In the Footsteps of A Midsummer Night's Dream (In the footsteps of.... Book 11)

A combination of romance, imagination and comedy make A Midsummer Night’s Dream one of William Shakespeare’s happiest and most popular plays.

It was written for a wedding celebration around 1595. The story includes star-crossed lovers, the mechanicals with their ludicrous Wall and Lion, and above all Oberon and Titania’s dispute. This results in Puck’s prank causing Titania to fall in love with Bottom, whose head has been transformed into that of an ass.

It is a play which has had a major influence on artists, dramatists, writers and musicians. Quotes from the play have become part of the English language used by many without even realizing where they come from.

This book looks at the story and themes underlying A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the sources used by Shakespeare. It highlights the various characters and how they have been played – as well as the problems such as the Victorian desire to use electricity to light up individual fairies. There are many places that can be visited which have a connection with the play such as The Globe Theatre, HSBC Bank in Stratford upon Avon, Southwark Cathedral and the Louvre Museum.

The book also shows how the play has been portrayed in film and TV since its first portrayal back in 1909. Filming locations that can be visited include the Warner Brothers Burbank Studios in California, Compton Verney in Warwickshire and the Villa Farnese, Caprarola Italy.