Peter Quince performed by Tim Spencer
Directed by Eamon Flack
Produced by Arts Radar and Bob Presents in association with B Sharp 2009
National Tour produced by Arts Radar and Bob Presents 2011

Director Eamon Flack has turned this great Shakespearean classic into a grand, decadent and sad celebration – a party unfolding on stage, shot through with karaoke ballads and comedy.
With a cast of eight (and a half), new doublings and reordered scenes, this is A Midsummer Night’s Dream as it’s never been done before. It is an exploration of a hedonistic pursuit of love, pleasure and freedom – that comes at a cost. The seasons have gone awry, the grownups are in denial, and the young are randy with hope and despair. Suddenly, in the midst of overwhelming uncertainty, four young lovers take a mighty stab at happiness.
Eamon said, ‘This play is a vivid reminder of what it’s like to fall in love for the first time – the hope, pain, thrill, extreme amazement, profound confusion, awful misunderstanding and brilliant aliveness – that’s why we’ve been putting on this play for 400 years and still haven’t got enough of it. ’
This Midsummer Night’s Dream is a theme-party about shattered innocence and the restoration of grace. Prepare for a glittering karaoke night of love ballads and curses, wedding songs and bestiality, culminating in a special nuptial performance by the acclaimed Rude Mechanicals of Peter Quince’s tragic masterpiece, Pyramus and Thisbe.

Reviews

… pleasingly ridiculous. – Sydney Morning Herald

I left wondering if it wasn’t perhaps the best Shakespearean production I’d ever seen. – M/C Reviews

It’s as if Shakespeare’s players have travelled through time and landed in Surry Hills, drunk, horny and unafraid to rip up their lines. – Sun Herald

A smart, sexy, daggy, intriguing and frequently hysterical production that takes a fresh, engaging take whilst sticking to the heart of the play all the while. Highly recommended. – Australian Stage Online