The Cotswold Players are one of the county’s oldest and most popular amateur dramatic companies.

Formed in the early twentieth century, the group has performed productions nearly every year since 1912 – with obvious breaks due to the First and Second World Wars.

This month the Players are due to return to the stage at the Cotswold Playhouse in Stroud – the venue that they have called home since 1953 – with their very own version of William Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’.

The production will be a contemporary retelling of the story – ‘stripped back, fast-moving, up-to-date, full of surprises, and packed with modern technology’.

Director Jonathan Vickers explains the thinking behind the reworked show.

He said: “We’re doing it as part of the Stroud Festival which has the theme this year of ‘Revolution in the Arts’.

“Julius Caesar is already about revolution but we’re doing two revolutionary things with our version – it’s in the future, with twitter feeds and video calls alongside the blood and smoke and violence.

“Secondly when we cast the roles we didn’t about gender and so Julius Caesar and other traditionally male characters will be played by women.”

The show features a cast of 33, with the whole team, including those backstage and involved in promotion, adding up to around 70 people.

This isn’t the first time the Players have performed Shakespeare, with previous productions including ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in 2014 and ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ in 2011.

For Jonathan – who has been with the Players for a decade as both an actor and director – it will be his first time directing a Shakespearean play.

“I think this will be my fifth time directing,” he continued. “I’ve done more acting over the years.

“I enjoy both and it benefits each role by trying the other.”

‘Julius Caesar’ will be at the Cotswold Playhouse from Thursday 10th to Saturday 12th and Wednesday 16th to Saturday 19th October.

For more information visit www.cotswoldplayhouse.co.uk