A former Canon Slade pupil and a graduate of the prestigious Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts is transporting Shakespeare to a different level in his latest production.
And for Lane Paul Stewart All the World really is a stage as he takes Shakespeare to the street and outside of the traditional confines of theatres.
His new production A Midsummer Night's Dream: Abridged On A Bridge will be performed on the Manchester Viaduct on June 23 and 24.
Lane set up his theatre company, Facing North Theatre, four years ago celebrating the creation of performances outside traditional theatre spaces and inviting audiences to engage with their surroundings in a different way.
According to Lane, the northern working-class voice lies at the heart of the company and champions the LGBTQ+ community in work that is hopeful for change and shares stories that draw from diverse source material, bringing them to life using physical theatre, clowning, puppetry, object manipulation, original and repurposed text in productions that are designed to be entertaining and accessible to everyone.
Lane said: “I am Bolton born and raised in Bolton and went to Canon Slade School, now based in Manchester.
“I was part of Bolton Octagon's first youth theatre, starting my professional performance experience there appearing in 'Kes The Musical' at the age of 15.
“I have since completed my master’s degree at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London and set up Facing North Theatre four years ago, creating my own theatre projects at venues including The Lowry, HOME Manchester, Storyhouse Chester, Unity Theatre Liverpool, Bloomsbury Festival London.”
A truncated adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most entertaining plays, will be performed for the first time against Manchester’s urban skyline on the National Trust’s Viaduct.
The performances are suitable for ages 12 and above with shows lasting approximately 40 minutes.
Lane said: “Very excited to be creating this project for the Viaduct, the first time a site-specific performance has been created for the venue.”
For more information go to: https://www.facingnorththeatre.co.uk/
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