Summaries and critical commentary

Abstract

Ever since its first performances A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. In addition to countless productions by professional and amateur theatre companies it has been adapted to make a ballet and at least two operas, made into a film and a television presentation and attracted leading performers, directors and composers to work on its text. In modern times the play has, if anything, become even more popular: it is one of the very few plays by any author to have been in the repertoire of both the National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company at the same time, and Peter Brook’s production at Stratford in 1970 is still remembered as something of a landmark in the interpretation of Shakespeare for the modern theatre.