| A Midsummer Night's Dream | |
|---|---|
 A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968 film) |
|
| Directed by | Peter Hall |
| Written by | William Shakespeare (play) |
| Release date(s) | September, 1968 (UK) |
| Running time | 124 min. (approx.) |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
A Midsummer Night's Dream was a 1968 rendition of William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Peter Hall. It starred Derek Godfrey as Theseus, Barbara Jefford as Hippolyta, Diana Rigg as Helena, Helen Mirren as Hermia, Ian Holm as Puck, Ian Richardson as King Oberon, Judi Dench as Queen Titania, and Paul Rogers as Bottom, as well as other members of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The film premiered in theatres in Europe, but on television in the U.S., on the night of February 9, 1969. It is significant of the era in which it premiered (before cable television and PBS), that it was shown on CBS (with commercials) rather than on an educational television station. The commercial networks were far more willing in the 1950's and '60's to risk programming Shakespeare plays. The film runs two full hours and is quite faithful to the play, with few unusual gimmicks. One touch that may surprise viewers is that there are very few "magical" effects, especially when compared with the classic 1935 film version. The fairies are all covered in green body paint, and rather than appearing and disappearing slowly, simply burst onto the scene out of thin air.
Cast
- Derek Godfrey as Theseus
- Barbara Jefford as Hippolyta
- Nicholas Selby as Egeus
- Hugh Sullivan as Philostrate
- David Warner as Lysander
- Diana Rigg as Helena
- Michael Jayston as Demetrius
- Helen Mirren as Hermia
- Paul Rogers as Bottom
- Sebastian Shaw as Quince
- Bill Travers as Snout
- Clive Swift as Snug
- Donald Eccles as Starveling
- John Normington as Flute
- Ian Richardson as Oberon
