It’s not long before the curtain goes up on the Cotswold Players’ upcoming production, a celebration of work by the great William Shakespeare.

The Stroud-based amateur dramatic society will be taking to the stage at The Cotswold Playhouse on Thursday 11th October for the first of three shows titled ‘Swish…again.’

Hannah McDonald, who has directed two plays for the Cotswold Players, and will also be in charge of their production of Anne Boleyn next month, says the production of ‘Swish…again’ will offer audiences a fresh take on Shakespeare.

She said: “Swish started as a production we did at the Stroud Shakespeare Festival at the beginning of the summer. Swish stands for strong women in Shakespeare and the concept of the production is to focus on the women who were portrayed in Shakespeare’s historical plays and to concentrate on their speeches from plays such as Richard III.

“Our production at the Stroud Shakespeare Festival was a roaring success, the audiences enjoyed it, so it’s great to be bringing the show back to Stroud. Opening night is on Thursday 11th October and we close with a show on Saturday 13th October. Rehearsals have gone very well so we’re looking forward to opening night now.”

Hannah has been part of the Cotswold Players for eight years and is looking forward to directing her third production at the Cotswold Playhouse in November, when she puts her individual touch on the story of Anne Boleyn.

She continued: “I joined the Cotswold Players in 2010, I joined as a performing member. I’ve been in various productions over the years and had a great time being on stage. Four years ago, I decided to try directing for the first time since my college days.

“I started as an assistant director for one of our Christmas productions and have since directed two productions as principle director, so Anne Boleyn will be my third.

“It’s great to be involved in such a flourishing amateur dramatic society. Theatre isn’t just about the actors on stage, we’re extremely fortunate to have a talented collection of backstage staff whose work is just as important as our actors on stage.”