Shakespeare Under The Stars returns to the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne with Glenn Elston's production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

THE STORY:

The tale, which takes place in the court of Athens and the woods beyond, is one of tangled loves and magic-potions. Theseus, The Duke of Athens, is arranging his marriage to Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, whom he has just defeated in battle. But first he has to judge a matrimonial dispute. Egeus wants his daughter Hermia to marry Demetrius, but she wants to marry Lysander. Egeus claims Lysander has bewitched his daughter and, in accordance with ancient Athenian law, demands that unless she complies with her father’s wishes and marries Demetrius, she must become a nun or be put to death.

Theseus gives her three days to decide and after briefly considering their options, Hermia and Lysander elope to the nearby woods - but not before disclosing their plans to her childhood friend Helena, who is desperately in love with Demetrius. Meanwhile, a bunch of tradesmen, referred to as the mechanicals, are rehearsing a show for the Duke’s marriage. Like all amateur theatricals they have their ham, in this case it is Bottom the Weaver.

As Lysander notes, “The course of true love never did run smooth”, but neither do Shakespearean plots, for in the woods the lovers fall under the spell cast by Oberon, King of the Fairies, who is in dispute with Titania, Queen of the Fairies. Puck, Oberon’s right-hand sprite, not only gets up to a bit of mischief but also blunders in his application of magic potions thereby mixing up who is in love with whom!  The result is classic Shakespearean mayhem. 

Praise for the ASC's A Midsummer Night's Dream:

“This is one of those rare productions of which you can say with absolute confidence that everyone will enjoy it… This is how Shakespeare should be produced, freed from the chains of scholarly respectability.” The Bulletin

“Glenn Elston’s Shakespeare Under The Stars has become a summer tradition. It rivals productions in Regents Park (London), Central Park (New York) and Golden Gate Park (San Francisco).” The Herald Sun

“Glenn Elston produces the most entertaining outdoor theatre in town. He’s also an extremely fine populariser of Shakespeare who is prepared to take a risk.” The Sunday Age

Read reviews of A Midsummer Night's Dream