Director Paul Growcoot says:
“In 2013 ACT put on this show for its tenth anniversary and it was my first acting experience with the group. I remember it being a riotous good laugh, which is why I was more than happy to take it on as a director for the first time.

“The brilliance of Shakespeare is that his shows work on so many levels and only 10 years on did the darker side of the play begin to stand out for me. A Midsummer Night’s Dream deals with the suppression of women by a patriarchal society; Hippolyta is defeated in battle and forced to marry Theseus, Hermia is threatened with death by her father if she refuses to marry someone she does not love. And with the advent of the #metoo movement these themes are perhaps more relevant today than ever.

“Oberon casts a spell on his Fairy Queen, Titania, to steal away her prized adopted son for himself. From their supernatural discord the climate is sent into disarray with floods and contagious fogs. Shakespeare’s genius is to predict that mankind’s dominance, capitalisation and ultimate exploitation over the Earth will result in climate catastrophes; and that only love of one’s fellow man and the planet he shares with him can save us from disaster.

“Thankfully, Shakespeare shows us that in the end, through the irrationality of magic, dreams and chaos, love can win the day and sway even the sternest of logical minds to tenderness and compassion.”

You can book your tickets via act-midsummer.eventbrite.co.uk, by calling the Cathedral Office on 01274 77 77 20 (Mon-Fri 9:45am - 2:45pm) or there will be limited tickets available on the door. Tickets are £12 + booking fee, or £9 for concessions (Concessions are available to those of school age (up to year 13), those over 65 and anyone on a low income). In the event of bad weather, the production will move indoors.