TAUNTON Thespians head out on the road on Tuesday 15th July for their summer tour, this year taking William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Nights’ Dream to ten venues around Somerset.

Directed by Bob Corwin, the big-cast company will tell the ever-popular story of capricious young lovers and their dictatorial parents, a group of local workmen putting on a play for their duke, and the fairies who live alongside them and control their actions. The director says: “The course of true love never did run smooth … There will be lots of energy, colour and music to entertain young and old as we meet lovers who want, lovers who don’t want, interfering parents, jealous fairies, mischievous meddlers and bumbling yokels. It’s going to be fun – just as The Bard intended!”

The show is at Bishops Hull on 15th July, Brympton D’Evercy on 16th July, North Curry on 17th, Muchelney on 18th and Street on 19th July. The tour continues on Tuesday 22nd at Taunton, 23rd at Cannington, 25th at Cleeve Abbey and ends at Crowcombe Heathfield on Saturday 26th July. For more information, visit the Thespians website, www.tauntonthespians.org.uk All venues open at 6.30 for performances starting at 7.30pm.

Photographs by Mark Dawson.