Lincs: Midsummer comes early to the Theatre Royal

Merely specialise in bringing fresh life and a new dimension to Shakespeare’s immortal words in a newUK tour, promising audiences will get it first time.

The company, which uses a company of 10 actors (five male, five female) to put on gender-blind five-hand productions, love to be on the front foot at all times, with high stakes and a booming energy running through their work.

But amidst the anarchy, they fight constantly to earn their expressiveness with clarity.

It is the foundation stone of their work, and makes them surprising to those who haven’t yet developed an ear for Shakespeare.

Company actor Robert Myles says the company make it their business to be understood.

He said: “In Merely, we take our responsibility to communicate seriously.

“We mine the text for detail and hammer in as much clarity as possible.

“By doing so, we can bring the audience with us, sharpening their ear as the play rides along.

“And that’s just the foundation, which we build on with energy, comedy, emotion.

“It brings the plays to life, and it’s why we sweat so much on stage.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream playfully depicts the comically intertwining tales of feuding forest gods, midnight elopements and staging a theatre show.

The accessibility of the piece is further reflected in the fact the performance lasts just 90 minutes.

Theatre critic Lyn Gardner has written on how it is best to get children into Shakespeare when they are young, saying: “I reckon that no child is too young to get a taste of Shakespeare.

“Definitely before, children have been exposed to the misguided idea that Shakespeare is primarily there to be studied to pass exams rather than to entertain.”

Scott Ellis, Merely’s artistic director, said: “We’re bringing our work nationwide for the first time, after two years in London working together and honing our style.

“We previewed these productions at The Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre.

“Most of the young people there had never seen a play before and they loved them.

“These are kids who have grown up only seeing film and TV, so the complete opposite to our stripped back style.

“We’re a young company, but we love Shakespeare, and we want to share the joy and enthusiasm and energy that comes from that.

“We’re sweaty, we’re bold, and we strive for clarity in context, making the shows both understandable and real.

“Shakespeare has been around a lot longer than the large scale musical and simple storytelling has been around even longer than that.

“I’m pretty confident that regional audiences still have a hunger for both.

“We just want to see that they get it delivered brilliantly.

“It’s so easy to turn people off Shakespeare with one bad production - and let’s be honest there are enough of those.

“We’re confident that a Merely production will only leave you wanting to see more.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is on at Lincoln Theatre Royal on Monday, January 25 at 1.30pm and 7.30pm and again on Tuesday, January 26 at 11am.

Tickets are £19.50 and £17.50 (schools offer of £10 per pupil, teachers go free) on 01522 519999 or www.lincolntheatreroyal,com