to bring you the best production every year but really the pleasure is ours, we feel privileged to be able to tour to the stunning locations that we tour to and meet the wonderful people that we meet on the way.”

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 July at 7pm.

On both nights, doors will open at 6pm for people to enjoy the beautiful surrounds of the Cloisters before the show.

Tickets cost £20. Concessions (over 60s, NUS and under 16s) £18. Seating will be provided but is unreserved.