A Midsummer Night's Dream

TV Movie
20162016
TV-14TV-14
1h 30min

A modern re-telling of the classic fantasy drama by William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream holds a star-studded cast with euphoric effects and melodramatic storytelling.A modern re-telling of the classic fantasy drama by William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream holds a star-studded cast with euphoric effects and melodramatic storytelling.A modern re-telling of the classic fantasy drama by William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream holds a star-studded cast with euphoric effects and melodramatic storytelling.

6.4/10

713

Director
- David Kerr
Writers
- Russell T. Davies(adaptation)
- William Shakespeare(based on the play by)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 4 nominations

Tyrannical dictator Theseus brings his captive bride, Amazonian queen Hippolyta, to Athens for a forced, dynastic union whilst statesman Egeus sentences his daughter Hermia to death for spurning arranged marriage to Demetrius in favour of true love Lysander, with whom she escapes to the woods. Demetrius follows, along with Helena who is besotted with him. Also in the woods a group of amateur actors, including pompous Nick Bottom, are rehearsing a play to perform at the ducal wedding. All are unaware that the fairy rulers of the woods. Oberon and Titania are engaged in a feud with Oberon taking revenge on his wife, helped by the sprite Puck, which involves her falling in love with the first person she sees - namely Bottom wearing a donkey's head. The four lovers are similarly bewitched by the charm and much confusion results before order is restored and the play goes ahead, with the fairies ensuring happy endings - for those who deserve it. —don @ minifie-1

fantasy

Trivia
An interview in the UK Sunday Times revealed that actor David Tennant was originally hired to direct this TV special, but had to drop out (being replaced by David Kerr) due to personal life issues related to Tennant's wife's pregnancy. Tennant still acted unofficially as writer Russell T Davies' personal 'Shakespeare expert' during the time he was working on it.

Connections
Featured in The Graham Norton Show: Seth Rogen/Paul Rudd/Martin Freeman/Maxine Peake/Birdy (2016)

Top review

10/10

First lesbian kiss on the BBC in 40 years (more of friendly expression)

If we have to have an updated version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" John Hannah is an excellent updated Theseus. His campaign and other ribbons strike the 60's military. His minions wear "Star Wars" type costumes.

At least there are some of Shakespeare's words and undertones. For the rest, it is reaching.

We still have fairies in the forest that knows how to talk iambic pentameter. But they do not act fairy-like (more as the guardians of the universe.)

You know the story and you know the words but the actors mumble and growl so you may want to use subtitles. A tad of a twist in the end. C'est la vie.

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