presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream A Bristol Old Vic production In association with Handspring Puppet Company Co-commissioned by Spoleto Festival USA By William Shakespeare DIRECTOR Tom Morris PUPPET DESIGN, FABRICATION AND DIRECTION Handspring Puppet Company PERFORMERS Saikat Ahamed, Colin Michael Carmichael, Naomi Cranston, David Emmings, Alex Felton, Fionn Gill, Akiya Henry, Kyle Lima, Saskia Portway, David Ricardo Pearce, Jon Trenchard, Miltos Yerolemou June 15 & 18-22 at 8pm June 15, 16, 19, 22 & 23 at 2pm University Theatre Presented with support from: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects National Endowment for the Arts Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library Yale Center for British Art, through the generosity of the Terry F. Green 1969 fund for British Art and Culture University of New Haven WSHU Public Radio Group About A Time to Dream In many ways, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the archetypal love story, relevant in any age. A story of the folly and joy of falling in love. On top of that, it’s a play profoundly about the imagination, perfect to explore the nature of the relationship between actors (and puppets!) on a stage, and an audience in an auditorium. Which is where we begin with our …Dream world. A world where reality blurs with the mystic, a world where fairies – powerful, magical, mischievous and dangerous – are a reality; an ever- changing world of puppets, lots of puppets, and people who fancy each other so wildly they can barely keep their clothes on. Handspring Puppet Company – a Bristol Old Vic Associate Company of international repute – are the most accomplished, magical creators of puppet theatre in the world. We hope you enjoy these extraordinary artists applying their breath-taking skill to perhaps the classic play of the imagination. Tom Morris Artistic Director, Bristol Old Vic Director, A Midsummer Night’s Dream 2 Program Saikat Ahamed Snug / Puck Colin Michael Carmichael Quince / Peasblossom Naomi Cranston Helena David Emmings Snout / Mustardseed / Puck / Philostrate Alex Felton Lysander Fionn Gill Flute / Moth / Puck Akiya Henry Hermia Kyle Lima Demetrius Saskia Portway Hippolyta / Titania David Ricardo Pearce Theseus / Oberon Jon Trenchard Starveling / Cobweb / Onstage Musical Director Miltos Yerolemou Bottom / Egeus Tom Morris Director Handspring Puppet Company Puppet Design, Fabrication and Direction Vicki Mortimer Designer Philip Gladwell Lighting Designer Dave Price Composer Christopher Shutt Sound Designer Andrew Dawson Movement Director Laurel Swift Choreographer James Bonas Associate Director Molly Einchcomb Associate Designer Katerina Hicken Costume Supervisor Joseph Wallace Puppetry Associate Jacqui Leigh Production Manager Jim Leaver Production Manager (Bristol) Robin Longley Company Stage Manager Rebecca James Deputy Stage Manager Andy Guard Assistant Stage Manager Rachel Bowen Re-lights Jason Barnes Sound Engineer Katie Davies Lighting Operator (Bristol) Jonathan Everett Sound Operator (Bristol) Fred Stacey, Andy Scrivens & Cliff Thorne Original Set and Scenic Art Emma Cains Wardrobe Supervisor Holly McLean Costume Assistant Sarah Bird Casting Consultant Emma Stenning Executive Producer Catherine Morgenstern Producer 3 Program Handspring Puppet Company Art Department Adrian Kohler Puppet Conception, Design, Sculpture, Construction and Direction Basil Jones Puppet Conception and Direction James Dee Factory Mgr and Puppet Engineer (Metal work on Oberon/Titania) Jessica Mias-Jones Asst Factory Mgr / Sculptor (Massage Fairy, Lion) Simon Dunckley Sculptor and Puppet Engineer (Bottom machine, Oberon’s hand) Andy Mias-Jones Sculptor and Puppet Engineer (Scary Fairy, large jellyfish) Thys Stander Chief Cane Sculptor Kyle Daniels Puppet Builder and Asst Factory Manager (small jellyfish) Ncedile Daki Puppet Builder and Engineer (Lover figures’ jointing and carving) Janni Younge Sculptor (Lover figures’ heads) Phyllis Midlane Fabric Engineer Lyn Holm Assistant Puppet Builder Zweli Ngcombela Studio Assistant Jonah De Lange Puppet Builder John Bramwell Component Builder Zanmari Nel Studio Assistant Philip Roberts Studio Assistant Lungiswa Mkwasi Studio Assistant Kiara Daniesli Studio Assistant Karen Zasloff Intern Production Department Basil Jones Executive Producer Janni Younge Associate Director Roderick Bothman Finance James Nilsen Assistant to the Producer Melanie Roberts Administrative Assistant 4 The Performers Saikat Ahamed Colin Michael Carmichael Naomi Cranston David Emmings Alex Felton Fionn Gill Akiya Henry Kyle Lima David Ricardo Pearce Saskia Portway Jon Trenchard Miltos Yerolemou 5 About the Artists BRISTOL OLD VIC is the longest created shows for children touring continuously-running theatre in throughout Southern Africa. In 1985 the UK and following a recent they made their first play for adults £12million redevelopment project, and moved to Johannesburg where is now one of the most modern they worked with a succession of and comfortable with state of the innovative directors including Market art rehearsal rooms, a dramatically Theatre founder, Barney Simon, extended forestage and precision- and the artist and director, William engineered sightlines giving Kentridge. Their collaborations with audiences an even more intimate Kentridge include Woyzeck on the theatrical experience. Highveld, Faustus In Africa and Our mission is to create pioneering Ubu & the Truth Commission, which twenty-first century theatre in toured to festivals throughout the partnership with the people of world. Since 2000 the company our energetic city; inspired by the has produced three plays with history and magical design of the animals in leading roles: The Chimp most beautiful playhouse in the Project, Tall Horse and War Horse. country. We are led by artists who More recently they have made see the world with distinctive clarity Or You Could Kiss Me with Neil and whose ability to articulate what Bartlett at the National Theatre, and they see allows us to understand presented Ouroboros, directed by and engage with our world afresh, associate director Janni Younge. whether that be through our The Residenz theater of Munich 350-strong Young Company, our in association with Handspring many outreach and education U.K. is currently presenting Stiller projects or helping ascendant artists (based on the novel by Max Frisch), by nurturing the spark or seed of an directed by Tina Lanik and Merv idea into something fully-formed. Miller. Handspring’s work has been We are publicly funded by Arts presented at many international Council England and Bristol City festivals including Edinburgh, LIFT, Council, using that investment to Avignon, the Next Wave Festival support experiment and innovation, at BAM in New York, The African to allow access to our programme Odyssey Festival at the Kennedy for people who would not otherwise Centre in Washington, Theatre encounter it or be able to afford d’Automne in Paris, Theatre der it and to keep our extraordinary Welt in Germany, as well as in Hong heritage alive and animated. Kong, Singapore, Adelaide, Berlin, We strive to be welcoming, Zurich and Bogota. The company professional and boundlessly provides an artistic home and curious; playful, ambitious and professional base for a core group rigorous; resourceful, honest, and of performers, designers, theatre generous; collaborative, Bristolian artists and technicians based in and world class. South Africa. They continue to explore the boundaries of adult HANDSPRING PUPPET COMPANY puppet theatre within an African was founded in 1981 by four context. Kohler and Jones are graduates of the Michaelis School of recipients of an Olivier Award (with Fine Art in Cape Town, South Africa. Rae Smith) [2007] as well as a Two of the co-founders, Adrian Special Tony Award [2011]. 6 Vita Kohler and Basil Jones, continue to Awards for theatre, a Fleur Du Cap run the company. Originally they Award, The Cape Tercentenary 6 About the Artists Foundation’s Molteno Medal Island, Dracula, A Land to Die For, (Gold) [1987-2010], and a Special Bhagdad Burning, The Ramayana, Achievement Award from the Outer For the Time Being. His writing Critics Circle to Adrian Kohler and work includes: Telling Tales (BBC Basil Jones [2011]. With the War Asian Network), The Tiger and the Horse Creative Team they received a Moustache (One-man show). Critics Circle Award and The Drama Desk Award for thrilling stagecraft COLIN MICHAEL CARMICHAEL [2011]. With Rae Smith they won (performer) trained at East 15. Best Design from the Toronto Theatre includes: Years as the Theatre Critics Circle and most Ridiculusmus ‘Gimp’ in The recently the LA Drama Critics Circle Exhibitionists, Da Da Music, Say Special Award to Adrian Kohler with Nothing; work with Scarlet Theatre Basil Jones for Handspring Puppet (Love and Other Fairytales, The Theatre in recognition of the design, Wedding), Platform 4, Cindy fabrication, and direction of the Oswin, Theatro Vivio and Kirsty puppets of War Horse [2012]. Housley. With his own company, Brian, he has co-devised all of the SAIKAT AHAMED (performer) has company’s shows, including Billy previously appeared in Bristol Old Holiday, Art Factory, Man Band Vic’s Peter Pan, Treasure Island, and Bournemouth Ballards. He also Bangladesh (scratch performance works with Kazuko Hohki as a co- in Bristol Old Vic Ferment). devisor (Kazuko Hohki’s Wuthering Other theatre includes: The Tiger Heights, Incontinental). Film includes: and the Moustache (Brewery Hot Fuzz, St Trinians 2, Burke and Theatre), Ali Baba and the Forty Hare, Scar Tissue. Television