A Midsummer Night's Dream

Examines the theatrical fortunes of A Midsummer Night's Dream from the 1590s to the 1990s.

William Shakespeare (Author), Trevor R. Griffiths (Edited by)

9780521445603, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 13 September 1996

252 pages, 13 b/w illus. 1 table
23.4 x 15.5 x 2.3 cm, 0.5 kg

'I cannot recommend too highly the whole series (a bargain at £16.99 for each play) to all theatre lovers, theatregoers, theatre practitioners, and anybody who enjoys Shakespeare.' Robert Tanitch, What's on in London

This is a detailed account of the theatrical fortunes of A Midsummer Night's Dream on the British stage, from the 1590s to the 1990s. The substantial, illustrated introduction traces the rise of the play from theatrical neglect in the eighteenth century through the spectacular productions of the nineteenth century to its current high status. The authoritative New Cambridge Shakespeare text of the play is accompanied by notes on actors' interpretations, settings and textual alterations. The author considers the cultural changes which have affected the play's popularity as well as the conceptions of individual directors from David Garrick and George Colman, via Madame Vestris and Beerbohm Tree, Granville Barker and W. Bridges Adams to Peter Brook, Robert Lepage and Adrian Noble. The book shows theatre history as cultural history. It will be invaluable to students of Shakespeare in performance at graduate level, working in departments of English or drama/theatre and to those intrigued by the changing reputation of Shakespeare.

1. List of productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream
2. Introduction
3. A Midsummer Night's Dream with full commentary
4. Bibliography
5. Appendix: music in the productions.

Subject Areas: Shakespeare plays [DDS]