From Friday 10 July, The Shakespeare Circus will transform St. Peter’s Church in Belsize Square into a theatre for a quirky, fast-paced production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for three performances over the weekend.
Led by producer Rhys Williams and RSC voice & text coach Michael Corbidge, the play will add a contemporary rock and roll twist to the familiar story, accompanied by live musical performances.
The Shakespeare Circus began in 2020 when Williams partnered with friends and drama school graduates to launch the theatre company. Due to lockdowns, these actors “didn’t have a showcase where agents could come watch, and they didn’t have a final performance at graduation,” Rhys explains. The Shakespeare Circus gave actors an opportunity as they performed in open-air spaces like fields, gardens and barns where audiences could safely gather.
In a post-pandemic world, The Shakespeare Circus is still a touring theatre company using unconventional venues, and bringing Shakespeare’s timeless works to broad audiences – children and adults, newcomers and fanatics alike.
This ethos that Shakespeare is for everyone guides the company’s performances which are intended to be “fresh, fast, farcical and funny.”
“I think Shakespeare’s plays were designed to be performed,” Williams adds. “And the themes of love, sexuality, comedy, misidentification and gender are still relevant now, even after 500 years.”
The production at St. Peter’s Church will feature a cast of seven actors performing fifteen characters in what Williams describes as “suitcase theatre” – set design is minimal, costume changes are fast, and the staging spills into the church’s aisles, altar and balcony making the experience as immersive as possible.
The venue lends itself well to the task, with natural acoustics, gothic arches and stained glass windows feeding into the play’s magical, dreamlike atmosphere.
While staying true to the original text, the production is modernised through costumes, with a “punky vibe” for the fairies. Bringing in a rock and roll theme, actors will perform original musical compositions on acoustic instruments, alongside cover songs that the audience should recognise.
For Rhys Williams, who grew up in the theatre, the aim is simple – entertain, have fun, and leave audiences with new thoughts about Shakespeare. And, of course, an appetite for more.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at St. Peter’s Church, Belsize Square on:
Friday 10 July at 7pm and Saturday 11 July at 3pm & 7pm.
For tickets: www.theshakespearecircus.com
There’s 12.5% discount on tickets for In The Square readers. Use the code CIRCUS2026
