demi-paradise productions, founded in 2000 by Stephen Tomlin, performs promenade productions of Shakespeare at Lancaster Castle, one of Britain's last great working castles with a history stretching back nearly 1,000 years.

    

A rolling ensemble of regionally based professional performers and technicians, demi-paradise is committed to creating an unforgettable experience of high quality classical drama. In recognition of this the company was short listed in 2008 for the prestigious Equity Ensemble Award, one of the Peter Brook/Empty Space Awards, presented annually to UK fringe theatres otherwise unsupported by public funds.

    

The company's site specific interpretations of Richard II (2000), Measure For Measure (2001), Macbeth (2002), All's Well That Ends Well (2004), Richard III (2006), Hamlet (2008), The Merchant of Venice (2010), and Much Ado About Nothing (2012) have reflected the history and continuing use of the building as a royal fortress, prison and court. Due to the restricted sizes of the various playing spaces audience capacity is limited to 60 per performance.