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Programme
Welcome to our online programme for our production of Midsummer.
To reduce waste and with an ecologically conscious production we have decided to create a digital programme accessible only to those who have attended our production. Here you can find out more about the production, the people who created it, and the performers in it.
THE CAST
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PUCK
Jess is delighted to be performing once again with Sevenoaks Shakespeare, having previously appeared in Antony and Cleopatra (Octavia), The Winter’s Tale (Hermione) and Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Ephesus). She also directed ‘The Compleat Works of Shakespeare’ (Abridged) in 2021. Jess has appeared twice in open air productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as fairies and is delighted to finally have her chance to play Puck!
When not performing Shakespeare in the open-air Jess can often be found treading the boards and working behind the scenes at Bromley Little Theatre, where she will be directing Jane Eyre in September. She also co-leads the award-winning Bromley Little Theatre Youth Group.
Non-Shakespearean acting roles in recent years have included Helen (There are no beginnings, BLT), Claire (The Herd, BLT) and Ratty (Wind in the Willows, BLT). Directing credits include most recently Metamorphoses, Things I know to be true, Hedda Gabler, The Unreturning and Love from a Stranger. Jess will be reprising her role of ‘Young Crone’ in Blackadder II at Hever Festival Theatre this August.
BOTTOM
Rod has been involved with the company since playing Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2010. He then went on to direct Macbeth in 2011 as part of the RSC Open Stages project. Having played Banquo in 2017's Macbeth, he next went on to appear as Polixenes in The Winter's Tale in 2022. Rod then returned in 2023 to direct Antony and Cleopatra in a new adaptation of the classic story of love, politics, and war. He is pleased and excited to be playing Bottom for the first time in this fresh and dynamic version of Midsummer.
Other notable acting roles include Moe in Pomona, Don John in Much Ado About Nothing, Jacques de Boys in As You Like It, Lord Montague in Romeo and Juliet, Father in The Railway Children, Elyot in Private Lives, Con in Get Carter, Jekyll in Jekyll and Hyde, King of Hearts/Dodo in Alice, and Simeon in the Shattered podcast series.
Rod is the first Sustainability Officer for the company and is pleased to be working on Midsummer as the first Green Book compliant show that Sevenoaks Shakespeare have produced.
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AL / TITANIA
Cathy has appeared in many Sevenoaks Shakespeare productions in the past, taking on a variety of roles including Titania and Lady Macbeth. In recent years she has also taken on the role of Assistant Producer and set painter for our outdoor productions.
She regularly appears at The Oast Theatre in Tonbridge, and recently was awarded The Jill Perry Best Actress Award for her role in their entry to the 2023 Southern Counties Drama Festival ‘On The Edge’.
Cathy also works with Orangeworks, a local theatre company championing new writing, and she will be appearing at this year’s Brighton Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe in Orangeworks productions.
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QUINCE / OBERON
Pierse has been on stage since he was 18 taking his first lead role (Billy in Billy Liar) less than a year after first treading the boards. Since then he has appeared in countlesss amateur and professional stage shows, voiceovers and on film having filmed around the world from America, through Italy (where he played John Gower in an Italian film version of Shakespeare’s Peruckes, Prince of Tyre) and in Norway.
Pierse's first stage appearance in a Shakespeare play was some twenty years ago as Malvolio in Twelfth Night and his passion for all things Shakespeare has blossomed since then. He joined Sevenoaks Shakespeare in 2016 playing Duke Solinus in Comedy of Errors and has appeared in every Sevenoaks Shakespeare theatrical production since, playing roles including the eponymous anti hero Macbeth, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Enobarbus in our highly praised interpretation of Antony and Cleopatra.
In 2023 Pierse won the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Henri in our multi award-winning production of The Final Kiss at The Southern Counties Drama Festival.
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STARVELING / HERMIA
Midsummer will be Georgina’s first production with Sevenoaks Shakespeare, and she is delighted to be taking on the role of Hermia. Her previous experience with Shakespeare comes from her theatre studies where she played the role of Lucentio in “The Taming of the Shrew”, and multi-roled as Touchstone and Oliver in “As You Like It”. Georgina is excited for the challenge and to be working with director Charlotte Jacobs again.
Georgina completed an acting course at Rose Bruford, and also studied film acting with the National Youth Film Academy. She has also dabbled in catwalk and photoshoot modelling in the past, representing and carrying designs from her mother's former dress agency business “Georgina Elizabeth”.
Some of Georgina’s previous credits include:
“Marianne” (Constellations) - Erith Playhouse, “Buttons” (Cinderella Pantomime) - Sevenoaks Players, “Veronica Craye” (The Hollow) - SLOG, “Angel/Referee” (Kinky Boots the Musical) - Paul Gostling Productions, “Detective Morris” (The Nether) - Edward Alderton Theatre, “Ursula March” (Sweet Charity the Musical) - Sevenoaks Players, “Carabosse” (Sleeping Beauty Pantomime) - Sevenoaks Players, “Mel” (Shakers Re-Stirred) - Edward Alderton Theatre, “Nadine Boynton” (Appointment with Death) - Sevenoaks Players, “Tinkle Droopy” (The Beauty Sleeping Pantomime) - Edward Alderton Theatre, “Ela Delahay” (Charley’s Aunt) - Edward Alderton Theatre, “Magic Mirror” (Snow White Pantomime) - Walk Tall Theatre, “Slave of the Ring” (Aladdin Pantomime) - Walk Tall Theatre
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FLUTE / LYSANDER
Robin started acting as a teenager and performed in many shows in the south Manchester area with his local drama group before going on to study, film, theatre, and literature at University in York.
He then went to film school in Sydney for two years before moving to London and working as a freelance video producer / editor for many years. He now works as a Creative Director for a communications agency in London but hasn’t acted on stage for 20 years!
He is delighted to be making his come back as Lysander in Midsummer with the brilliant Sevenoaks Shakespeare.
SNUG / HELENA
Hannah started performing from the age of 6 with Hayes Players in a variety of shows from The Corn is Green to choreographing Sweet Charity while playing a large role at the same time.
Hannah also played the character of Nikki in Shakers at Bromley Little Theatre before going on to study musical theatre at Millennium Performing Arts.
After 12 years of excelling in work as a carer and now care assistant trainer, Hannah is thrilled to be playing Helena in this production of Midsummer with Sevenoaks Shakespeare. She will also be returning to play the role of Phoebe in the summer production of As You Like It.
SNOUT / DEMETRIUS
Mattias first acting role was the Blue Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, and later went on to train at the Miskin Theatre.
After moving away from acting to pursue painting and sculpture, Mattias is coming back to the stage in the role of Demetrius in Midsummer. A villain at heart, with a great love for the roles of Richard III and Macbeth, he feels Demetrius is a role he is made for.
Mattius is excited for his first show with Sevenoaks Shakespeare and will be returning in their summer production of As You Like It.
THE PRODUCTION TEAM
DIRECTOR
CHARLOTTE JACOBS
PRODUCER
STEVE WILLIAMS
ASSISTANT PRODUCER
CATHY TREBLE
STAGE MANAGER
PETER NICHOLSON
SOUND
JACOB FRIETT
LIGHTING
ANDREW SMITH
COSTUME
SANDIE PETERS & SAMANTHA LITHCO
SET CONSTRUCTION
TONY JENNER, STEVE WILLIAMS, PETER NICHOLSON
SET DESIGN & DECORATION
CATHY TREBLE, CHARLOTTE JACOBS, JESSICA-ANN JENNER, GEORGINA LITHCO
DIRECTOR'S NOTES
Midsummer is an adaptation that takes Shakespeare’s classic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and reframes it in every sense for today’s contemporary audience. What was once a lengthy, five-act play is now a one-act version that moves at a break neck pace, allowing for more new elements while keeping the characters and their world intact. Likeable, well known characters find themselves caught in one magical misunderstanding after another, offering plenty of laughs with a somber undertone. Its run time is that of an average feature length film so no late finishes here!
This new world of Midsummer is connected to our societal concerns today, namely an impending extinction of nature and our eco systems. In the opening of the play we find that magic has disappeared, only survived by a plastic forest that is ‘as rotten as ever oak was sound’ and the fabled sprite Puck finds themself alone, last keeper of the magic of nature. Puck decides on one last attempt, to bring back The Fairy King and Queen, creating chaos as they puppeteer wandering hapless mechanicals to relive fabled tales under the intoxicating power of their spell casting. This magic infused world required a much more physical approach to theatre where audiences could see the manipulation of these characters against their will right before their eyes, finding that the magic of this piece doesn't exist solely in the words but the spaces in between them also.
In keeping with the themes of the piece, all set and costumes for this production are made from recycled and upcycled materials and marks our first production made in accordance with The Theatre Green Book guidelines, an initiative we at Sevenoaks Shakespeare are committed to for all future open air productions to follow. This meant we had to find innovative ways to create the aesthetic of '90's grunge fairy core', so the flowers on set are made from waste plastic bottles, the abstract tree structure made from discarded pallet wood, its vines from bottle tops and ambient light from solar garden lights donated by cast and crew members. Similarly, costumes were made from upcycled materials paired with cast's own clothes and adorned with hand made flowers from the same materials. Puck's hat was knitted by a cast family member and anything that was bought was found in charity shops.
Another reason this production is so unique is the script itself, carefully constructed by Tilt Yard Theater; it incorporates famous lines from all of Shakespeare’s other play scripts so to the observant Shakespeare fan there are many Easter eggs to enjoy and the result is a testament to the poetical genius of Shakespeare himself, a love letter to the bard.
We have had great fun putting this show together and we are sure you will have just as much fun watching it!
Now... Play out the play!
Charlotte Jacobs, Director.
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SPECIAL THANKS
This production, like all theatrical endeavors, has been a team effort with all members of the cast and production team lending their time and energy to create a brilliant show for our audiences. In addition, special thanks must go to Tony Jenner and Bromley Little Theatre for helping us construct the set, namely the abstract tree and trash heap. Also to Sandie and Samantha who have worked together to create beautiful and functional costumes.
We are grateful to The Rising Sun, Twitton for providing our audiences with a bar and hot food. And finally, to Nick and The Archbishop's Palace for hosting our production and to the local residents.
THEATRE GREEN BOOK
The Theatre Green Book is an initiative by the whole of the theatre industry to work more sustainably. Trialled and operated by West End and high profile theatre makers such as the National Theatre, the Royal Opera House, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sevenoaks Shakespeare is following suit and working to make our open air productions even more green.
During our 2024 season, we will be developing and working to a practice of environmental sustainability in all of our work. While we have always had this as a background focus, from now on we will be bringing this to the fore of our work. Using this production of ‘Midsummer’ as a pilot scheme for this, we are following the principles of the Theatre Green Book, aiming for 50% of production materials (including set, costumes, props, and technical aspects of the show) to have had a previous life, and at least 50% of used materials to go on to a future life beyond the show. Where possible, this means the resources we use should be from recycled, recyclable, and ethically sourced origins. The materials used will then go on to be used in future productions, or are able to be recycled appropriately.
In future years we will be looking at stepping up our commitment from a baseline to an intermediate level (from a 50% past life/re-use, increasing to a 75% commitment), beginning the process of mapping our carbon footprint, and examining the environmental impact of open air/touring theatre. We have even, with this production you are watching, designed the set in such a way that every part of it can be built only when needed and removed at the end of each performance, to lessen our impact on this location.
Moving forward, we will then be expanding this scheme further into our main Summer production of ‘As You Like It’ and from August 2024 onwards, it will be standard practice on all future Sevenoaks Shakespeare productions. It is part of our ongoing commitment to create theatre that uses less resources, recycles more, and controls energy usage in all aspects of our productions.
THE ARCHBISHOP'S PALACE
There has been a palace on this site since 821. In 791 (or possibly in the preceding year) Offa, the King of Mercia, gave lands at Otford to Christ Church, Canterbury. Further gifts of land were made in 820 and 821. The first, by Coenwulf, the Mercian King and son of Offa, and in the following year by Ceolwulf, his brother and successor, who donated to Otford lands bordering the East bank of the River Darent between Shoreham and today’s Bat and Ball. Over the next seven centuries, the original house was extended, wooden structures were replaced by stone until, in the early 16th Century, Archbishop William Warham created his magnificent Palace by adding the North, West and East ranges, and rebuilt much of the Moated Manor at the Southern side of the site. Otford Palace was home to 56 Archbishops of Canterbury until, in 1537, Henry VIII ‘persuaded’ Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to give him the Palaces of Otford and Knole.
Otford Palace was used as the principal venue for entertaining: Knole (about 6km to the South) was the private retreat. It was many notable visitors including Cardinal Campeggio, Warham’s good friend Erasmus, Holbein and of course, King Henry VIII. It remained in Royal ownership until Elizabeth I sold it to Robert Sidney who converted part of the North Range into a hunting lodge. Over the next three hundred years the Palace fell into disrepair and was robbed for building materials. It was saved from housing development by a public campaign in 1935 and the ruins were transferred to Sevenoaks Rural Council (now Sevenoaks District Council - SDC). There were emergency repairs in the 1960’s, 1982, and again in 2017.
Over the past three years, the Archbishop’s Palace Conservation Trust has undertaken building stabilisation work on the Tower, to repair the stone and brickwork, and then glaze the building.
Between now and the spring of 2028, the Trust intends to restore the north range of Otford’s historic Tudor Archbishop’s Palace. In so doing they will deliver both a fascinating structure containing a vibrant and compelling interpretation and study centre; exploring the history of the Palace, its constructor and visitors, and bringing into perspective the wider ecological and historical importance of Otford and the Darent Valley.
