Globe Ensemble Berlin: Ein Sommernachtstraum von William Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s most frequently performed comedy is also his most frequently misunderstood. Mathias Schönsee’s production at the Globe Berlin moves away from both the romantic, idealized performance tradition and the burlesque. Here is a “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that stays closer to the author, staying true to the text (translation: Christian Leonard).

Four young lovers flee the strict laws of Athens and lose their way in a forest full of spirits and fairies; they are swept up in the maelstrom of their longings and passions, dream of heaven, and fall into the abyss. On Midsummer Night, the spirits of nature turn everything upside down and play their pranks on the humans, shattering all rules and reshuffling the deck. A sensual, turbulent dance that contrasts uniform civil society with the exotic jungle. The ensemble becomes a band and accompanies the play with magical live music.