A Midsummer Night’s Dream
by William Shakespeare, 10-11 September 2008
Shakespeare in the City 2008
It is the night of the departmental office party; Hermia, the daughter of the CEO, rejects the advances of high-powered yuppie Demetrius (her father's favourite) and sneaks back up to the deserted offices with her sweetheart Lysander. Their escape is betrayed by her friend Helena who is infatuated with Demetrius and tells him where Hermia has gone.
At night, though, in the dark offices the spirits are awake; call them fairies, call them the mischief-makers, call them gremlins, call them what you will. They are the ones that crash your computer just before you save, that move your coffee cup so you knock it over your work, that hide your security card and readjust your chair! Oberon, the lord of the mainframe, and Titania, the lady of paper, are having a spat and the mortals are going to be caught in between. Finally, into this realm stumble a group of IT support staff (the 'Rude Electricals') who, in order to shake off their antisocial image, have offered to perform a play as the highlight of the party. If only they could find somewhere to rehearse!
In its fourth year, the Shakespeare in the City programme produced a modern-day retelling of the Shakespeare classic A Midsummer Night's Dream. It had eleven performances throughout September across a variety of city institutions, raising over £6,000 for charity.
Here's what some audience members had to say:
"Thoroughly enjoyable... professional and extremely funny. I would highly recommend that this group were given further invitations"
King's College London audience
"Professional, very funny and very clever"
King's College London audience
"Good looking, slick and amusing... for me, the pucks stole the show"
London Stock Exchange audience
"Solid gold... the Jerry Bruckheimer of Classical Literature"
London Stock Exchange audience
"[Will Harrison-Wallace's] Bottom dance is not to be missed"
London Stock Exchange audience
Cast
| Kate Ackroyd - Puck Sara Drury - Puck Mark Ewins - Flute Will Harrison-Wallace - Bottom Lee Innell - Snout Rebecca Linton - Puck Matt Matravers - Lysander Eleena Misra - Quince Paula Mount - Helena Clare O'Shea - Snug Catherine Rodgers - Hermia Chris Sims - Demetrius Simon Till - Oberon / Theseus Jordanna Tin - Titania Su Vigus - Puck |
Adapted & Directed by Richard Williams Costumes: Titania, Snug - Bronia Kupczyk Executive Producer - Juliette Chrisman |
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Thanks to: BPP Professional Education, Bridget Cross, KDC Theatre, Lisa Castle, Naomi Claire Wallace, Rebecca Smith And to all who helped at our venues: Bank of New York Mellon, City and Guilds, Credit Suisse, Google, Kings College London, London Stock Exchange, Merrill Lynch, Sainsbury's, Withers
