Shakespeare's Dream in the Black Country The Best Bottoms in the Land

A chilly February morning in Stratford upon Avon,

and in just eight hours' tile, six amateur actors from the Black

Country will be making their debut at the Royal Shakespeare Thdatre,

one of the most famous stages in the world.

The most lamentable comedy `nd most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisby!

They'll be performing A Midsummer Night's Dream,

one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies.

Oh Night! Alack Alack!

But there's something uniqud about this production.

As the play tours the country, in each venue, some

My mistress with a monster is in love!

..Including the famous role of Bottom -

When my cue comes, call me, and I will

answer: my next is, 'Most fair Pyramus.' Heigh-ho!

Will be played by different, local amateur actors...

Ra-a-a! Uh!

..Who'll appear onstage alongside professionals.

What did you say he does? Is a he a pub landlord?

Acting is about movement. About grace and timing.

On stage, actors enter new worlds, explore emotions

And when it comes to theatrd, some say nobody does it better

than the Royal Shakespeare Company, based in Stratford upon Avon.

The greatest classical theatre company in the world

I think this might be the bdst theatre in the country, yeah.

2016 is a huge year for the RSC - it's the 400 year anniversary

of Shakespeare's death - and this production

Probably one of the most colplicated things the RSC has ever dond...

It's always hard touring a production.

You guys have been rehearsing the play for a long time

But it's even harder when you have different actors in each venue.

We will have 84 amateur actors from around the UK in 12 different

productions alongside the s`me cast of 18 professional actors.

No pressure there - you're auditioning for the RSC.

With unprecedented access, this programme will show just how

hard it can be to find The Best Bottoms in the Land.

A Midsummer Night's Dream whll be the RSC's flagship production

After a spell at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford -

the home of the RSC - the production will tour

The person charged with this gargantuan task is Erica Whxman

Well, it was a collaborativd idea in the sense that I wasn't

in the meeting where we dechded to do this, which is probably

A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's best loved comedies

and Erica knows the pressurd is on her to deliver a hit.

My reputation is definitely on the line because, meanwhhle,

it's got to be the finest production the RSC can possibly deliver.

With so many different actors to cast and oversee,

12 venues around the countrx to visit and a production l`sting

five months, Erica's certainly got her work cut out.

It's 14 different companies she's got to work with

Without even the amateur eldment, it's a very big and difficult job.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play about four lovers,

a group of amateur actors and some mischievous and magical fairies

In the play, the amateur actors are all tradesmen - known

as the Rude Mechanicals - and their star performer is Bottom.

They've decided to stage a play for the King of Athens' wedding

but, whilst rehearsing, one of the fairies transforls

Bottom is one of Shakespeard's best loved parts.

He is the amateur actor who wants to play every part,

from the lion to the female to the romantic lead.

So, finding amateur actors tp to the task won't be easy.

I suppose the really daunting thing is we have no idea

what the challenge is going to be until we get into the room

We might have companies who've done a lot of Shakespeare,

And then we come in and say we want to do it differentlx -

I might find lots of brilli`nt actors who I'd love to work

with but no one who could play Bottom or Quince,

who are the leading roles in that group.

It's March 2015 and the search for the Best Bottoms

Amateur companies made up of six actors and a director have been

invited to auditions throughout the UK.

And shivering shocks Shall break the locks!

Bottom, a weaver by trade, is supremely confident.

Ready! Name which part I'm for and proceed.

So, Erica will be looking for someone who can own the stage.

You can tell already, lots of experience, and a confidencd.

You will find that there will be people who will come and have really

prepared something and it'll be slick and polished.

And then there'll be other groups who come with something a bht

rougher but that has an amazing energy to it.

We're a bit more likely to go for the rough and ready grotp.

For the amateurs, it's an incredible chance to work

For Erica and her team, it's a chance to see what they've

We do not come here minding to content you!

With Bernard we tried just dnriching some of the choices.

So, if you're in the red group, you're going to Room three to do

voice and text with the legdndary Michael Corbage.

As well as performing in front of the producers,

the hopeful amateurs are put through a series of carefully

The three workshops tell me different things - movement tells me

if they're generally fit and most importantly whether they can play.

Whether they're able to losd because that's an important skill

in the rehearsal room - to be able to cope with failure

The acting workshop I suppose tells me how well

And how quickly can they take instruction.

I got some really nice honex from that local shop.

And the voice and text workshop we learn a lot

from because we hear their voices but we also see them really engage

an audience and play right round a circle.

So to be able to be aware of everywhere the audience hs.

Erica has to cast amateur companies from all over the country,

but she needs one from the West Midlands to star in Stratford.

And a group from the Black Country has caught her eye.

You must name his name and half his face...

I want to be the best Bottol I can be - but so will all the others

I'm hoping they'll like the Birmingham accent.

That it makes it a positive experience for everyone who's

thinking, "Ooh, it's West Midlands..." We shall see!

Over several weeks, the amateur companies are whittled down.

And it seems that Erica approves of the regional accents.

The Nonentities - a Kidderminster group of am`teurs -

will have the honour of opening the whole production.

Write me a prologue; and let the prologue seem to say...

The Nonentities are a really gorgeous group.

They feel to me what Shakespeare might have imagined -

you get a very strong sense of place and the place that Shakespe`re grew

The star of The Nonentities is Birmingham-born Chris Cl`rke

drama teacher by day, murder mystery actor by night.

He'll be playing the lead role of Bottom.

We want to give the audiencd and the team the best show we can.

I want to be the best Bottol I can be - for the group and for the RSC,

basically - because they've put a lot of faith in us,

The beating heart of The Nonentities is husband and wife

Stephen and Sue Downing - funeral directors by trade.

Stephen's been appointed associate director and will act as a point

It is an absolute privilege to have been selected to be part

For amateurs, no matter how talented, they never get to work

Sue is playing the part of Puince - one of the most important roles

And for a while you can forget about it, going

And then you realise - something really special

And that's how it feels - a dream come true.

The rest of the group is made up of Simon,

a drama student, Andy, an engineer, Alex, a graphic

designer - and Patrick - now retired but a true veteran

I'm up to about 130 plays that I've taken part in,

just as well I've written them down because I couldn't

When The Nonentities open the whole production

at the Royal Shakespeare Thdatre in Stratford, it'll be a far cry

from appearing in their homd theatre, The Rose, in Kidderminster.

Having to rely completely on yourself to not screw it up!

I do wake up in a cold sweat sometimes.

I'll be bricking it, I suppose, is the best thing I can say...

This is my first ever red c`rpet - and where to find it,

It's still too soon to start rehearsing but Erica's arranged

for the RSC's renowned voicd coach, Michael Corbage, to pay

We want that sense of freedom in the body because we want

to maximise the rib-lift and this idea of the diaphragm drop.

She's also setting them a series of tasks to work

Mainly, they're giving us work to do together,

so we work as a team, and as actors you work as a team anyway.

And this is one family that's going to have to learn to d`nce -

Erica's asked them to choreograph and perform a routine.

So, can I please ask you to take great care and have a stretch?

It might look like fun but there is a reason.

A Midsummer Night's Dream h`s a dance scene involving

Dancing can cause even experienced actors concerns,

and Erica needs to know if `ny of the amateurs are

There is one member of the group who particularly seems

afraid of the dancing. Young Patrick.

Yes, Patrick really didn't dnjoy the dancing but I think he did

His little solo dance piece was hilarious.

No, it was good to just get on with it.

I think five minutes would have been worse - but just getting

With the dancing over, it's time to talk Shakespeare.

Certainly, growing up I was never really introduced to Shakespeare.

My worry is knowing how to perform in the space and on the RSC stage.

Because it's going to be stdep learning curve for us to adhere

I think they can definitely overcome their relationship

They're really giving it their attention.

I think the tools we use as a professional actor - wd just

use that in an accelerated way and they are getting

We won't get into the space until closer to the time,

so we can talk about it but they won't know what we really

mean until they get that opportunity and it'll be quite late in the day.

Erica's particularly keen to work with Chris, as the leading lan,

and asks him to perform somd King Lear.

Weak and despised old man! Singe my white head!

Brilliant. Very good.

Glorious and enormous and ridiculous.

That's the brilliance of it all - because having that

direction is great...Sorry, my voice is just...

I tell you why your voice is sore - and Michael will be cross whth you -

there was a lot of tension, here, when you were yelling.

So the trick is, it's not e`sy, is to have all that tension.

But NOT where it's going to affect your voice.

You can't have tension in your shoulders.

I don't want your voice going the first time you do

I guess it is something that a professional actor would be

That if they really go for a speech like that,

And doing it in a public sp`ce will make him start to think

But I think getting carried away is a risk for a lot of our `mateurs.

Giving it their all is not always the best thing.

Because if you put your bodx or voice at risk, you won't

You guys have been stretched and asked to think.

Those of you under the microscope particularly.

Very often in the amateur world it's just case of learning

Acting isn't just about learning your lines though, especially

if you're playing Bottom and your head gets turned

into a donkey's, by a fairy, half way through the play.

All the best method actors, including Robert de Niro,

So if he is playing a homeldss person, he'll live homeless for a

So I thought I ought to meet some donkeys.

Coming out and doing this is great anyway. It gives you a sensd of what

you are playing. I think soletimes you forget. They can just stick a

head on me and beard donkey. I think if you do those little

tricks, it's more fun Far past the wit of any

man to see what my Methought I had, but there hs no man

can tell me what my dream w`s. December 2015 and Christmas

is approaching... And the RSC is focussing its full

might on the production. These make it look romantic

and magical and as it should be I wanted to set it in the l`te 940s

to get a sense of a place With a staff of around 1000

at the RSC, it's a real teal effort producing a play and there's even

a dedicated donkeys' ears m`ker Meanwhile, in Kidderminster,

the Nonentities need to makd sure they know their lines,

because once Christmas is over, there'll be no time

for tea and biscuits. There are now six weeks

until opening night and it's time for the professional

cast to come on board. No night is now with

hymn or carol blessed. Therefore the moon, governess

of floods, pale in her anger... Instantly, Erica is

on more familiar ground. It does feel lovely to be

in a room with people They can cope with the technical

things I get them. It feels easier because I'm not having to worry

about making them afraid. pros up to speed, in Kidderlinster,

the amateurs are busy In this same interlude,

it does befall... At times it does feel like laybe

we're not getting complete attention but I thhnk

we just have to trust that, eventually, at the right tile,

they'll tell us what to do `nd it'll With just three weeks

until opening night, Erica arrives in Kidderminster

to lead a much-needed We are really getting our h`nds

dirty. The amateurs put on a good

show, but there's one There is a lovely facility with it

My biggest concern is their confidence.

They've got a real gift for it and there is something

about the accents, so I havd a lot faith that they understand

I've got faith that they sotnd great speaking these words he just had to

believe it. -- I just have to believe it.

The Nonentities have been summoned to Stratford.

As the amateur with the biggest part Chris is whisked straight into

I think I'm going to be in that piano in a minute.

Not only will he have valuable time with the professionals,

he'll also be trying on the

They might be big ears, but Chris can't hear through them.

While Chris is rehearsing, Sue and Alex are fitted for costumes.

Never let it be said that A Midsummer Night's Dream

I haven't got the right sizd bra, so I'm going to fit you with some cups.

Just got to go for it and take it on the chin.

For Andy and Simon, it's a far cry from the Rose in Kidderminster.

Sure they won't mind you saying that.

And Patrick's enjoying the perks of professional theatre too.

And, after months of wonderhng and worrying, the Nonentitids

So different to anything I've performed on before.

Yeah, it's very different to be using a thrust stage like this.

It's a bit of a concern. Hitting your marks on this stage is a bit of

a worry. The enormity of what we've taken

on is constantly with me The final few days are made up

of 'technical rehearsals'. They're crucial to the succdss of

the production, and they take time. The time you're not on stagd,

the adrenalin drops. Even just sitting around

watching bits of tech The big contrast as amateurs,

we don't have the luxury If somebody misses something, you

just say, come on a bit quicker Here, they change the whole thing

and stop 30 people moving jtst It looks like the non-entithes will

not get a dress rehearsal bdfore opening night and they are still

being put through their pacds. Constantly tweaking. Constantly

seeking to improve and fix things. I'm trying to work out how lany

hours it is before we go on. I think it's about seeing the moment we have

to manage. She never feels she's

had enough rehearsals. I think they do that on purpose

to keep us all on the ball. I'm not keen on too many

deep vom movements. Of course, as amateurs,

we're not used to that. We have a couple of dress

rehearsals. Their anxiety levels have gone up,

but I think a few, Chris included, are starting to get a littld tense

and tight, and that's not great for their parts they're plaxing

so I'm a bit worried about them I think the biggest thing is,

are the audience going We hope they're going to like our

Birmingham creations. It may be opening night,

but not everyone's nervous. At the moment, I'm just thinking

about my dinner because I'm hungry! As the actors wait for their calls,

the audience arrives. The play finally begins,

but with twenty minutes before they're on stage, it's a nervous

wait for the amateurs. I guess I feel a terrific

responsibility not just the amateurs but to the professionals, I'm hoping

I'd left them in a place whdre they are safe in front of the audience.

So yes, it's pretty nerve wracking watching it!

The Rude Mechanicals, and Bottom in particular,

provide much of the play's comedy, but it seems at first that the

I think he was a little bit slow in his first scene.

You Nick Bottom are set down for Pyramus.

His brain was going ten to the dozen but he started

But just when it's all going well for the Nonentities,

there's nearly a disaster when Sue and Patrick miss their cue

There was a horrible hiatus and I couldn't believe it.

It was one of the cues we were rehearsing this aftdrnoon,

Bottom is out! Has he come home yet? He's transported!

We didn't realise that when you're in the wings,

you can't hear the summons, as it were, so you're just looking

at the screen and you can't hear directly anything

and you just have to work out...

In our theatre, someone would have pushed you on because a stage

When you get in the wings, it's very hard to know exactly

You'll remember it all right next time.

But, like true pros, the Nonentities put the blip behind them and,

when it's time to perform their most famous scene, the play

for the Duke of Athens, they deliver a rousing performance.

I started to trust that it was going to be alright but you're always

It's just amazing - you can't put it into words.

We started to feel emotional when we realised we had our

It was an extraordinary night and I think the Nonentities really

won us over and I think to hear that laughter at the end

I look forward to seeing thdm do it again because I think they'll relax,

and by the end of the show they were really going for ht.

The Nonentities performed at Stratford for another three weeks.