PICTURES: Dingwall Players take Shakespeare to Storehouse 'stage' as Ross-shire shows healthy appetite for live theatre
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THE hunger for live theatre in Ross-shire was apparent for all to see when a local group took a leap of faith and staged a classic play outdoors last week.
Dingwall Players didn't charge for their three-night run of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged at the Storehouse at Foulis near Evanton.
But free tickets were bookable in advance to meet with coronavirus guidelines and all were snapped up within 36 hours, revealing the pent up demand from the culture vultures keen to enjoy the live entertainment experience again.
The group's director Nick Fearne said: "It was great. It was kind of strange. I had been watching a few of the online theatre productions that had been staged and happened to be visiting the Storehouse. I thought it would make a fantastic setting. I asked the venue and I rang up members of The Players and everyone was up for it. People were missing being able to do anything. We decided to start work on it using Zoom when we realised we had a date for doing things outside that we could work towards. We thought, ach, let's just do it.
"People were pleased that something was happening. It was outdoors and people felt safer with that."
In a nod to social distancing, Mr Fearne got around a prominent kissing scene by having lips on sticks – a nice touch referencing social distancing which got a good laugh from the audience.
He said that while not a fan of Zoom, the discipline of using it for rehearsals focused more attention on Shakespeare's text in read throughs – a bonus for some of the cast members.
He admitted: "The irony is that if it hadn't been for lockdown, we would not have done this. We would have been planning something different. I think it give everybody a bit of a lift and a buzz. It was a challenge."
He noted great mental health benefits for all concerned at a time when some people are left feeling as though they are marking time.
Next up for Mr Fearne will be Dingwall's Word on the Street festival, set to be an online affair this year in October.
Dingwall Players are also looking at a production of Treasure Island which may be toured around small village venues but is yet to be decided.
Mr Fearne added: "We had to work in a different way and we will probably have to continue towork in a different way. I just didn't want to hibernate."
