A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The Open Air Theatre is no stranger to the Shakespeare classic “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and this year it is set to welcome it back to its stage for an anticipated summer run. But then the show remains enduringly popular and in the years since it first made its way to the stage it has been seen by audiences all over the world in many different forms, including as part of a movie adaptation, so it is likely to be popular once again in 2012. The production arrives during a year in which Shakespeare continues to find a home in other locations in the capital – such as Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre – and will be directed by Matthew Dunster whilst Olly Fox composes the music.

In “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” we follow an array of characters as they head into a magical forest for varying reasons. Hermia and Lysander are two lovers escaping from Demetrius, the man Hermia’s father wishes her to marry, who follows them into the forest with his own admirer, Helena, in tow. Meanwhile, a troupe of actors led by Bottom makes the journey to practise a play for the Duke. Whilst they are there they experience an night of magic, fairies, plus the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta.

Composer Olly Fox has worked for both the stage and the screen over the years. His theatre credits include both “Women Beware Women” and “Therese Raquin” at the National Theatre, “Much Ado About Nothing” for the Royal Shakespeare Company and “Troilus and Cressida” for Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. He has also worked for French and Saunders with “The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle”.

The Open Air Theatre is the regular home of some stand out shows, with last year’s hit “Crazy For You” currently enjoying a West End transfer at the Novello Theatre. This year should be a big hit as well as in addition to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, the venue’s Artistic Director Timothy Sheader will direct a production of “Ragtime”.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, meanwhile, begins its run at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre on Saturday 2nd June 2012 and continues until Wednesday 5th September 2012.

Venue Information and Directions

Open Air
Inner Circle
Regent's Park
NW1 4NR

Seating Plan

Directions

Directions
Take the Bakerloo, Circle, Hammersmith and City or Metropolitan line to Baker Street station. The theatre is a 15 minute walk.