A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Past productions
- etc theatre company, The Arches Theatre, Clifton Reynes
- National Youth Theatre, Criterion Theatre, London
- Bridge Theatre, London
- Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Embassy Theatre, London, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
- Wildcard, Brockley Jack Theatre, London
- S4K International, UK Tour and Middle East Tour
- Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company and Handspring Puppet Company, Barbican Theatre, London
- Michael Grandage Company, Noël Coward Theatre, London
- Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London
- GB Theatre Company, Arundel Castle
- The Priory Players, Colchester, The Upper Bowling Green, Colchester Castle Park
- Jadis Shadows Productions, Magic Alley Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon
- Grassroots Shakespeare London, Lion and Unicorn Theatre, Gaisford St., London NW5
- Shakespeare’s Globe (Bankside), London
- Tower Theatre Company, Theatro Technis, London and Jardin Shakespeare, Bois de Boulogne, Paris
- Iris Theatre, St Paul’s Church, Bedford St., London WC2E
- The Faction, Brockley Jack Theatre, London and Brockwell Park
- Oddsocks Productions, Castle Gornet, Guernsey, Fort, Newhaven, and other locations
- Botanical Gardens, Birmingham
- Botanical Gardens, Birmingham
- Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory, Tobacco Factory, Bristol
- Library Theatre, Birmingham
- Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham
- Theatre by the Lake, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
- Backwell School Productions, Backwell School Theatre, Bristol
- Stage2, The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham
- The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Novello Theatre, London
- The Priory Players, Colchester, Trinity Street Gardens, Marshall Legal LLP, Colchester
- Solihull Arts Complex
- Botanical Gardens, Birmingham
- Little Theatre Company, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Lace Market Theatre, Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham
- Lunchbox Productions and Red Handed Theatre Company, Bridewell Theatre, London
- Worcester Repertory Company, The Commandery Gardens
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
- New Shakespeare Company, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Novello Theatre, London
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne
- the Owle Schreame theatre company, Glastonbury Tor, Glastonbury, Somerset
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
- Propeller and Watermill Theatre Newbury, Comedy Theatre, London (now Harold Pinter Theatre, London)
- Rooftop Theatre Company, Old Paddling Pool, Queen’s Wood, Highgate
- Watermill Theatre, Watermill Theatre, Newbury
- New Shakespeare Company, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London
- Chapterhouse Theatre Company, Lincoln Hotel
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Tour
- Royal Shakespeare Company, Barbican Theatre, London
A play by William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a classic and much loved text by William Shakespeare. Written around the late 1500s, like most Shakespearean texts, A Midsummer Night’s Dream stands the test of time; the narrative is almost timeless and it is still performed regularly to this day.
The story is about four Athenian “lovers” who are all in love with one another; Hermia and Lysander are in love but Hermia’s farther, Egeus, wants her to marry Demetrius who also loves her. Left behind is poor Helena, who has a deep and unrequited love for Demetrius. As Hermia and Lysander run away together to a nearby forest on the eve of a big Athenian wedding between Theseus and Hippolyta. Demetrius follows the object of his affection, as does Helena.
Chaos ensues as the escaped lovers are set upon by magical forces dwelling in the woods. As a result of a magic potion, the lovers fall for different women.
Also affected by the mischevious woodland spirits are “the Mechanicals”, labourers from Athens who are practicing a play for the royal Athenian wedding.
Hilarity, sexuality and desire are key themes in this whimsical text by Shakespeare.