Comedy of Errors works a treat on perfect summer night

The three performance run of Shakespeare's 'Comedy of Errors' finished in style last night as many of Audlem's finest picnicked, popped bubbly and enjoyed the superb setting of Buerton House. Indeed three settings, for the audience moved around three garden locations, glasses in hand, an unusual approach to scene changes, and somewhat curious as this is one of the few plays by the Bard where the action is focused on a single place. But it did wonders in preventing indigestion!

Comedy of Errors is all about the embarrassment caused by a man in search of his long-lost twin brother when the wife, mistress, father (who all should know better!) and others, mistake the one twin for the other. Given the twin brothers each have a servant, also identical twins, and each pair of twins have the same names, and the comic possibilities are endless. Despite having lived in very different cities all their lives, each twin also happens to have the same dress sense and tailor! But it was reputed to be Shakespeare's first ever play so he could leave the more complicated plots to later in his career.

Dean Taylor, the producer, promised he'd present this most hilarious of Shakespeare's comedies as it's meant to be seen – outdoors, bawdy and very funny. And so it was, with particularly strong performances from the two man-servants, each called Dolmio, by Tim Scragg and Dominic Cazenove. They played up every comic possibility and were so similar in looks, the plot's confusion was maintained to the full.

There was beautiful music too from Serenna Wagner and Chris Gill. They played during the picnic and throughout the performance and helped create a magical atmosphere.

Dean Taylor Productions has now brought two fine performances to the area with this and last year's 'Merry Wives of Windsor'. Dean says he hopes to return to Buerton next year. We hope they do. On a beautiful summer's evening, this is an event that's not to be missed.

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