The Arden Theatre Company was first dreamt up in 2001, when after seeing Michael Grandage's productions at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield we began to realise how exciting quality theatre could be.

As we held up our own previous efforts against the productions we were seeing, we decided that we wanted to try and produce exciting theatre like this ourselves. After looking for a group locally that could provide this, we decided that, if we really wanted it to be done well, we would have to do it ourselves.

Thankfully, Kevin Parker, Arc's Artistic Director, was prepared to take a risk on this idea, and, after leaving school and seeking initial sponsorship, the company produced Shakespeare's tragedy of over-reaching ambition Julius Caesar in Arc's launch season, October 2003.

Everyone seemed pleased with it, and as a result, Arc invited us back for a second production - and, after much organisation and hundreds of rehearsal hours, Arden presented, with mainly the same company, a new production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Arc's theatre for a longer run in October 2004, again, ecstatically received by audiences and critics alike.

Before many of the Arden company disappear off to universities around the country, Arden will present their third production, The Taming of the Shrew, in September 2005 in Arc for a week's run.

As for the future, who knows - perhaps the current company will reform between university terms, or perhaps a new generation will take Arden forward into the next stage of its work. What's to come is really still unsure.