Members of the local community have been rehearsing A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Saturday 2 – Saturday 9 July) at weekends and on evenings during the week to accommodate the working hours of many of the performers.
Beyond the theatre they lead very different lives, working in a variety of jobs, from doctors and teachers to garage owners and delivery drivers. Also taking part is a head chef, a professor of cardiology, a data analyst and a museum actor, just to name a few.
Some members are looking to start a career in acting or previously worked as actors and have taken this opportunity to revisit their love of performing. For some cast members, this has been a chance to connect with other people again after two years of being in lockdown, enjoy a creative shared experience or make friends after recently moving to Hull. There are many reasons why someone might want to take part and why being involved in the arts is good for confidence and wellbeing.
Alexandra Abel, NHS Doctor, said:
“Working as a junior doctor during the pandemic has been difficult. I needed to do something new and exciting to help me reconnect with life outside of the NHS! My favourite thing to do outside of work is to visit the theatre and I have often wondered what it would be like to perform on the stage. Taking part in A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been very therapeutic, I have met some wonderful people and it has been a joy throughout.”
Toni Day, Administrator, said:
“I’m currently on maternity leave and performing has always been something that I have wanted to do, but I felt that I lacked in confidence. I want to show my children that they can achieve in their interests and passions, and the best way for me to do this was to show them.”
Joseph Dixon, Volunteer, said:
“I volunteer for many things, have been in a community show before and loved it. As an adult with autism, opportunities like this don’t come along very often.”
Hull Truck Theatre held a series of free taster workshops where members of the local community aged 18+ were able to gain a sense of what it might be like to take part in a main stage production. Everyone was welcome, no experience necessary, just the willingness to commit to the opportunity to develop new skills and have fun exploring acting and movement, whilst creating a range of characters from Bottom the Weaver and his comedy crew to Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the Fairies, all while connecting with other people within their community.
Many took part in the workshops and will now be performing in Hull Truck Theatre’s community production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. With a cast of over 40 people who all come from a variety of backgrounds with different levels of performing experience, this is a huge creative process for all involved. Some participants are members of HTT’s Youth Theatre alumni and Act III (over 55’s theatre makers), presenting not only a range of acting experience levels but a wonderful mix of ages (21 – 91) and life experiences too.
Tom Saunders, Director, said:
“I’ve loved working on this production. Some of our company members are performing for the first time and others have been performing their whole lives, but either way it’s been a complete honour to be able to experience this with them.
“This city is full of extremely talented and passionate people and handing over the Hull Truck Theatre Main House Stage to them has been an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience for me. I think that Shakespeare’s rich and beautiful language paired with Hull’s vibrant and creative communities will be an absolute treat for our audiences.”