A Midsummer Night's Dream

Starring: Alex Jennings, Lindsay Duncan, Desmond Barrit, et al.

Product Description

Lovers and fantasy collide on a midsummer night.

• Format: DVD
• Language: English
• UPC: 786936190939
• Release Date: October 2002
• Rating: PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Publisher: Miramax
• Director: Adrian Noble
• Starring: Alex Jennings, Lindsay Duncan, Desmond Barrit, Barry Lynch
• Runtime: 1 hour, 43 minutes
• Number of Disks: 1
• Other Video Info: Multiple Formats; Closed-captioned; Color; NTSC
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

(1996) Starring: Alex Jennings, and Lindsay Duncan.

Odd take-off as a boy dreams the play. “On one night of every year, the boundary between the daylight and twilight worlds is thin as air.” Shown as a stage play, but uses excessive camera tricks to display a colorful version that still keeps iambic pentameter. At least it is not one of those present-day versions that force Shakespeare into contemporary clothing. Only occasionally, moving a play to a different time or place it can keep its magic. This presentation is of no real time or place but seems to have borrowed from the junk leftover from previous plays, containing part stage and part Victorian England, with a dash of Alice in Wonderland. Lots of nice colors and music. However, everyone goes around kissing everyone but the person they should be kissing; you can call it artistic license, but I call it a distraction from the purpose or base story. For those who do not like the introduction of bicycles and nudity as in another version, take heart, as there is no nudity or bicycles. The bicycles are replaced with Mary Poppins-type umbrellas. O.K. I lied, there is the E.T. bicycle scene, motorcycles with sidecars, and motorcycles. Usually, this tale is played out by well-known actors, so I must confess that even though this is the Royal Shakespeare Company production, I do not recognize anyone. One big missing part is where Nick Bottom is transformed into a donkey. Too bad, as that is one of the best parts. He just pops up with ears and teeth. That is like showing Hamlet without Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. You need to watch any other production before this one, as "Who would not change a raven for a dove?" Presented by the “Royal Shakespeare Company” Starring: Lindsay Duncan as Hippolyta/Titania Alex Jennings as Theseus/Oberon Desmond Barrit as Nick Bottom Barry Lynch as Puck/Philostrate The Lovers: Hermia - Monica Dolan Demetrius - Kevin Doyle Lysander - Daniel Evans Helena - Emily Raymond Egeus - Alfred Burke The boy - Osheen Jones