York’s pantomime princess Suzy Cooper is set to transform into a fairy queen – as York Stage reveals initial casting for their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The York theatre company are taking on Shakespeare’s much loved comedy next year, and have today (Friday) revealed their initial casting – York actors Mark Holgate and Suzy Cooper as the quarrelling King and Queen of the Fairies Oberon and Titania.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at the Grand Opera House York from Tuesday 6 to Sunday 11 May 2025.
Suzy Cooper is best known for performing alongside legendary Dame Berwick Kaler in his pantomimes across the city for over twenty years.
She’s no stranger to Shakespeare though – as she most recently played Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of the Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre at Blenheim Palace.
Cooper also played Mother in Damian Cruden’s acclaimed production of The Railway Children as part of its run at The Kings Cross Theatre.
Mark Holgate, who was born and raised in York, is also a Shakespearean stalwart. Previous roles include credits with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Cheek by Jowl, Sheffield Crucible and most recently at Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre in York where he played roles including Orsino in Twelfth Night and Banquo in Macbeth.
Holgate and Cooper will also play Theseus and Hippolyta respectively. Additional casting will be announced soon.
This new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set to relocate the action from the court of Athens to Athens Court, a Northern Council estate where magic is fuelled with mayhem, and the course of true love still doesn’t run smooth.
It will feature a new score from Stephen Hackshaw, with a live band and powerhouse vocals that you can always expect from a York Stage show.
It will be directed by York Stage’s Nik Briggs – marking a decade of directing and producing shows at the Grand Opera House with his first Shakespeare show.
Tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream are already on sale, and are available from £18.43 via the Grand Opera House website.