Shakespeare Globe

A Midsummer Night's Dream

by William Shakespeare

His most sparkling comedy

10 May - 4 October

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.

From the harsh Draconian court of Athens to the wild freedom of the woods, individuals fight to establish who they are. Sexuality, identity and trust are explored in a world where nothing is quite what it seems, where the boundaries of reality are blurred, and where our worst fears become a living nightmare.

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