Shakespeare Shorts | A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Act III, Scene 2
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Television programme for schools featuring television actors not usually associated with Shakespeare in scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream. They use contemporary settings, which aim to illustrate the relevance of Shakespeare’s ideas today. Discussion of the motivation of the major character is supported by clips from past television and film productions, and followed by a full performance of the chosen scene. Anna Friel talks about how she sees the character of Hermia, and compares different versions. There is also a performance of the scene where Hermia, Helena and their lovers hurl abuse at one another.
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Licence: ERA Licence required
- Type: Factual, Plays
- Channel: BBC Two
- Duration: 19'04''
- Broadcast date: 1996
UK only
Staff and students of licensed education establishments only
Cannot be adapted
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- Shakespeare Archive Resource
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales | A Midsummer Night's Dream
A night of madness in a haunted wood - four young victims of unrequited love stumble about while six workmen are trying to rehearse a play.
Throwing Out The Cobwebs
When Peter Brook's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream opened on Broadway, the New York theatre critic, Clive Barnes, described it as ' ... without any equivocation the greatest production of Shakespeare I have seen in my life.' In Brook's ' Dream 'there are no cobwebs and shimmering wings. Instead the lovers - pursue each other in a white walled gymnasium, Puck and Oberon juggle plates and swing on trapezes; virtually all the established conventions are challenged. This film shows extracts from The Dream, scenes from some of Brook's previous productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and a long interview first shown on Review in which Brook talked to James Mossman about his work and aspirations in the theatre.