Shakespeare wasn't kidding when he said the course of true love never did run smooth!
Love is in the air in Athens – and it's contagious. Besides the royal wedding, which is just days away, there are young lovers dreaming of enchanted futures together. Hermia and Lysander are besotted with one another, while Helena adores Demetrius. The only snag is that Demetrius loves Hermia - and he's got Hermia's father on his side. So nobody is happy.
Determined to be together, Hermia and Lysander meet in a moonlit forest, with plans to elope. Following hot on their heels is Demetrius, who in turn is pursued by a lovelorn Helena. But the young lovers are not alone in the forest. Nick Bottom and his hapless bunch of tradies have gathered to rehearse a play to be performed at the royal wedding. And, hidden from human eyes, a mischievous sprinkling of fairies are also in the forest that night. The three worlds collide in an explosion of comic confusion that throws the future of all the lovers into jeopardy.
Shakespeare's classic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, is reawakened in September in a breathless production from Bell Shakespeare, brimming with magic, mirth and mayhem.
Director Peter Evans' fresh approach focuses on the play within the play, looking at the illusion of theatre and performance itself.
A highly physical production with eight actors playing multiple parts, audiences will be taken on a whirlwind journey through the magic, mayhem and romance of this story.
"As Australia's national theatre company, we cannot wait to return to touring and couldn't think of a better play than A Midsummer Night's Dream to really celebrate the joy and magic of live theatre. It's always a thrill to travel to audiences across the country and it's a privilege to be sharing this production with Australians in 2021" Peter Evans said.
One of Shakespeare's earliest comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream deals with the universal theme of love as well as darker themes of lust, confusion and disappointment. It follows the adventures of four star-crossed lovers (Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius), a disgruntled father, a duke and duchess, woodland fairies (Oberon and Titania) and a mischievous fairy servant (Puck). Taking place in a mythical Athens and an enchanted forest outside its walls, an additional satirical tale introduces another set of characters; a group of amateur actors known as The Mechanicals, who stumble into the same mystical woods to rehearse a play called Pyramus and Thisbe.
Bell Shakespeare is Australia's national theatre company specialising in the works of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Founded in 1990 with the dream of sharing Shakespeare's plays in a way that was relevant and exciting to all Australians, the company has evolved further than its visionary founder, John Bell AO, could have hoped.
Bell Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is presented by Rockhampton Regional Council and is part of the 2021 See It Live Theatre Season.
Patron advice: Recommended age 12+
