CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT: Cast announced for Royal Exchange’s electrifying production of Shakespeare’s legendary comedy
A Royal Exchange Theatre production
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Stef O’Driscoll
6 September – 12 October
Shakespeare as you’ve never seen it before – welcome to the hedonistic and captivating world of Stef O’Driscoll’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM. Making her Royal Exchange directorial debut, O’Driscoll brings a contemporary vision to life, celebrating Manchester’s synonymous links with dance, music and rave culture in a whirlwind of sweaty dance-offs to drum and bass love anthems. This electrifying production runs at the Royal Exchange Theatre from 6 September until 12 October 2024.
Director Stef O’Driscoll said, “Blending the worlds of Shakespeare and Manchester’s current rave scene, I wanted to celebrate that music in this production and highlight Manchester’s many gifted artists, rappers, and MCs alongside Shakespeare. To me, they all are the greatest wordsmiths and storytellers around. While the show is often described as a comedy, this production delves into the darker side of obsessive love and the lengths people go to, to get what they want.
I’m excited that heaps of young people across Manchester will come where it will feel as close to the energy and vibe I imagine it was in Shakespeare’s time: you will know if they are enjoying it, and you will know if they are not! It’s a celebration of music, storytelling, and the vibrant spirit of Manchester.”
Fresh from playing the main stage at Parklife 2024 and making an on-stage appearance as The Moon is exciting emerging Manchester-based artist SALO, who’s tipped to take the music world by storm with her collaborations, new releases and appearance on Channel 4’s THE PIANO.
Orchestrators of magic and mischief, the fairies blur the lines between reality and fantasy for themselves and others. Natalie Casey (TWO PINTS OF LAGER AND A PACKET OF CRISPS, BBC; STEPPING OUT, Vaudeville Theatre; THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE, Lyric Hammersmith/UK Tour) plays the dual roles of Hippolita and Titania, alongside Guy Rhys (A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, Royal Exchange Theatre; MOTHER COURAGE, National Theatre; THE WITCHER: BLOOD ORIGIN, Netflix) as both Egeus and Oberon. The mischevious Puck is played by Harry Egan (BREAKING THE CODE, Royal Exchange Theatre; TRUE WEST, Vaudeville Theatre; PASSENGER, ITV), who also takes on the role of Theseus.
The lovers are at the centre of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, encapsulated by the intoxicating forest and all that lies within it. Melissa James (MOULIN ROUGE, Piccadilly Theatre; THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT, RSC; GYPSY, Royal Exchange Theatre) takes on the role of Helena, with Joe Usher (FALKLAND SOUND/THE EMPRESS, RSC; ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, Sheffield Theatres) as Demetrius. Alongside them are Alicia Forde (WATERLOO ROAD, Warner Bros/BBC; TIME, BBC) as Lysander, and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu (CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF/THE MOUNTAINTOP, Royal Exchange Theatre) as Hermia.
With comedic performances, the Mechanicals manoeuvre the high stakes of their play-within-a-play. David Mumeni (BRIDGERTON, Netflix; STATH LETS FLATS, Channel 4; BARBIE, Warner Brothers) brings Bottom to life, alongside LJ Parkinson (MODEST, UK Tour/Kiln Theatre; COWBOIS, RSC/Royal Court; JOAN, Camden People’s Theatre/Edinburgh Fringe) as Quince. Sam Black (ANIMAL FARM, UK Tour; CYRANO DE BERGERAC, West End/Broadway) takes on the role of Flute, with Rebecca Hayes (CORAM BOY, Chichester Festival Theatre/The Lowry; TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, Gielgud Theatre; A CHRISTMAS CAROL, Bristol Old Vic) as Snug and further cast.
The creative team for A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM includes Designers Mila Clarke & Rosie Elnile, Lighting Designer Mark Distin Webster, Sound Designer Dom Kennedy, Movement Director Annie-Lunnette Deakin, Movement Associate Hayley Chilvers, Intimacy and Fight Director Yarit Dor, Composers Dom Kennedy & Salo, Casting Director Olivia Barr, Casting Assistant Francesca Tennant, Birkbeck Assistant Director Elizabeth Laurence, Production Manager Helen Mugridge, Dramaturg Richard Neale, Voice & Dialect Coach Gurkiran Kaur and Text Consultant Simon Trinder.