Henry IV Dress rehearsal

Henry IV Part One, this year's out-door Shakespeare production, starts this Thursday 12th July and runs until Saturday 21st at Caversham Court Gardens. Monday night was a dress rehearsal and press night so I had a bit of a sneak preview of what it will all look like. The stage remains in position during the whole run but everything else like the tents needed for actors and props has to be put up and taken down each night.

Caversham Gardens are a beautiful setting for productions; the stage sits next to the river and among the mature trees. The trees are put to more than decorative use as they are used to hold the lights that enable the audience to get a good view of the dramatic battle scenes in the second half as darkness starts to fall.

As well as the actors and stage crew there is an army of willing workers who take on the less glamorous but vital roles like selling tickets, running the bar and selling programmes. Dress rehearsals are an opportunity for them to run through their procedures and make sure they have everything in place.

Production team checking what they need in the box office

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Coming up -

Henry IV Part One by William Shakespeare, 12th - 21st July 2012, Caversham Court Gardens

Auditions for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead by Tom Stoppard Sunday 29th July 2012, 1pm and Tuesday 31st July 7.30pm, both at Progress Theatre

Calendar Girls by Tim Firth, 13th - 22nd September 2012, Progress Theatre

Details of all our productions and auditions can be found on our website.