A Midsummer Night's Dream (1981)

The adventures of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors and their interactions with fairies come to light in a moonlit forest.

Director:

Elijah Moshinsky

Writer:

William Shakespeare (play)

Stars:

Estelle Kohler, Nigel Davenport, Hugh Quarshie

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Estelle Kohler	...	Hippolyta
Nigel Davenport	...	Theseus
Hugh Quarshie	...	Philostrate
Geoffrey Lumsden	...	Egeus
Pippa Guard	...	Hermia
Nicky Henson	...	Demetrius
Robert Lindsay	...	Lysander
Cherith Mellor	...	Helena
Geoffrey Palmer	...	Quince
Brian Glover	...	Bottom
John Fowler	...	Flute
Don Estelle	...	Starveling
Nat Jackley	...	Snout
Ray Mort	...	Snug
Phil Daniels	...	Puck

Storyline

The adventures of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors and their interactions with fairies come to light in a moonlit forest.

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Plot Keywords:

mischievousness | fickleness | fickle man | shakespeare's a midsummer night's dream | based on play | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 1981 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Time-Life Television Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Helen Mirren (Titania) previously played Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968).

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Quotes

Helena: I am amazed and know not what to say.

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Connections

Version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1985)

User Reviews

Grim, with Curdled Tone and Little Magic

There is a ferocity about this production that is off-putting. Titania and Oberon are not ethereally at odds, but grimly at war. Puck has vampire fangs and looks like a hustler who'd offer to sell you club drugs. The rustics are not funny ever. In sum, the playfulness and magic we expect in this play are absent.

That said, it's pretty to look at, as director Elijah Moshinsky continues his progress through the catalog of Old Masters paintings, usually but not always in consonance with the text.

Helen Mirren is an iron-willed professional as Titania, even when the changeling child cries in her arms during a major speech. Peter McEnery's cold Oberon shows violent rage at the lovers' confusion, and in punishment holds Puck's head underwater a bit too long for comedy.

Cherith Mellor is particularly good as Helena, in her only appearance in the BBC Shakespeare series. Nigel Davenport is a pleasure to listen to as Duke Theseus, in his only appearance, other than the 1978 "Much Ado" with Anthony Andrews, Michael York and Penelope Keith that was supposed to inaugurate the series but was buried. Otherwise there is little delightful about this Dream, which all too often verges on Nightmare.

The slapstick dispute among the four lovers uses thickly overlapping dialog, which speeds things up but renders it unusable in the classroom. The rude mechanicals are gentrified here, killing Shakespeare's pointed class distinction and most of the humor with it. Geoffrey Palmer is ineffective as Peter Quince. Brian Glover gives his all as Bottom, but is Liliputian compared to the awe-inspiring Paul Rogers in the Peter Hall film.

In fact, that delightful Peter Hall film from 1968 is superior in every major aspect except the technical ones. There Ian Richardson and Judi Dench make magic as the Fairies' Rulers, Helen Mirren, Diana Rigg, David Warner and Michael Jayston are the lovers, Paul Rogers is Bottom and Ian Holm plays Puck as Oberon's faithful dog, tongue hanging out in eagerness for mischief - all shot outdoors in a wondrous twilight wood. Now that's one bewitching Dream!