...............and indeed it was.

Since school I have had an ambivalent relationship with Shakespeare: I didn't understand him at the time while, all around me, people loud spoke his genius.
The older I grew, the more I came to like words - but still WS failed to work his magic on me.

Perhaps it was because being required to learn large chunks of Shakespeare was a punishment at school and, if you failed to be word perfect, you were beaten!

But on Thursday we went to Ballykeeffe amphitheatre, beside Kilmanagh, to see a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream - and it was truly magical.

Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre is a community-led development of an old limestone quarry into a 'venue' of enormous charm and potential.
Right now they are celebrating the recent erection of a new, state of the art, canopy over the performance area.
But they had no need of it on Thursday as the evening, that had showers and rain in its forecast, turned out to be balmy and dry well into the night with the only threat coming from the midges (or as they are usually referred to in Kilkenny, midgets.)

In truth, I'm not mad about their new canopy. Why? Because it is very large and very permanent and obscures the beauty of the old quarry. I'm sure I'm pretty much on my own in this view - but, then again, loyal readers here will know of my peculiar affection for limestone quarries.

The wonderful new canopy

So, given my difficulties with Mr. S I read the synopsis, which reaffirmed my certainty that he is incomprehensible.

But I was wrong, so wrong, because the Chapterhouse touring drama company from the UK performed a delightful, hilarious, bawdy, spellbinding and, yes, comprehensible production of Shakespeare's mad Athenian construct.

The pictures are poor I'm afraid, but the occasion wasn't............