As this was our very first attempt at bringing Shakespeare to Navan, we were not quite sure of how things would go or what we were to expect; so there was a lot of planning and coordination to be done amongst the different parties/individuals involved.
I had first contacted A Company of Fools in 2016 to say that we would be interested in having them put on a performance in Navan in the summer; and was delighted when their general manager called me back to say that they would be happy to accommodate us. So we started planning for the event. We needed to find a venue for the performance, decide how to handle set-up and tear-down of the set, find parking for attendees, set up publicity and signage, etc.
The Company was celebrating their 15th Anniversary Season of Torchlight Shakespeare that year with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Once we confirmed the date for the Navan performance, we set about finding a venue. We got approval to use the park behind Bradley’s for the performance and to use the parking lot at the New Oak Tree for parking; and we worked with the Company and the Nugget editor to publish our first ad in the Navan Nugget.
The play turned out to be quite a hit!! Fun was had by all. We were entertained and laughter could be heard for miles around. Family, friends, and neighbours filled the space behind Bradley’s to enjoy the gorgeous evening and wonderful group of actors. Donations to the Company were also accepted.
Thank you to everyone who contributed their time and effort to making this event a success in Navan!