A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Handlebards, Crook Hall and Gardens, Durham
DIRECTORS James Farrell and Emma Sampson begin their programme notes for The Handlebards’ summer tour thus: “When four cyclists decide to undertake a 1500 mile ride across the UK, we tend to think they’re a little crazy. When those cyclists decide to tour two Shakespeare plays and carry around 150 kilograms of extra weight with them, we think they’re downright foolish.”
Until two years ago, I would have agreed. But having seen these pedalling players perform on each of their two previous tours, in summer 2013 and 2014, I was determined not to miss out on completing the hat-trick.
The Handlebards are simply hilarious. Superb. Unmissable. This year they are touring Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was our pleasure to see the latter in such an idyllic setting.
There are two new Handlebards for this summer; and Calum Hughes-McIntosh and Matthew Seager add a new spice to founder members Callum Brodie and Tom Dixon. The running (should that be cycling?) jokes were all there: the cast frantically dashing around playing far too many characters all at once; dragging audience members onto stage to make up the numbers and enjoying playing women a little too much.
In MSND the physical comedy was outrageously bawdy, much to the pleasure of what, I’m delighted to report, looked the lads’ biggest Crook Hall audience yet. The tour is in the region until the weekend. On yer bike and get there. Details:
Peculius.com
Mark Tallentire
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