“Lord what fools these
mortals be!”
Produced and Performed by
Longdendale High School
Contact Theatre
02 November 2016
Appraised by William Donaldson
Many congratulations to the cast and crew of
Longdendale High School on their fantastic
production! I’d like to highlight a few things
from this group that stood out, wowed the
audience and made this Shakespeare Schools
Festival night an evening to remember.
You produced a magical, melodic Midsummer
Night's Dream. A bright and colourful 60's
themed show complete with it's own
soundtrack!
You created some wonderful rich characters
for us to enjoy: a proud Oberon and his
fawning fairy Queen; a tie-dyed trickster
Puck; a fierce Hermia, along with some
ridiculous mechanicals: a pompous Quince;
the daftest lion we've ever seen, and a
melodramatic Bottom. All of your characters
were well thought through and fleshed out
the universe of your story.
I loved how your show just popped off the
stage! The soundtrack; the vibrant colours;
the energy in your performances; the dancing
and the sheer fact you seem to relish every
moment you have in the spotlight was
wonderful.
This was an infectious piece of absolute magic
by a very talented cast of performers.
“It's a significant achievement to do
something as difficult and aspirational as
perform one of Shakespeare's plays on a
professional stage. Everyone who's taken
part should be so proud of themselves.”
Ruth Brock, SSF Chief Executive
I would like to congratulate everyone
involved in this superb production. I hope to
see your school in the Festival again next
year.
William Donaldson
SSF Stage Director