A Midsummer Night’s Dream
This specific production does not yet have a description, but the play itself does:
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.
Cast & Crew
Cast
Blackboy Fairy | John McAndrew |
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Bottom | Geoffrey Hutchings |
Brokenhead fairy | Gary Sharkey |
Changeling (alt) | Adam Ashton |
Changeling (alt) | Massimo Mezzofanti |
Cobweb | Kevin Wallace |
Demetrius | Simon Templeman |
Egeus | David Lloyd Meredith |
Flute | James Fleet |
Helena | Harriet Walter |
Hermia | Jane Carr |
Hippolyta | Juliet Stevenson |
Lysander | Philip Franks |
Moth | Christopher Hurst |
Mustardseed | Clare Travers-Deacon |
Oberon | Mike Gwilym |
Page (alt) | Adam Ashton |
Page (alt) | Massimo Mezzofanti |
Peaseblossom | Julia Hills |
Philostrate | Brian Poyser |
Puck | Joseph Marcell |
Quince | John Rogan |
Redhaired fairy | Graham Turner |
Snout | Peter Ellis |
Snug | Anthony O’Donnell |
Starveling | Andrew Jarvis |
Theseus | Mike Gwilym |
Titania | Juliet Stevenson |
Woman fairy | Vivienne Argent |
Crew | |
Designer | Maria Bjornson |
Director | Ron Daniels |
Light Designer | Chris Ellis |
Music by | Stephen Oliver |
Playwright | William Shakespeare |
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Photographs
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Observations
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During a very quiet moment in the play, a low moan came from somewhere and rose to a howl and then subsided. And then it happened again. Discussing the play later with our student group, we didn’t understand what the moan was. Our professor, Bill Grandgeorge, arranged for Mike Gwilym (Oberron) to visit our group. Someone asked what the moaning was.
“Oh – that wasn’t a part of the play. A woman went into labor” (or rather , labour)
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