Midsummer Night's Dream, A (1970) Aldwych Theatre / Stratford-upon-Avon Playwright: William Shakespeare Cast: Alan Howard as Oberon Character: Snout

Peter Brook’s revolutionary 1970 version is one of the most famous of modern productions. It began at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with Alan Howard as Theseus and Oberon, Sara Kestelman as Hippolyta and Titania, Ben Kingsley as Demetrius and John Kane as Puck and Philostrate. It toured 13 countries, and then returned to England for a revival. On the 1971 world tour which included Broadway, Patrick Stewart played Snout; on the 1972 and 1973 world tours, Gemma Jones played Hippolyta and Titania.

The production featured white walls, acrobatic fairies on trapezes and coiled wire trees that made music when they moved. Brook did not tamper with the text, saying that he didn’t cut a word because “it seemed to me an absolutely perfect play.”

Related links:
A 1978 Interview with Patrick Stewart and Ben Kinglsey — Discusses the RSC.
Internet Broadway Database Play Page