Midsummer Night’s Dream: National Theater Live

by William Shakespeare
directed by Nicholas Hytner

starring Gwendoline Christie, Oliver Chris, David Moorst, Hammed Animashaun

‘The course of true love never did run smooth’

A feuding fairy King and Queen of the forest cross paths with four runaway lovers and a troupe of actors trying to rehearse a play. As their dispute grows, the magical royal couple meddle with mortal lives leading to love triangles, mistaken identities and transformations…with hilarious, but dark consequences.

Shakespeare’s most famous romantic comedy will be captured live from the Bridge Theatre in London. Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Oliver Chris (Green Wing, NT Live: Young Marx), David Moorst (NT Live: Allelujah!) and Hammed Animashaun (The Barber Shop Chronicles) lead the cast as Titania, Oberon, Puck and Bottom.

Directed by Nicholas Hytner, the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will build on the success of his immersive staging of Julius Caesar (NT Live 2018). The Bridge Theatre will become a forest – a dream world of flying fairies, contagious fogs and moonlight revels, surrounded by a roving audience following the action on foot.

• New York Times “Nicholas Hytner’s production at the Bridge Theater in London finds something fresh in a work that sometimes feels as if it’s being done out of duty.” —Matt Wolf

• New York Times “The Restorative Power of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ The trapezes disguised as bedding may encourage you to trip the enchanted glade with the frisky cast of this London production. Feel free.” —Ben Brantley