The work of Shakespeare is again being performed in a Lancashire setting the playwright himself would have known. Director Dean Taylor spoke to GAIL ATKINSON. . .

PACK UP your picnic baskets and candelabras and swat up on your Bard because open-air Shakespeare is back in East Lancashire.

Such was the success of last year's project to bring the wily wordsmith back to where he taught young members of the De Hoghton family 400 years ago, that a production of As You Like It has rolled into town.

Members of the Dean Taylor Associates company began a 17-night stay at Hoghton Tower on Thursday that will see them play 29 shows including matinees.

Some 4,500 people watched their performances of Twelfth Night last year, and director Dean Taylor is hoping the event will become an annual feature at the De Hoghtons' ancestral home between Blackburn and Preston.

"We started rehearsing the last week in May. The cast comes from all over the place. We have got a couple of local people but we have people from Hereford, Gloucester and quite a heavy intake from London. There is quite a lot of experience there.

"Providing it's a success again this year we are pencilled in for more of a season next year with two plays, which will hopefully provide nine or 10 weeks' work in the summer," said Preston-born Dean, who moved to Barrowford while still a toddler.

Once again the promenade format sees cast and audience moving around the grounds of the majestic tower.

"The owners of the tower have very kindly opened up part of the garden rarely seen by the public, called the Long Walk. It's just perfect for the forest scenes because it's under a canopy but it's still and green and dripping with opulent countryside."

For the closing scenes Dean is building a 50 square metre lawn area to symbolise the forest, with scenes played in the round.

"It's another area not always open to the public. It should look pretty enchanting in the evening with the lights on."

Visitors are encouraged to bring picnics and enter into the spirit of the time with pre-show entertainment provided by musicians and traditional English street performers, an approach designed to broaden the Bard's appeal.

"It's more of an event than a night at the theatre. That's what we are trying to get away from. Some people don't like the idea of going to the theatre because there's sometimes an elitist attachment to it. What we are trying to do with the Shakespeare is show people he is our poet, our writer. We want to open it up and lift it off the page to show them it's fun.

"We got a heck of a cross section last year from families to people who brought whole dinner parties and wore dress suits and dickie bow and brought candelabras, to lovers, and corporate parties.

"People of my generation and older had it spoiled for them at school because it wasn't taught properly. Shakespeare isn't meant to be read, it's meant to be watched and performed," said the 48-year-old. With a wealth of experience in promenade theatre the former Blacko pupil was the perfect choice to head the production for last year's inaugural event. But twas not ever thus.

"I didn't go to drama school. I started off in about 1970 doing amateur theatre in Chorley and Preston, then I started to get semi professional work like pantos. In 1992 I decided to bite the bullet and do it full time. I developed directing techniques by watching other people, moving into directing in 1998."

For the eagle-eyed, Dean will be doing a "Hitchcock" with a cameo role as French courtier Le Beau.

Last year's production was blessed with good weather with only five performances moved inside, but this year a giant marquee will be on hand should the heavens open.

Future plans include extended performance runs at the tower, and touring venues in the North West with mini Shakespeare productions.

"I would like to have a winter schedule at the Tower and maybe take bite-sized Shakespeare to stately homes in the region because there are some fabulous houses. It would be smaller scale but there is such a lot of music in Shakespeare we could mix it up and make it a night of Christmas or winter Shakespeare."

The production runs until Sunday, June 27, excluding today and Saturdays, June 19 and 26, with matinees at 2pm.

Tickets are £16 for adults, £13 concessions, with discounts for group bookings, and with half the tickets already sold and some nights sold out, Bard fans and anyone wanting a quintessentially English summer night's entertainment, can book by calling the hotline on 01254 851185.