Illyria 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' by William Shakespeare

Five couples – three human, one fairy, and one mythical – find their relationships sorely tested, intimately probed and indecently exposed when a troupe of amateur theatricals bumble into the forest to rehearse a play.

Shakespeare’s timeless comic masterpiece explores every colour in the spectrum of love, from arranged marriage to elopement, from infatuation to hatred, from chivalric devotion to raw sex.  Add to this bawdy mix a heady brew of confusion, magic and mischief, and you have the most perfectly frothy comedy for a moonlit summer evening.

Happy 30th Birthday to Illyria from all at The Plough Arts Centre!

"For 30 years Illyria has dominated the open-air touring theatre sector. Illyria burst onto the scene in 1992 when not only was there scarcely a scene to burst onto, but what scene there was entirely consisted of Shakespeare. Since then Illyria alone has always been the first company to introduce new genres which subsequently became open-air theatre standards. In 1997 we were the first to offer children’s theatre. In 2000 we were the first to introduce classics other than Shakespeare. In 2003 were the first to offer a Jane Austen adaptation. In 2010 we were the first to be given the professional rights to Roald Dahl scripts. In 2011 were the first to do Gilbert and Sullivan. In 2017 we were the first to tour with a full-size T-rex in a monster-movie homage. In 2018 we were the first to perform a full-scale musical. In 2019 we were the first to offer a rock opera. With a history of “firsts” behind us, Illyria has chosen to celebrate our 30th birthday by returning to 3 of our most successful ones. Our Shakespeare production will be the same as the one that kicked the whole thing off back in 1992: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. For our family show we will return to the first ever children’s show we toured: PETER PAN. For our Gilbert & Sullivan we are revisiting the perennially popular THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE."

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Open-Air Theatre Festival:

Seating:

• No seating is provided. Please bring low-back seating and/or blankets,
• An area for people on blankets is reserved at the front.  
• If you wish to be socially distanced please sit towards the rear or sides of the audience area
• Performances start at the stated time so please arrive in good time to take your seats

Tickets:

• Disabled people are welcome to a free ticket for their carer/assistant. Please call the box office on 01805 624624
• Every 11th ticket is free for group bookings. Available via the box office on 01805 624624
• Tickets, if not sold out, are also available on the gate (cash only).
• Ticket holders enjoy free access to the gardens two hours before 7pm performances

and one hour before earlier performances. (Or earlier for pre-show drama workshop ticket holders)

• Most performances last approx 2 hours with a 20 minute interval
• Minimum ages are advisory only. Please use your discretion.

Refreshments:

• Please support the high quality onsite catering/bar facilities that are available at most venues
• Check with the individual venue for more details.
• Hartland Abbey: Pimm’s Bar and Barbecue
• Castle Hill Filleigh: Tea/coffee sandwiches & cakes etc
• Tapeley Park: Hot & cold food and bar                                            
• Arlington Court (NT): Hot & cold food and bar                   
• Clovelly Court Park: Soft drinks available.                           
• Blackberry Farm Milton Damerel:     Hot & cold food and bar
• RHS Garden Rosemoor Hot & cold food and bar, ice creams and picnic bags                    
• Castle Hill Gardens, Torrington: Hot & cold food and bar   
• Tawstock Court, Barnstaple: Hot & cold food and bar                                                                                
• The Lodge, Eggesford: Bar and Barbecue     
• Castle Drogo (NT): Please bring your own picnics/drinks    
• Lapford Mill, Crediton: Please bring your own picnics and use the bar provided (located on 2nd floor of the mill)                              
• Brushford Barton: Please bring your own picnics and use the bar provided

Weather:

• Performances continue regardless of the weather. Be prepared.
• There are no indoor alternatives in case of bad weather.
• In the event of electrical storm, tickets will be exchanged for another date.
• The following may be useful: A torch, insect repellent, an umbrella (or sunshade!)

Dogs:

• Well behaved dogs are welcome at most venues. Check with the venue.

(RHS Garden Rosemoor, Castle Drogo (NT): Assistance dogs only.)

Access:

• Most venues have level access, adjacent parking and accessible toilet facilities. For specific access information please call the box office on 01805 624624 or contact the individual venue via their website.
• There will be a £12.00 charge at Brushford  Barton for each vehicle to cover use of grounds for picnicking, parking and toilet facilities, etc. Payable on arrival by card/cash.

Other Info:

• Please bring cash for a raffle to support The Plough Arts Centre. £1 per ticket. One winner takes half the proceeds!
• We will adhere to any covid restrictions that apply during the period of the open air theatre festival