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

Did You Know?

Trivia

It has long been rumored, but never confirmed, that in his portrayal of Peter Quince, Geoffrey Palmer was imitating the soon-to-retire Director General of the BBC, Ian Trethowan.

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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 (1999)

User Reviews

See this version!

I stumbled upon this production as a teen on PBS one night and have never forgotten it. I'm not particularly a Shakespeare buff but this production gave me a serious soft spot for "Dream" and I've seen several productions of it. This one puts the rest to shame. This is perhaps the most palatable of the Bard's works and the staging and direction make it even more embraceable but do not dumb it down. A taste of this and you may well find yourself going out of your way to rent "Hamlet", "Othello" (or Lord help you) "Titus" (no, can't honestly recommend that one although Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange and Alan Cumming all performed wonderfully).

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