‘Castle Theatre Company is delighted to announce its 2023 touring production of one of Shakespeare’s best loved comedies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. When a quest for true love is thwarted by a hilarious series of enchantments-gone-wrong from a mystical fairy world, this charming play explores one hysterical night of chaos.

Full of fantasy, romance, and a good deal of mischief, this magical play follows four young lovers as they navigate their own hearts and agendas, running from and chasing one another into the woods against the backdrop of a royal Athenian wedding. Meanwhile, the fairy court has its own agenda, as the capricious monarch Oberon wages war against the powerful Queen Titania with the aid of a playful yet prankish Puck. When this mischievous sprite happens upon a group of mechanicals rehearsing a play for the royal wedding and decides them perfect fodder for his merry plans, these three groups collide under the midsummer moon with chaos, confusion, and just a little bit of magic. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the most performed of Shakespeare’s works and one of the most beloved. At its heart it explores the connection between the utterly human and the magical other, and brings fairy-tales and childhood dreaming to mind, appealing to the youth and imagination inside us all. It is a joyful exploration of all it means to desire; be it love, power, fame, or even just the pursuit of joy itself. Stepping into the woods, the stress and control of everyday life can be shed, and a childlike sense of wonder and magic reclaimed.

Shakespeare sets the play in ancient Athens, however the setting morphs into a fairyland of folklore amongst the trees. With inhibitions lowered and a fairy intent on chaos roaming free, wonderfully humorous miscommunications and magic have left audiences in stitches for centuries. Ours is set amongst a more modern English garden party, but the wilderness of the woods is preserved. Look out for duels, enchantment, and even a pair of donkey ears along the way!