Shakespeare Bottom actor visits donkeys for inspiration

An amateur actor, who landed a dream role with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), prepared for the part with a visit to a donkey sanctuary in Birmingham.

Chris Clarke, from The Nonentities theatre group in Kidderminster, played Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the RSC, in Stratford-upon-Avon.

He visited the donkeys in Sutton Park to learn their characteristics. In the play, Bottom's head is transformed into that of a donkey. He said he hoped he would "do them proud".

His story will feature in a film on BBC One West Midlands.

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The Best Bottoms in the Land will be shown on 20 May, at 19:30 BST on BBC One and BBC One HD and available after on iPlayer.