A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Barbican performances 5th September-5th October prior to RSC UK Tour and RSC/Allied Domecq International Tour, including RSTperformances
Cast & Crew
Cast
Demetrius | Matthew Macfadyen |
---|---|
Egeus | Trevor Martin |
Fairy | Cornelius Booth |
Fairy | Mike Burnside |
Fairy | Fiona Leaning |
Fairy | Bernard Lloyd |
Fairy | Sean McKenzie |
Fairy | Steven O’Neill |
Fairy | Hugh Parker |
Fairy | Luzita Pope |
Fairy | John Warner |
First Fairy | Octavia Walters |
Francis Flute | Steven O’Neill |
Helena | Rebecca Egan |
Hermia | Katy Brittain |
Hippolyta | Amanda Harris |
Lysander | John Lloyd Fillingham |
Nick Bottom | Christopher Benjamin |
Oberon | Leigh Lawson |
Peter Quince | Bernard Lloyd |
Philostrate | Ian Hughes |
Puck | Ian Hughes |
Robin Starveling | John Warner |
Snug | Sean McKenzie |
Theseus | Leigh Lawson |
Titania | Amanda Harris |
Tom Snout | Mike Burnside |
Crew | |
Designer | Anthony Ward |
Director | Adrian Noble |
Light Designer | Chris Parry |
Movement by | Sue Lefton |
Music by | Ilona Sekacz |
Playwright | William Shakespeare |
- Source: RSC Performance Database
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Play description
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.
Observations
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