School's superb concept makes for a vivid dream.

Promising young actor Nicolas Pillai played the mischievous spirit Puck		Helen Archbold portrayed the beautiful Titania, queen of the fairies.

By GRAHAM TUTHILL.

AS SOON as I walked into the hall at the Dover Boys' Grammar School to watch a performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream", I knew it was going to be something special.

The chairs were not set out in neat lines facing the stage, but the whole hall had been turned into a stage, with the country estate of Duke Theseus at one end, and the forest at the other.

The audience sat either side of the raised platform which linked the two, and found themselves almost involved in the action.

The stage was sometimes the Duke's lawn, then the village hall where Peter Quince's company of actors come together, then the depths of the forest and Titania's bed of flowers.

It was a brilliant concept and design, with performances to match under Michael Thomas's inspired direction.

Mr Thomas also used modem costume and that worked well, from the brightly-clad fairies to the dark, sinister Oberon, and the beautiful, flowing Titania.

It was a production which depended on the excellence of all who took part, on stage and behind the scenes.

And, like the equally-commendable Antigone at the girls' grammar school some years ago, it was an outstanding success.

Those who took part were: Greg Martin, Elizabeth Archbold, Lee Russell, Kelly Greenfield, Philip Marshall, Lee Davison, Joanne Aslett, Stephen Key, James Howard-Cofield, Helen Archbold, Nicolas Pillai, Claire Bateman, Nanette Waters, Gemma Wilkie, Robert Dunstone, Tom Berwick, Andrew Tempest, Daniel Trenowden, Luke Lyon-Wall, Matthew Fisher, Christopher Lightwing and Alastair Wilkie.

The production team members were Stephen Almond, Robert Forsyth, Gary Pressnall, Dean Pressnell, Chris Lightwing, Helen Archbold, Claire Bateman, Jonathan Slaughter, Michael Goodbun, Alastair Gardiner, Greg Martin, Fiona Berry, Hannah Mummery, Emma Borle, Michelle Morris, Jonathan Clark, Peter Chatfield, Kieran Dennard, Daniel Wilkingson, Andrew Berridge, Greg Williams, Michael Fuller, Tony Goodwin, Stefan Hargrave, Paul Padfield, Ryan Parmenter, Simon Thomas and Matthew Waller.

Production manager was Richard Sewell.

Three fairies from the grammar schools' production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (from left) Nanette Waters, Claire Bateman and Gemma Wilkie.