THE Teignmouth Players are about to resume their well known and loved Ice Factory Studio Theatre performances of the works of the Bard; William Shakespeare.

Appropriately, so near to St Valentine’s Day, the main dominant theme of the play they have chosen is Love.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most performed plays, and it is also one of his most poetic.

This may seem odd, since the heightened poetic language of the Renaissance often makes use of oblique references and associations that are largely lost on modern audiences.

The play’s frequent references to the moon are a good example.

The moon is the image that unifies the many plots, shining over mechanicals, fairies and courtiers alike. But it is a cold and notoriously changeable light, heightening the sense of un-reality that pervades the forest.

The mechanicals are relieved to find that the moon will shine on the night of their performance, implying a full, or near full moon. Perhaps they have mis-read their almanac?

The goddess Hermia will be dedicated to Diana, a famously virginal goddess who as a powerful and chaste female entity, some critics have argued that contemporary audiences may have interpreted Diana as a figure for Queen Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen.

Director Nicole Davall wonders how the atmosphere of tension will play to audiences of today when we are beginning to open up after two years of social distancing.

Nicole has a unique style of presenting her shows as was seen in her last two Shakespeare productions with the Players - Romeo & Juliet in 2019 and The Tempest in 2020.

A strong cast sees Nicole playing Titania, Ben Butler-Cole as Oberon and Steve Brown as Bottom.

Laura Wilson-Back in her first Shakespeare role plays Puck with Gordon Mellor playing in his third as Peter Quince.

Jaz Weyer Brown who is well known to Ice Factory audiences takes on the role of Hermia, Alison Rawlings is Flute and Lewis Bird is cast as Lysander.

Players’ Shakespeare productions sell well and this year it is sure to guarantee good audiences so early booking is advised.

The play opens on Thursday,h February 24, at 7.30pm and continues at the same time on the 25th and 26th with a 2.30pm matinee performance on the 26th.

A second short run opens on March 2 to 5 again at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available via the Box Office: 01626 778991 or online at any time: teignmouthplayers.org.uk Thursday, February 24, £9 - All other performances £10.