Meet the Bottoms

You've probably noticed all the fuss, but in case you haven't, here it is in black and white: 2016 is going to be a big year for Shakespeare. To celebrate 400 years since the Bard's death, companies up and down the country are staging all sorts of interesting versions of our national poet's plays. As part of their offering, the Royal Shakespeare Company have taken on a ridiculously ambitious touring production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, where the Mechanicals are played by a different group of amateur actors in each new venue. That's 14 amateur companies from around the UK. That means fairy queen Titania – played by Ayesha Dharker – will be acting with 14 different Bottoms. Here they make their introductions.

Name: Trevor Gill
Acting company: The Belvoir Players (Belfast)
Age: 58
Occupation: Management Consultant
What's special about your Bottom? Apart from my Bottom being small but beautifully formed (ho ho…), he’s special because he’s from Belfast and he will perform enthusiastically for anyone, anytime for any reason (or none).

Name: Chris Clarke
Age: 54
Acting company: Nonentities (Stratford-upon-Avon)
Occupation: Freelance Drama Teacher and Performer
What's special about your Bottom? My physical and vocal interpretation has been inspired by my Dad who like the character was a working class mechanical – and it comes complete with a Brummie accent!

Name: Owen Evans
Acting company: The Common Lot (Norwich)
Age: 47
Occupation: Software Support
What's special about your Bottom? He is full of sound and fury!

Name: Pete McAndrew
Acting company: People’s Theatre (Newcastle)
Age: 49
Occupation: Civil Servant
What’s special about your Bottom: I'm probably the most over-excited Bottom ever and we've only just started.

Name: Barry Green
Acting company: Leeds Arts Centre (Bradford)
Age: 59
Occupation: Carer
What's special about your Bottom? I like to think he is a quite a unique Yorkshire Bottom…or is that a pudding? I suppose they are linked?

Name: John Chapman
Acting company: Tower Theatre (London)
Age: 61
Occupation: Education consultant
What's special about your Bottom? He’s from London, very enthusiastic with lots of ideas to share. He’s been around the block a bit and he’s got one last shot at making his name on stage.

Name: Peter Cockerill
Acting company: Castle Players (Newcastle)
Age: 50
Occupation: Pub/Hotel Landlord
What's special about your Bottom? It’s not Crinkly!

Name: Martin Turner
Acting company: Citizens Dream Players (Glasgow)
Age: 57
Occupation: Company Director
What's special about my Bottom: He's very Scottish! In keeping with one of the aims of the production it will reflect our region within the UK… but no kilts and bagpipes (although that's not a bad idea!).

Name: Rebecca Morris
Acting company: Lovelace Theatre (Nottingham)
Age:42
Occupation: Post-16 Learning Mentor
What's special about your Bottom? My Bottom is all woman and part Robin Hood! (heart of gold, full of self-belief, leads a merry band and is a hero).

Name: Lisa Nightingale
Acting company: Canterbury Players (Canterbury)
Age: Between 40 and 45!
Occupation: Emergency planning
What's special about my Bottom? Well, firstly she is a woman and I like to think I am playing her as a woman. I have definitely tried to keep her feminine (she wears red shoes with a heel). She is fun and I hope very likeable!

Name: Anthony Henry
Acting company: Poulton Drama (Blackpool)
Age: Pass
Occupation: Primary School Teacher
What's special about my Bottom? Having been born and raised on the Wirral, across the waters of the Mersey from Liverpool (don't call us "Scousers!!" ☺), my Bottom has retained quite a Merseyside "twang" to his voice. He is a supreme optimist and he genuinely believes himself to be completely capable of rising to that challenge, no matter what it might be.

Name: Peter Collett
Acting company: Carnon Downs (Truro)
Age: 30
Occupation: Teacher
What's special about your Bottom? I've tried to explore the child-like qualities of Bottom. Being younger than the actors that are normally cast as Bottom I've tried to bring a youthful quality to the part and a bit of "bounce". Although I’m "acting", a lot of it comes from a place of truth as mine and Bottom's situations are very closely linked. So basically what I'm trying to say is he'll be a bit like puppy on steroids.

Name: Steve Smith
Acting company: Everyman Theatre (Cardiff)
Age: 35
Occupation: Civil Service
What's special about your Bottom? I've always wanted to explore the idea of taking Bottom away from the traditional clown persona. To me, he's a character that bathes in the limelight of the stage. But it's ultimately a facade. There's vulnerability there. He's comfortable taking on stage personas to hide himself. There's comedy and tragedy in that, and some things I can really relate to.

Name: David Mears
Acting company: The Bear Pit (Stratford-upon-Avon)
Age: 30 (again)
Occupation: Sales Manager
What's special about your Bottom? It is an exceptionally well rounded Bottom and very much mine…

A Midsummer Night's Dream – A Play for the Nation runs at Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon until 16 July and then tours venues around the UK.