British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Midsummer Night’s Dream: What to Make of Magic, A

Synopsis
Educational videotape. What do fairies look like? How can magic be staged meaningfully in modern theatre? The programme presents scenes from several filmed versions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream that show challenging, innovative approaches to the portrayal of Shakespeare’s fairies, including Peter Brook’s famous 1970 "white box" production. Directors Jonathan Miller, Ian Talbot, and Adrian Noble of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre offer their views, along with opinions and expectations from audience members. Presented by Penelope Rixon.
Series
Staging Dreams: Casting and Interpreting Shakespeare
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Medium
Video
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Year of release
1998
Duration
33 mins

Credits

Contributor
Adrian Noble; Ian Talbot; Jonathan Miller; Penelope Rixon

Additional Details

Production type
Documentary/Educational/News
Plays
Midsummer Night’s Dream, A
Subjects
Drama
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); magic; Fairies

Notes

Notes
Only available in the USA and Canada.

Clips and transcript are available on the Open University Digital Archive. The OUDA clip shows brief clips from Brook’s production and Brook speaks on magic.
General
The programme appears to be the same as A KIND OF MAGIC in the Conjuring Shakespeare series broadcast BBC2 10 September 1987.

Production Company

Name

BBC Open University Productions

Distributor (Sale)

Name

Films for the Humanities & Sciences

Email
custserv.@films.com
Web
http://ffh.films.com/ External site opens in new window
Fax
+1 609 671 0266
Address
132 West 31st Street, 17th Floor
New York
NY 10001
USA
Notes
Films for the Humanities & Sciences is part of the US-based Films Media Group and specialises in selling programmes aimed at the HE and FE education and training market. The collection has thousands of titles and a range of separate subject catalogues is available in pdf format at http://ffh.films.com/landing.aspx?show=Catalogs/catalog_FFH.htm. Sale on video/DVD or online viewing via the Films on Demand service.

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