Call for thespians to tread the boards in Ludlow

Directors Paul Sayers and Simon Boulton, of Rooftop Theatre Company, want to recruit actors for Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, which will be played out in the unusual setting of Ludlow Brewery as part of the town's fringe festival in the summer.

The play will form part of a Shakespeare renaissance in the town, as it will be performed a week after a run of As You Like It at Ludlow Castle from June 4 to 22, put on by Stafford Gatehouse Theatre as part of Ludlow arts Festival.

The brewery production will see characters play their parts in modern dress at the brewery's railway shed in Station Drive from June 30 to July 5.

Mr Sayers, 47, said: "We're really excited to be bringing Rooftop Theatre to Ludlow. There's a wealth of fantastic talent locally that we're really keen to tap into and show off in our first Ludlow production. We're looking for local actors to work with our established Rooftop actors to create an alternative fringe style production, complementing the Ludlow Arts Festival Shakespeare taking place earlier at the castle."

The company was based in St Albans, where they performed The Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing and The Winter's Tale among others.

In 2012 Mr Sayers and Mr Boulton won Best Shakespeare producers at the Fringe Report Awards in London.

But the two artistic directors thought the time had come for a change.

"We like it here in Ludlow and thought about it for a while," Mr Sayers said.

"The circumstances with our jobs meant that it all came together.

"We had quite a following in St Albans, but we had been there 10 years.

"Unfortunately we let our audience down and moved away, but we're hoping to get things going here."

Men or women of all ages were welcome to apply for auditions, he said, which will take place from March 16.

Those interested should visit www.rooftoptheatre.co.uk for further details.