Theatre professionals have used Warrington as a base for workshops to research and develop the first production at the new Shakespeare North Playhouse, which opens in Prescot, Liverpool in July.
Warrington-based theatre collective Not Too Tame will be co-producers (with Shakespeare North Playhouse and Northern Stage) of inaugural show A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Artistic director Jimmy Fairhurst will co-direct the play with Oldham-born, Olivier-nominated director, playwright and actor Matthew Dunster.
Ahead of rehearsals, Not Too Tame's team of 11 took part in workshops at Warrington's Pyramid Arts Centre with Dunster to experiment on the themes of the play. Not Too Tame’s working method incorporates music, physicality and a focus on making the audience part of the production.
Warrington Borough Council funded the workshops, hosted by Culture Warrington, to help promote the town as a theatre production venue. As part of the week, performing arts students from Warrington's Priestley College were able to shadow the professionals involved and take part in the workshops.
The new playhouse (right) will feature a 350-seat theatre, replicating those popular during the Elizabethan
era, as well as an outdoor performance garden, exhibition and visitor centre and
educational facilities.