All the world’s a stage as park hosts Bard’s farce: Comedy Of Errors at Bantock House

Dedicated to keeping the values of William Shakespeare alive, this all-male theatre group take you right back to the 1600s with traditional costumes, sets and scripts – and they’re coming to Wolverhampton.

They’ll bring Comedy Of Errors to Bantock Park on Friday, August 11.

Peter’s at the heart of it all, and he first became aware of The Lord Chamberlain’s Men as a budding actor.

“When I graduated from drama school in 2004 I worked front of house at a large theatre in London. When I worked there I met the gentleman who founded the company,” Peter says.

“I then had an audition with them in 2007, and I went on tour with the company in Romeo and Juliet playing Lady Capulet!

“I loved the company’s work so much that in 2008 I returned on the production of Much Ado About Nothing, and then I stayed working with them in other capacities.

“In January 2016 I formally bought and took over the company, to become the artistic director. It’s been exactly 10 years since I first worked for them, and it’s very dear to my heart.

From a fresh-faced actor to the head honcho of the company, if you can think of a job that needs doing – Peter will be doing it.

“Mine is an all-encompassing role. It involves choosing what play we’re going to do each year, setting out the tour and working out which venues we’re going to.

“Then its working on all of the pre-production so what’s included in the artwork, collaborating with all of our designers, casting the actors, and I also direct the plays.”

A huge task, but one that Peter is passionate about.

“It’s a fantastic position to be in. I’m steering my own ship and the ship of the company.

“This year we’re touring over 17 weeks and doing 83 different performances, it takes quite a lot of organisation but I love it. What I really love, and the reason I took the job, is to be able to direct the shows. Turning up to a venue where there is nothing, creating our stage, attracting the audience and putting on the show gives me a great sense of achievement.”

On top of all of this, the company has to make sure that every part of their play is true to what the plays would have been like in Shakespeare’s time – from costumes, to an all-male cast.

“It’s obviously very hard to hire dresses to fit men. We have to get all of our costumes made from scratch.

“It’s important to us that our lads understand that this is not a pastiche or a panto dame role, it’s about really understanding the history. We treat it with a huge amount of respect and reverence.”

Peter loves a challenge, so if all of that wasn’t enough, they also perform all of their shows open-air, turning picturesque outdoor locations into a theatre. Generally speaking you go into a theatre, sit in the warm under a roof, and we don’t have any of that,” Peter laughs.

“It takes a lot of work in rehearsals. We work with a voice coach who teaches our actors how to project outdoors.

“We only have the seven actors who do the play, set everything up and drive the set around in our van. The set has to be portable, easy to put together and fit in that van.”

This year, the company are touring the classic Comedy Of Errors.

“I have been blown away by Comedy Of Errors. I didn’t know much about it beforehand, it’s one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays and one of his first comedies. He was so good already at that point.”

Peter says he’s looking forward to returning to the Midlands. “The Midlands is so diverse, it has beautiful cities and vibrant culture. We’re so pleased to add Bantock to our list of venues we tour to, it’s so different.

l For tickets call their box office on 08703207000 or visit http://www.tlcm.co.uk/events/26/bantock-house-and-gardens/

Becci Stanley

l How much do you know about the Bard? Test your Shakespeare knowledge at www.expressandstar.co.uk/entertainment