PERFECT ELIZABETHAN SETTING FOR ONE OF SHAKESPEARE’S MOST POPULAR COMEDIES

The stunning Elizabethan manor house Prideaux Place in Padstow will provide the open air venue for Shakespeare’s Globe nationally acclaimed performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Monday 16 and Tuesday 17 August.

The play will be performed on an outdoor replica of an Elizabethan ‘booth stage’ in front of one wing of Prideaux Place – home to the Prideaux-Brune family who have lived in the house since it was first built in 1592. Trevor Nunn chose the manor as a location for the filming of Twelfth Night and now audiences will be able to experience its ideal Shakespearean setting for themselves when they watch the Globe’s stripped-down version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream – described as ‘genuinely original and hilarious’ by one critic and as ‘sexy, hilarious and a great night out under the stars’ by another. The production, directed by Raz Shaw who most recently created and directed Gambling at the Soho Theatre in London, stars Bethan Walker as Puck and William Mannering as Bottom. “The play has enjoyed excellent reviews and we are really looking forward to seeing it performed at Prideaux Place,” said Elisabeth Prideaux-Brune who has lived in the manor with her husband Peter since 1988. “People can bring their own picnics and make themselves comfortable on the grass in front of the stage. A bar is available and we’ll be serving Pimms to add to the summer atmosphere. “This is a great opportunity for people in the South West to see one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies played against an authentic Elizabethan backdrop. It should prove a memorable experience.” Under the leadership of Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole, Shakespeare’s Globe theatre season plays in repertory from April to October annually, gaining an international reputation for performance excellence. This year’s tour, which starts on 22 June and finishes on 28 August, includes performances in Scotland, Yorkshire, Germany, Malta, Oxford and Cambridge. Tickets, costing £15 each for adults and £10 for children, are available through Shakespeare’s Globe box office - visit www.shakespeares-globe.org or call 020 7401 9919. The performances begin at 7.30pm and appropriate clothing for the weather conditions is advised. Ends 25 June 2010