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- A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
by William Shakespeare
His most sparkling comedy
- Director: Jonathan Munby
- Designer: Mike Britton
- Composer: Olly Fox
- Choreographer: Sian Willaims
Hermia loves Lysander and Helena loves Demetrius – but Demetrius is supposed to be marrying Hermia. When the Duke of Athens tries to enforce the marriage, the lovers take refuge in the woods outside the city, and walk into the midst of a dispute between the king and queen of the fairies. And they are not alone. So, too, does a group of amateur actors rehearsing a play. Between the angry fairies, the bumbling players and the dazed lovers, flies Puck armed with a love juice capable of making anyone fall for the first person they set eyes upon – no matter how unsuitable.
Shakespeare put some of his most dazzling dramatic poetry at the service of this teasing, glittering, very funny and amazingly inventive play, whose seriousness is fleetingly glimpsed beneath its dreamlike surface.
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Discover the play
- Actors speak about their experiences of this production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Fairies Refashioned : Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper discusses varrious aspects of fairy lore that may hae influenced this play.
- Resources for A Midsummer Night's Dream from the 2002 production.
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Cast
Peter Bankolé Flute
Jonathan Bond Snout
Oliver Boot Demetrius
Christopher Brandon Lysander
Adam Burton Mustardseed/First Fairy
Richard Clews Egeus
Robert Goodale Snug
Paul Hunter Nick Bottom
Michael Jibson Puck/Philostrate
Tom Mannion Oberon/Theseus
Michael Matus Peter Quince
Pippa Nixon Hermia
Sam Parks Starveling
Siobhan Redmond Titania/Hippolyta
Laura Rogers Helena
Bethan Walker Peaseblossom
Sian Williams Fairy
James Akers, Stephen Hiscock, Sarah Homer, William Purefoy, Genevieve Wilkins Musicians
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Reviews
**** "Jonathan Munby’s effervescent direction... Enthusiastically applauded by a capacity audience... Siobhan Redmond is wonderfully funny" The Times
**** "Jonathan Munby has taken Shakespeare's much-loved comedy of errors, bound it in a tapestry of music, magic and madcap ebullience, and launched an irrepressible crowd pleaser... luscious, multi-sensory theatre... Munby's cast turn out some great performances" Time Out Critics' Choice
**** "Explodes like joyous fireworks... Don't miss" Sunday Times
**** "Summer larks aplenty... Laura Rogers' Helena and Pippa Nixon's Hermia are both brilliantly contrasted... The mechanicals are dominated by Paul Hunter's hilarious Bottom... Jonathan Munby's production is a bonkers panto of confusion and mayhem... Well-earned bellows of audience delight" Daily Mail
**** "Puck, Michael Jibson, is an enthusiastic mischief-maker... Paul Hunter (Bottom) is a comedy typhoon" Financial Times
"Tom Mannion (Oberon) is wry, understated and majestical" Daily Telegraph
"The Mechanicals are so joyously funny they have most of the groundlings whimpering for mercy, so by the time the billowing curtains wash over the audience like a tide, they're in this Dream's thrall" Metro