Shakespeare goes punk
Two students are gearing up to star in City of Glasgow College’s contemporary and unique adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Cambuslang’s Jenna Pexton and Rutherglen’s Craig Barclay, who are both studying HNC Acting and Performance at the college, will take to the stage of Webster’s Theatre in Glasgow next week. The show follows the full plot of Shakespeare’s original story but adds a contemporary punk twist, including a soundtrack comprising Joy Division, The Clash, Blondie, and Madness.
Former Hutchesons’Grammar School pupil Jenna, who will perform as one of The Rude Mechanicals in the show, said:“I’ve been involved in drama productions since I was a little girl and I’ve always wanted to be an actress.
“I am really looking forward to performing this show in front of a live audience as we’ve spent many months rehearsing it.”
Fellow aspiring actor Craig, who is a former pupil of Stonelaw High School, has been cast in the comedic role of Bottom. The 19-year-old said: “The most challenging thing about playing my part is making sure I am able to make the audience laugh.
“My character also has an accent, so I’ve had to work really hard on that, too.
“The first show I was ever in was an amateur Christmas production at Rutherglen Town Hall. It went really well and, from then on, I knew I wanted to pursue a career as an actor.”
Stephen Cafferty, acting and performance lecturer at City of Glasgow College, praised Jenna, Craig and their fellow students for their commitment to bringing such an ambitious idea to the stage.
He said:“This is a very ambitious production that is a pacey, accessible, and fun version of a Shakespeare classic set in a fantasy world. It’s the first time many of the students have performed Shakespeare, and they have done a superb job of producing all their own costumes and make-up as well as embracing their characters onstage.”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by City of Glasgow College is on at Webster’s Theatre in Glasgow from May 19-21. Tickets and information are available from http://tinyurl.com/ MidsummerTix