Thirty-five years after their very first outdoor production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Holt Dramatic Society is performing the play again, from September 10-13 in The Courts Garden Arboretum in the village. It is believed HDS were the first amateur company to stage an outdoor Shakespeare locally, and their example has been followed by many others.

Directed by Rachel Elsy, this version of the Dream is set in the Edwardian era. This comedy play is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and features three interconnecting plots, with all the human cast members, controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set.

The cast includes familiar faces and some newcomers; in 1979 John Palmer played Demetrius, and this year will appear as Oberon.

Tickets are available from Holt Superstore, at £15 (£12 concessions) and online at www.holtdrama.org.uk Playgoers can picnic in The Courts from from 6pm, and the seating area will be available from 7pm.