"Ay me! For aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth..."
As a matter of fact, absolutely nothing runs smooth in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. If the conceits, misunderstandings, pretensions and simple stubbornness of human beings were not enough to spread confusion in every direction, then the added ingredient of fairy magic makes sure we end up with an explosive mixture. But somehow it is all innocent, childish rather than malevolent, and in answer to Puck's final speech, none of it offends. Rather it warms and cheers us. The mistakes are easy to forgive, no worse than our own shortcomings or bad decisions, for which we hope a similar gracious conclusion.
'A Midsummer Night's Dream' never fails to charm. It is as captivating as any fairy story invented by Hans Anderson or the Brothers Grimm. It is as hilarious as any farcical situation from Dad's Army and as lyrical as any play written. It is also, just possibly, the most watched play in the English language (or any other language come to think of it). Shakespeare enthusiasts will experience many different productions in a lifetime and always return with the same enthusiasm as each new production presents the story in a fresh new way. I, myself, have watched it in College gardens, on professional stages, in the cinema, all in Rumanian, performed by clog dancers, in Victorian dress, modern dress, but -curiously - not so often presented in traditional Shakespearian costume.
We hope you enjoy this interpretation of The Dream', the first to be staged by Shakespeare at The George since 1989. We have worked hard to offer you a lively, fast-paced and colourful rendition, making full use of the beautiful setting of The George courtyard (as close to a traditional Shakespearian stage as any non-professional company is likely to get). We have chosen a traditional setting, but with additions! We have used colour to represent the power of magic - colour which spreads from the fairy world to the human world as the two become hopelessly entangled. We wish you a colourful, thoroughly enjoyable evening's enchantment.
Richard Brown
Director