A Midsummer Night’s Dream

I too have a match vesta from A Midsummer Nights Dream dated 1906 and was trying to find out more information about it as Ian Tomlinson is.

Cast & Crew

Cast

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Crew

Director

Photographs

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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.

Photo credits

  • Scene by Tim Harker

Observations

  1. On 5th February 2010 at 6:01 p.m., ian tomlinson noted:

    i have recently purchased a silver match vesta which has the midsummer nights dream embosed onto it. it also says on the lid ‘a midsummer nights dream’ ‘Adelphie theatre 1906’.

    on the other side it has some printing, and was just wondering if anybody could help in identifying this. it says:- ‘with compliments Otto Stewart’ does this name mean anything?

    Many thanks
    Ian

  2. On 8th August 2021 at 5:29 p.m., TimHarker noted:

    I believe my great grandfather Joseph Harker did the scene painting for this production from the Harker Studios in London.
    I have a beautiful distemper sketch dated 1905 depicting a scene from the production.
    Tim Harker

  3. On 16th August 2021 at 9:45 p.m., matthew noted:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otho_Stuart is presumably who it is referring to. There is also an antique site with more details at https://www.sellingantiques.co.uk/696452/an-exceptional-adelphi-theatre-silver-vesta/ Hope that’s helpful.

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