A Midsummer Night's Dream

Propeller Shakespeare

William Shakespeare, Edward Hall, Adaptor, Roger Warren, Adaptor, Edward Hall, Adaptor, Roger Warren, Adaptor

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781840023633
• eBook ISBN: 9781849436748
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

One of Shakespeare's most original and eloquent plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream brilliantly interweaves four contrasting groups of characters to present a many-sided view of love in all its aspects: its joys and sadness, its idealism and selfishness, its physical and spiritual elements. This performing edition was prepared for Propeller's all-male company of twelve actors, at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury, and toured the West End in 2003. Propeller's markedly contemporary approach to Shakespeare brought great success for Rose Rage, their version of the Henry VI plays, whichwon the TMA/Barclays Theatre Award for the best touring production of 2001.

Characters

THESEUS, Duke of Athens

HIPPOLYTA, Queen of the Amazons

EGEUS

HERMIA, his daughter

rival suitors for Hermia

HELENA, in love with Demetrius

QUINCE, a carpenter

BOTTOM, a weaver

FLUTE, a bellows-mender

STARVELING, a tailor

SNOUT, a tinker

SNUG, a joiner

ROBIN GOODFELLOW, a puck

OBERON, King of the Fairies

TITANIA, Queen of the Fairies

FAIRIES

On stage, covered with dust sheets: a central structure with a row of chairs on an upper level, which is reached by ladders, for entrances ‘above’. There are two more ladders on each side of the front of the stage, covered with sheets. In the middle of the stage is a ‘Magic Box’ from which Robin Goodfellow the puck emerges as the rest of the company (the fairies) gather. Robin wears a ballet-dancer’s tutu and red-striped tights; all the others wear white body-stockings over which they later add hats, jackets, or skirts, as appropriate to their characters. They sing and dance.

Music: Nursery theme.

SCENE ONE

	Athens. Theseus’ court.
	Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, with others.
THESEUS	Now fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour Draws on apace. Four happy days bring in Another moon. But oh methinks how slow This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires Like to a stepdame or a dowager Long withering out a young man’s revenue.
HIPPOLYTA	Four days will quickly steep themselves in night, Four nights will quickly dream away the time And then the moon like to a silver bow New bent in heaven shall behold the night Of our solemnities.

THESEUS

Go one of you,

	Stir up the Athenian youth to merriments. Awake the pert and nimble spirit of mirth. Turn melancholy forth to funerals, The pale companion is not for our pomp. Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword, And won thy love doing thee injuries. But I will wed thee in another key, With pomp, with triumph, and with revelling.
	Enter EGEUS and his daughter HERMIA, LYSANDER and DEMETRIUS.
EGEUS	Happy be Theseus, our renownèd Duke.
THESEUS	Thanks good Egeus, what’s the news with thee?
EGEUS	Full of vexation come I, with complaint Against my child, my daughter Hermia. Stand forth Demetrius. My noble lord, This man hath my consent to marry her. Stand forth Lysander. And my gracious Duke, This man hath bewitched the bosom of my child. Thou thou Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes, And interchanged love tokens with my child. Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung With feigning voice verses of feigning love, And stolen the impression of her fantasy With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gauds, conceits, Knacks, trifles, nosegays, sweetmeats – messengers Of strong prevailment in unhardened youth. With cunning hast thou filched my daughter’s heart, Turned her obedience which is due to me To stubborn harshness. And my gracious Duke, Be it so she will not here before your grace Consent to marry with Demetrius, I beg the ancient privilege of Athens: As she is mine, I may dispose of her, Which shall be either to this gentleman Or to her death, according to our law Immediately provided in that case.
THESEUS	What say you Hermia? Be advised fair maid. To you your father should be as a god, One that composed your beauties, yea and one To whom you are but as a form in wax By him imprinted and within his power To leave the figure or disfigure it. Demetrius is a worthy gentleman.
HERMI...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Cast and Production Team
• Edward Hall on Propeller
• The Concord of This Discord: A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Designing A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Music in A Midsummer Night's Dream
• This Edition
• A Midsummer Night's Dream