The Next Generation

Studio Theatre Group will be performing William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Aberdeen Arts Centre at the beginning of November, but for Director Tish Howard it will be a bit of a trip down Memory Lane. Tish first directed the Dream for, the sadly now defunct, Longacre Players in 1987 and in that production her elder son, Edwin, then aged 13 played the part of Peasblossom while younger son, Marcus (aged 5) was the Changeling Boy, over whom the King and Queen of the Fairies, Oberon and Titania are fighting, and thus disrupting the lives of the unsuspecting mortals.
In this production, since both the boys have grown up and moved on, it is time for the next generation to take over, and the baby in the centre of the squabble will be Alistair Verreau Howard, the son of Edwin, and nephew of Marcus, the original Changeling. Alistair, conveniently born at the beginning of August, is unfortunately rather far away to appear in person as father, Edwin and mother Julie, now live in Montreal, so Alistair will appear only in a photograph – unless of course, someone in STG wins the lottery in the next couple of weeks and offers to fly the family over in time for the show!
Although Alistair will not be on stage, many well-known Aberdeen actors will be. Amongst others, Claire Bleasdale will be appearing as Titania and Steve Worsely as Oberon. The Rude Mechanicals are lead by Lindsay Cromar as Bottom and Mike Horabin as Peter Quince.
The place is Greece, the time the early seventies. In Athens the Colonels have seized power from the recently deposed king, and the Turks are about to invade Cyprus. On the island of Crete there is an invasion of another sort, as hippies flock to take up residence in the caves at Matala in the south. In this ‘Dream’ Crete and Athens become one as Titania and her hippie tribe clash with a rather less laid back Oberon and succeed in almost causing havoc among the unsuspecting mortals as they prepare for Theseus’ wedding day.
In reality, Athens and Crete may be miles apart, but this is a dream after all!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed at Aberdeen Arts Centre on Wed 5th, Thu 6th, and Fri 7th Nov, with performances starting at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £9.00 and £7.00 are available from Aberdeen Box Office and the Arts Centre.

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Cast

Character Name

THESEUS, Duke of Athens Steve Hamer
EGEUS, father to Hermia Brian McDonald
LYSANDER, young nobleman Chris Glen
DEMETRIUS, young nobleman Jamie Peter
PHILOSTRATE, Master of the Revels to Theseus Sandy Birnie
QUINCE, a carpenter Mike Horabin
SNUG, a joiner Ben Catterall
BOTTOM, a weaver Lindsay Cromar
FLUTE, a bellows-mender David Scott
SNOUT, a tinker Tom Forbes
STARVELING, a tailor TBC

HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons, betrothed to Theseus Claire John
HERMIA, daughter to Egeus, in love with Lysander Lisa Cameron
HELENA, in love with Demetrius Linny Casson

OBERON, King of the Fairies Steve Worsley
TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies Claire Bleasdale
PUCK, or ROBIN GOODFELLOW Barry Donaldson
TITANIA'S FARIES Verna Ward, Anne Douglas, Holly Reeve, Nicky Jenkins, plus at least 4 more TBC