A Midsummer Night’s Dream blends Shakespeare and Mancunian rave culture at the Royal Exchange Theatre

Running from Fri 6 Sep-Sat 12 Oct, the captivating adaptation of Shakespeare’s iconic play A Midsummer Night’s Dream reimagines the parameters of theatre with an updated, unapologetically hedonistic descent into the world of contemporary Athens, remixed with the magic of Manchester’s rave culture at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Directed by Stef O’Driscoll, the innovative new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream pays tribute to Manchester’s dance scene with a vibrant whirlwind of energetic dance-offs and classic drum and bass.

As the city prepares for a momentous royal wedding, four youthful ravers battle for their future, as every choice they make draws them further into a world of joy and danger. Their beloved nocturnal haunt, The Palace nightclub, is ruled by The Duke, with peril hidden in every pulsating beat. When they find themselves in an enchanting forest, the lines between fantasy and reality blur as they enter into a treacherous game with scheming fairies, overseen by the Moon, a mysterious goddess of music and mayhem.

Making her Royal Exchange directorial debut with a spellbinding modern take on Shakespeare’s timeless comedy, Stef O’Driscoll celebrates Manchester’s world-renowned history of music and rave culture with a triumphant, mesmerising production which stars local artist SALO as The Moon following their appearance on Channel 4’s THE PIANO. A Midsummer Night’s Dream welcomes all guests into a realm of irresistible dance and excitement as the story unfolds into a kaleidoscopic party, brimming with infectious beats and side-splitting humour.

O’Driscoll’s uniquely imaginative adaptation boasts a stellar cast of decorated actors from stage and screen, with the gleefully mischievous fairies played by Natalie Casey (Two Pints of Lager, Stepping Out) in the dual roles of Hippolita and Titania; Guy Rhys (A View From the Bridge, The Witcher: Blood Origin) as Egeus and Oberon, and Harry Egan (Breaking the Code, Passenger) as both Theseus and the impish Puck.

The lovers, enveloped in the forest’s beguiling enchantments, are played by Melissa James (Moulin Rouge, Gypsy) as Helena, and Joe Usher (Falkland Sound/The Empress) as Demetrius, while Alicia Forde (Waterloo Road) stars as Lysander and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof/The Mountaintop) plays Hermia. Rounding off the cast with a set of masterful comedic performances, David Mumeni (Bridgerton, Stath Lets Flats), LJ Parkinson (Modest, Cowbois), Sam Black (Animal Farm) and Rebecca Hayes (Coram Boy) bring the Mechanicals to sparkling life, as they manoeuvre the high stakes of their play-within-a-play.

Director Stef O’Driscoll said: “My relationship with Manchester has always been through its beautiful rave scene, mainly drum and bass and jungle music. I’ve had some of the best nights out here in Manchester, with the music of talented local artists serving as the soundtrack through messy heartaches, painful unrequited love to that new fizzy kind of love.

Blending the worlds of Shakespeare and Manchester’s current rave scene, I wanted to celebrate that music in this production and highlight Manchester’s many gifted artists, rappers, and MCs alongside Shakespeare.”

Click below to book tickets.

(image credit: feastcreative.com)