Skip to main content
Arts and CultureThe Society PagesThe Wonderful Tudor World of the Lodges and the Hills

Shakespeare & Shelley in a true 16th-Century Setting: Epidaurus Court Comes Alive

By 22 June 2025August 3rd, 2025No Comments

An Epic Weekend of Theatre: From Shakespeare’s Dreams to Shelley’s Nightmares

 

Get your tickets!

Tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream via this link.

 

Tickets for Frankenstein via this link 

Soulton Hall is thrilled to announce a spectacular weekend of theatre this summer, bringing two classic stories to life within the Hall’s historic grounds. Prepare to be transported to fantastical realms and gothic landscapes as we present Shakespeare’s enchanting “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Mary Shelley’s chilling masterpiece, “Frankenstein.”

British Touring Shakespeare, an acclaimed and respected company known for their vibrant and engaging productions of classic plays, returns to Soulton Hall for another summer of unforgettable theatre. For half a decade, their performances have graced the Hall’s historic grounds, delighting audiences with their energy and artistry. This year’s double feature promises to be another highlight in their ongoing partnership with Soulton.

Actor (male) stands in a garden with a toy dog; the audience look on.

Two Gentlemen of Verona Performed at Soulton Hall

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Saturday, August 2nd 

Experience the magic and mischief of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy under the evening sky. Join us for a journey into the realm of fairies, lovers, and mistaken identities as “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” unfolds in the Hall’s unique 16th-century Epidaurus Court.

This image depicts a scholarly reconstruction of Soulton Hall, highlighting its architectural elements inspired by the ancient theater of Epidaurus. The yellow lines trace these features, revealing the Rowland Hill's homage to the renowned Greek structure.

This scholarly reconstruction of Soulton Hall as it was in Old Sir Rowland’s time highlights proportions chosen to link to Classical Greece by superimposing yellow lines showing the proportions of the renowned theatre at Epidaurus. This theatre was praised by Pausanias and its geometry was described by Vitruvius in texts Old Sir Rowland would have known well.

This rarely used space, which has not been used for theatrical performances since at least 1783, steeped in history, will provide an unforgettable backdrop for this timeless tale of love and laughter.

This marks the first time in hundreds of years that the normally private Epidaurus Court will be used in this authentic Renaissance manner.

Sign on a gate to the Epidaurus Court

The normally Private Epidaurus Court will be specially opened for these performances

Old Sir Rowland Hill, whose extraordinary Renaissance vision shaped Soulton Hall, was fascinated by the classical allure of Eleusis, near Athens, and encoded that into the configuration of the precincts. The Ancient Telesterion of Greece and the boundaries of the Renaissance complex at Soulton are both 55 yards square. Shakespeare shared that obsession and echoed it in the play’s references to Demetrius and Helena’s journey to a location near Athens associated with ancient mysteries:

Lysander:

A good persuasion, therefore hear me, Hermia.

I have a widow aunt, a dowager

Of great revenue, and she hath no child.

From Athens is her house remote seven leagues,

And she respects me as her only son.

There, gentle Hermia, may I marry thee,

And to that place the sharp Athenian law Cannot pursue us.  

The play’s setting, with its exploration of love, magic, and the natural world, finds a fitting home within the Tudor grounds of Soulton Hall. Furthermore, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” features a concluding dance of eight characters in Theseus’s Hall, a tantalizing nod to the famous dance for eight in “As You Like It,” a play so closely linked to Soulton through Thomas Lodge Jr., whose “Rosalynde” served as Shakespeare’s source material.

a black and wite image of a pavement of cobels showing how to do a danced

The Soulton Dancing Pavement, showing The Dance, which features in AS YOU LIKE IT

This connection is further strengthened by Old Sir Rowland Hill’s cousinhood with Shakespeare’s mother and the presence of the historic dancing pavement at Soulton.

Sir Rowland Hill has been identified as the inspiration for Old Sir Rowland in “As You Like It.”

The performance will naturally feature the four couples central to the play – Theseus and Hippolyta, Lysander and Hermia, Demetrius and Helena, and Oberon and Titania – celebrating their unions in a harmonious dance that mirrors the reconciliation and restoration of order explored in “As You Like It.”

Frankenstein: Sunday, August 3rd 

The following evening, prepare for a dramatic shift in tone as we delve into the dark and thought-provoking world of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein.” Witness the tragic consequences of ambition and creation as the iconic story of Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation comes to life. This powerful and haunting performance promises to captivate and challenge audiences.

It is not decided yet if this will be performed in Base Court (pictured below) or Epidaurus Court.

'Merry Wives of Windsor' - performed at Soulton Hall

‘Merry Wives of Windsor’ – performed in Base Court, Soulton Hall

Tickets: £18 per performance

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to experience theatre in the unique and historic setting of Soulton Hall. Tickets for both performances are £18 each. More details about booking will be released soon, so keep an eye on our website and social media channels for updates.

Save the date! This is a weekend of theatre you won’t want to miss. We look forward to welcoming you to Soulton Hall this August!