RSC and Globe actor leads community bid to revive historic Framlingham theatre
He says the art provide a sense of community that needs to be restored
More than 50 people have joined a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, with ticket proceeds helping to fund improvements to Framlingham’s Old Theatre.
An actor with decades of experience performing Shakespeare is leading a community effort to bring one of Suffolk’s historic performance venues back into regular use.
Peter Hamilton Dyer, whose stage credits include more than 30 productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s Globe, is directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Framlingham’s Old Theatre.
The production will run on 30 and 31 July and 1 August, with every ticket sold supporting plans to renovate the building and establish it as a creative hub for the town.
More than 50 local people are involved in the project, including actors, musicians, costume makers, set builders, backstage volunteers and front-of-house teams.
‘A fantastic resource for the town’
Originally opened as the Assembly Hall in 1914, the venue sits beneath Framlingham Castle and has hosted community dances, political meetings, tractor launches and performances by artists including The Kinks and David Bowie.
However, organisers say the building is now underused and needs significant investment, including heating, modern lighting and suitable toilets.
Mr Hamilton Dyer, who lives in Framlingham, said the theatre remained a valuable community asset despite its condition.
He said: “It’s an amazing building. It’s beautiful inside and it’s underused. It’s got no lights, it’s got no loos, it’s got no heating.
“It’s a fantastic resource for the town of Framlingham to be used across the board, for all generations.”
The production is being staged with FramArts, a charity working to renovate the venue and develop it as a space for creative and community activity.
Mr Hamilton Dyer said he proposed using local talent to stage the Shakespeare comedy after the group began looking for events that could help relaunch the theatre.
Community response ‘fantastic’
A public call for volunteers was issued in May, attracting people with a wide range of ages and experience levels.
Some members of the cast have never performed before, while others are returning to the stage after a long absence.
Mr Hamilton Dyer said: “More than 50 people have come together on this first occasion of putting something on in the theatre, which has been really exciting.
“The response has been fantastic and tickets are selling. People want to come and see it and be a part of it.”
He said the production reflected a renewed appetite for people to take part in shared community activities following the isolation of the coronavirus pandemic and the rapid growth of technology.
“I think people are being reminded of how pleasurable it is to get together,” he said.
“We don’t really like existing just in isolation. I think we’re rediscovering how important those sorts of activities are.”
You give hope and you give a future'
Mr Hamilton Dyer believes community projects like this also highlight the wider importance of the arts, particularly for younger generations.
While acknowledging the financial pressures facing governments, he said continued investment in music, drama and other creative subjects remained essential.
He said: "We want to keep investing in the arts. They do so much for us nationally and internationally. We want to keep that coming through for our younger generations."
He added: "Not everybody can become a chemist and not everybody can become a great pianist, but if all those avenues are open and given validity, then you give hope and you give a future.
"They are the future, so we want to make the future as rich and as positive as possible."
Bringing the building back to life
Mr Hamilton Dyer described seeing the theatre in need of renovation as “very sad”, particularly given its century-long role in the town.
He said rehearsals and live music had already begun attracting the attention of passers-by when the building’s doors were open.
“The music playing in the space with the doors open would bring people up to the door to look in,” he said.
“People were saying how wonderful it was to see the space in use again.
“There is a real desire to see that space active again and it keys into a sense of us having great pleasure in the place we live.”
He added that Framlingham’s growing population made it increasingly important for the town to have places where people could meet, create and perform.
“We have more than enough here to create our own work,” he said. “We can do stuff here in Framlingham as well, which is really exciting.”
A magical and accessible Shakespeare production
Mr Hamilton Dyer has appeared in productions including Twelfth Night, Richard III, King Lear, The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra and Henry VIII.
His screen credits include Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, Downton Abbey, Silent Witness, Doctor Who, Emmerdale and Upstart Crow.
He said A Midsummer Night’s Dream had been chosen because it was accessible, entertaining and capable of creating a close relationship between performers and the audience.
“It’s magic, it’s great fun and, even in the rehearsal room, there are moments where it all just goes quiet while a little bit of magic takes place,” he said.
However, he said the play also contained more serious themes, including conflict, disorder and changes to the natural world.
“It has a profundity to it,” he said. “It has a lovely serious side and a slightly more dangerous side, as well as having all the fun with fairies running around and causing mayhem.”
The production will feature live improvised music and large murals displayed along the walls to create an immersive experience for audiences.
Mr Hamilton Dyer said: “Do come along. It will be an event.
“It’s all in a good cause. It’s to raise funds to see whether we can put some basic things back into the space — loos, lights and heating — and then set it up as a creative hub for Framlingham.”