Dancers wearing bells stepped high, clapping to the beat of tabors and the whisde of pipes.

Cross-dressed women, star-crossed lovers and someone pestering a pipe and tabor is most of what I want out of a midsummer night at the theater.

The doublets and dresses worn by the cast are made from hand-stitched linen, wool and silk, while the music is played live on lutes, tabors and other period instruments.

These girls shouted bitter mockery against the Mussulmans; or recited epic poems, accompanying their rhymes with the thumping of tabors, causing the hearts of their lovers to palpitate with burning ardour.

Then sounded trumpets and drums; and morris-dancers in motley attire, and enlivened by the music of pipe and tabor, danced in glee around it, while thousands of throats became hoarse with loyal shouting.