Productions
The Tempest at Belladrum Estate and Fingask Castle
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Following the hit show The Tempest at Hopetoun Estate, the Highland Shakespeare Company was founded. The production was reworked for a tour in 2013. Inspired by Richard Demarco and lead by Sunny McDougall Moodie, Siannie Moodie, Lizzie McDougall and Natalie Ulman numerous roles were recast, new costumes were created and the scenes reworked for the magnificent environs of Fingask Castle in Perthshire and Belladrum Estate in the Highlands of Scotland. Notable scenes at Belladrum included the dramatic opening scene featuring the actors aboard a real ship harried by Prospero's spirits, the location of mothers ruin coming to life as the history of Milan was relayed, the stunning backlit appearance of Ariel as the harpy during the banquet scene, Caliban rising up from the roots of an upturned tree and the squire of Belladrum estate riding his horse carrying a flaming torch, leading the audience to a torchlit finale at the Belladrum chapel. At Fingask Castle the company worked with chatelain of the castle and theatre and film producer Helen Molchanoff to bring the topiary to life as the enchanted isle, the site of the Merket Cross infront of the castle became the mast of King Alonso’s doomed ship and the Mermaid fountain home to Prospero, Miranda and Ariel. The splendid Fingask Pavilion, decked with lights played host to Prospero's masque presented to Ferdinand and Miranda. The production garnered rave reviews, the ICA called it "Outstanding, the whole cast oozed class and professionalism" whilst the Ross-Shire journal described it as "one of the most stunningly beautiful things I have seen".
A Midwinter Night's Dream at Cambo Estate and Fingask Castle
In 2014 work began on adapting A Midsummer Nights Dream for the beautiful worlds of Cambo House Gardens and Fingask Castle, lead by Sunny McDougall Moodie, Siannie Moodie, Lizzie McDougall and Natalie Ulman. The production imagined a winter Russian Court lead by Theseus and Hippolyta decked in sumptuous costume, a band of aeronautical rude mechanicals landing in hot air balloons and an enchanting sylvan world of Faerie entering from the natural world. The first production at Cambo was a huge success. Just before the play unfolded a light dusting of snow added it’s magic to the scene. Cambo's gorgeous gardens were alive with snowdrops and lit up by portable stage lights. The opening scene featuring a ballerina upon a balcony of Cambo House dancing as a golden thread descended, leading Theseus to a dramatic engagement with a Minitour. The stunning courtyard played host to the lovers Lysander and Hermia as they planned their elopement. The first garden was imagined as Titania and the faeries bower where as Oberon approached with his line "met by moonlight" the clouds parted and full moon light illuminated the scene. Deeper in the walled garden a second enchanted faerie bower was created and rung out to the beautiful sound of the harp and voices raised in song for Philomel. At Fingask the staging was no less spectacular, with the Castle Topiary playing host to Titania's bower and the Castle lawn welcoming the ballooning mechanicals. Dramatic moments included Oberon's appearance from the bridge connecting two Wellingtonias and the lovers meeting at the stone statues at the end of an avenue of Yew trees. The glittering pavilion played host to the play within the play and the show's finale. The production was lauded by The Scotsman newspaper as "an absolute miracle of beauty and design" with special mention of the wonderful musical score by Siannie Moodie.
The Dream on Inchcolm Island
In 2015 the Highland Shakespeare Company embarked on the ambitious goal of staging a dramatic retelling of A Midsummer Nights Dream on Inchcolm Island in the Firth of Forth lead by Sunny McDouagll Moodie, Siannie Moodie, Lizzie McDougall and Natalie Ulman. Inchcolm Island is the home of an ancient castellated abbey and is mentioned in Shakespeare's play Macbeth. The audience began their journey aboard a ship that set sail from North Queensferry to the Island. Set in early medieval Scotland the play imagined King Alexander as Theseus, clad in armour and wielding a mighty sword supported by a bold retinue. They were hidden on the ship for much of the crossing before emerging as the ship docked, together with a piper they encouraged the audience to follow them onto the Island. Once ashore the Island came alive to a world of Picts and Faeries with fabulously dressed actors appearing from every direction. Approaching the abbey itself the audience were met with John Kenny playing his Carynx, announcing the arrival of Hippolyta's Court. The scenes unfolded from the battlements and through the various spaces of the abbey. The rude mechanicals appearing in the courtyard, Oberon and Titania to views of distant Fife, the lovers by the castellated walls. The play reached its thrilling climax in the courtyard in front of the main gate before the actors and crew joined the audience for the ship ride back to shore.
All The World's a Stage at the Dean Gardens and Fingask Castle
For the summer of 2015 Richard Demarco invited the HSC to present a production for the Edinburgh Festivals. The excellent committee of the Dean Gardens kindly welcomed the notion as did Helen Molchanoff at Fingask Castle. Therefore work began on a new script by Natalie Ulman in several different languages. An international cast lead by Sunny McDouagll Moodie, Siannie Moodie, Lizzie McDougall and Natalie Ulman was assembled and rising star musicians joined the production. The play opened with a young Thomas the Rhymer who makes a journey into the faerie world, there encountering Shakespeare's characters in dramatic guises and different languages. The audience were lead in promenade through the beautiful gardens at the Dean Gardens and at Fingask Castle.
Using translations by some of the finest minds and poets Shakespeare was presented in 7 different languages. The Arabic translation showcased Oberon and Titania, in French the audience encountered Romeo and Juliet. Hamlet was vividly evoked in Russian, as were scenes in German, Luxembourgish, in Gaelic and in English. Shakespeare’s poetry and brilliance really do cross borders, and the combination of well loved scenes, the stunning new music being composed around his songs and sonnets, and the gloriously evocative locations helped audiences uncover a Shakespeare deeply concerned with the natural world, with Arden and the touching moments we all feel of love, tragedy and joy. The production was very well received with Susan Nickalls of The Scotland Magazine writing “If William Shakespeare were alive today it’s likely he would thoroughly approve of the HSC”.
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Richard Demarco's 85th Birthday at Fingask Castle
For his 85th Birthday Richard Demarco was invited by Helen Molchanoff to celebrate at Fingask Castle. The HSC were then asked to present a promenade Shakespearian production for the occasion. A script was created, music composed and a cast gathered. The production focused on creating a journey for Richard Demarco and the audience into a Shakespearian wonderland. Fresh interpretations of classical Shakespearian scenes featured actors on stilts, characters appearing from the windows of the castle and a topiary brought to life by music and theatre.
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NADFAS production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Fingask Castle
Following several large scale productions the HSC were approached by The National Association of Decorative and Fine Art Societies to work with children from the Perthshire area to create a play at Fingask Castle. Lead by Sunny McDougall Moodie, Siannie Moodie and Lizzie McDougall a new child friendly script of A Midsummer Night's Dream was created. The parts were then given out to the twenty two children who participated and the production was presented to friends and family in the grounds and pavilion at Fingask Castle.
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Shakespeare at Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival
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Each year in the Highlands of Scotland a music festival is held at Belladrum Estate. The festival prides itself on being family friendly and had an area specifically for families and children run by Lizzie McDougall called Tir Na Og. The HSC were invited to create a play with children and young people and present it at the festival. Gathering an international cast with many members from America a play was conceived and successfully performed with many young people being introduced to Shakespeare for the first time. There have been several HSC performances and workshops for children to participate in at Belladrum Festival in the subsequent years including several Shakespearian concerts in the Belladrum Chapel.
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Protect The Flame at Fingask Castle​
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To mark the anniversary of the fabled meeting between renowned artist Joseph Beuyes and Richard Demarco the Highland Shakespeare Company set about to create a new production at Fingask Castle. The play was presented to an audience of over 80 persons including the Minister for Culture. The production opened with music being played from the castle windows and the actors appearing one by one until the fairy appeared on the battlements and began a dialogue with Puck. Puck then singled out Demarco from the audience and lead him to meet Joseph Beuyes. Beuyes welcomed him and declared "if capital were culture then you my friend Richard would be a billionaire". The play went on to summon up and celebrate luminaries who have kept the torch of inspiration and consciousness burning throughout history, featuring engaging scenes amidst the Topiary with Ram Das, Zarathustra, Terence McKenna, St Columba and others.
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Searching for The Timeless in The Dean Gardens​​​​
In 2023 the Highland Shakespeare Company gathered to create a new production for the Edinburgh Festivals and were welcomed by the extremely generous Dean Gardens committee to stage the show in their gardens. The play followed Puck and Pan as they sought the key to Timeless Arcadia and with it the flowering of the human spirit. Puck used Shakespeare's verse to summon up scenes of theatre in an effort to find the key and Pan evoked music and song to do the same. The production featured traditional Scottish step dancing, highland storytelling, prophecies of the Brahan Seer, harp, fiddle, song and flute, the poetry of Shakespeare and of Robert Burns. The climax of the play featured a large Circassian circle dance which included the large audience. The appreciative audience featured, amongst others, Mr Boom and Rowan Atkinsons agent. ​​​
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Prospero's Flame at Fingask Castle and Prestonfield House
In 2024 the Highland Shakespeare Company began work on a new production that centred on Prospero's life on the enchanted Isle before the arrival of King Alonso. The story featured an original score on violin by Marika Tyler-Clark and followed the summoning of Ariel who lead Prospero to his missing magic books. The play was presented first at Fingask Castle in Perthshire and then again at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh.​​
Wild Hearts, The Legend of Apollo and Daphne, Motion Picture
Natalie Ulman and Sunny McDougall Moodie of The HSC travelled to the Venice Biennale to cover the films at the festival for The Directors Guild of Great Britain. There the couple were immersed in the world of cinema and were inspired to create the first HSC motion picture. To do this the Highland Shakespeare Company embarked on creating a film in the state of Georgia in the United States of America. A new film making coda to guide the production was established called The Innocent Wave. This coda included the use of natural light for principle photography. The film itself was written by Natalie Ulman using only Shakespearian dialogue and arranged to tell the classical legend of Apollo and Daphne. It was directed by Sunny McDougall Moodie. The feature film featured beautiful scenes at spectacular natural locations including waterfalls, mountains and lakes. The film was premiered at the 65th Berlinale in Germany.
Midsummer Short Film
Following the success of Wild Hearts the HSC gathered a film crew and began work on a short film drawing from A Midsummer Nights Dream. The film directed by Natalie Ulman followed the love story of Lysander and Hermia as well as Helena and Demetrius set in the American Deep South. The film was shot on location outside Athens Georgia.
Nighean Na Coille
The HSC returned to Scotland to create their next film Nighean Na Coille. Filmed entirely using natural light and beeswax candle light the film followed the story of a woman, an evocation St Bride, who appears to a family living in the Scottish countryside. The film featured an original musical score and a script written mainly in Scottish Gaelic. The film screened at several film festivals, most notably in Big Bear California where it was awarded best foreign language film.
The Gift WA-CI-CA-DV
For The Gift the HSC lead by Natalie Ulman and Sunny McDougall Moodie teamed up with film maker Joshua Indenbaum and Tom Bluewolf to start work on a new film set in the stunning Nantahala Natural Wilderness in Northern Georgia. Native American Elder Tom Bluewolf who had worked on Dances With Wolves and Mythic Journeys with Mark Hamill gathered the company and told them a traditional story of Zelika, a young Muskogee woman who sets off on an epic journey, guided by the wisdom of her grandfather. This became the plot of the picture and the four strong creative team co directed the movie with Tom taking the role of the grandfather in the film. In the time when many people see turmoil and violence all over the world, The Gift reminds us of our ancestry and a time when humans had connection to their land and purpose with the world. The same world on which we still live. The film follows Zelika on her journey to return that which has been lost by a tribe far to the West. Calling on the ancestral spirit of the Muscogee people, Tom Bluewolf illuminates our senses with a flourish of original music and deep wisdom throughout the film. Guiding us in understanding the self and acts of selflessness, it is an affirmation of our own journey and a reminder to reflect the expression of love back to the world. The film features amazing cinematography of some of the most beautiful locations in the American South and a Native American soundtrack lead by Tom Bluewolf. The film had its premier in Weimar Germany and went on to show at Festivals across the USA including Toas New Mexico where the poster art was used as the cover for the towns newspaper and in Phoenix Arizona. In 2025 the film was selected for the Kuala Lumpur Academy Awards in Malaysia.
