A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Project Book

This is special to me. As photographers, it’s common to start a project & for it never to reach the end point. There’s a lot of reasons that can happen. Other work can take over, paying the bills has to take priority. You could simply change your mind, or lose interest - perhaps with a deeper dive into the material, it wasn’t quite what you hoped it' would be.

Around this time last year, 2024, I started to document the Leeds Arts Centre’s theatre production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I wanted to follow the process, from the first read-throughs of the script, with all of the hopefuls, right through to the performance. In a departure from my normal style of working, almost all of the project was photographed in Black & White too. It was a creative choice right from the start. I don’t know why I don’t work in Black & White more, because I love it. It’s just that it hasn’t really been the suitable medium for what I’ve been working on I suppose. I’m happy with how it’s worked in this case though & I’m happy with the decision I made at the start.

I’ve photographed a lot of Leeds Arts Centre’s productions in the past, but not in this depth. Photographing actors, directors & crew, many of them working in an amateur capacity, is something that’s helped me greatly. It’s good to be around creative people and to be an observer of the fringes to witness the creative processes of other people.

The following photographs document the process through casting and rehearsals and then, in a flourish of colour, the last full costume dress rehearsal, the night before the first live performance. That was the point that I chose to complete the project. I shared the photographs with LAC throughout, so that they could use them for promotion & then it was all over. Project completed.

At least until now. I’ve edited the selection of images down to100 images and put them all into a book, which is now available in my website shop. It’s actually a big moment for me & I’m glad that I’ve reached this point. The feeling of having a project printed, of getting to an end stage that I’m happy with is something that, although many, many other people have achieved, is a first for me. It’s a good feeling.

I’d just like to say a massive thank you to Leeds Arts Centre, for giving me free reign and access & to the director, Ben Hopwood & all of the cast & crew, not only for allowing me to get in the way, but also, for putting this production together, for their spare time and the huge amount of devotion that a production like this requires & finally, for sharing their work on stage and producing a thoroughly enjoyable & professional play.