A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Shakespeare in Performance

The audio CD with this edition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream contains a series of unique recordings to illustrate how different actors place their own interpretation on the play. Hear Sir John Gielgud in a recording from the 1930s reciting a speech of Puck’s. Compare that to a contemporary recording made in 2003. There are also superb performances from Michael Maloney, Amanda Root and David Harewood. The text is illustrated throughout with photographs from notable productions, including the 1970 RSC production directed by Peter Brook, the 1994 RSC production directed by Adrian Noble and the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 2003-04 production. The book also takes you behind the scenes with reproductions of set drawings, costume designs and scene edits, all from original notes. As well as the playtext, there are articles covering a range of topics including ‘In Production: A Midsummer Night’s Dream through the Years’ by Teri Bourus, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Popular Culture’ by Douglas Lanier, ‘A Voice Coach’s Perspective on Speaking Shakespeare’ by Andrew Wade and ‘In the Age of Shakespeare’ by Thomas Garvey. The Sourcebooks Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream is an invaluable tool for students of all ages from GCSE to A Level and beyond.