A fresh retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens at the Royal Shakespeare Company venue The Other Place this month. Made with youngsters in mind - it’s the RSC’s first co-production with leading children’s theatre company The Unicorn - the production has also been a hit with adults, courtesy of its fast-track telling of the story, innovative creative captioning and eye-catching design.

What’s On spoke to Amelia Donkor - who returns to the RSC to play Titania and Hippolyta in the production - to find out more...

This month, Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) venue The Other Place hosts a brand-new version of one of the bard’s most popular plays - and it’s a production which has been created with younger audiences (of age seven and above) very much in mind.

Suitably scheduled into the school summer holidays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the RSC’s first co-production with The Unicorn Theatre, a London venue specialising in shows for younger audiences.

The production has already had a seven-week run in the capital, and after a short break for the performers, makes its Stratford-upon-Avon debut on the 19th of this month.

The roles of Titania and Hippolyta will be played by Amelia Donkor, who has history with the RSC: “Last time I worked there, one of my directors used to work at the Unicorn. There are all these little connections. I’ve always wanted to work at the Unicorn - it’s such a well-respected London theatre. And I had an amazing season at the RSC in 2019/20, just pre-pandemic. I did The Taming Of The Shrew and As You Like It in the main house, which was glorious. I had an amazing summer and a big tour, and we went to the Barbican. It’s really lovely to come back to the RSC.”

Amelia has also relished the opportunity to return to making work for - and inspired by - the younger people in the audience.

“I used to work with kids quite a lot. It’s been really nice getting to be in children’s spaces again. At the Unicorn, they have this great thing - creative associates that are young people connected to the theatre, who came in during the rehearsal process. We got to meet them and they gave us ideas.”

Spending Midsummer in the Midlands is also something of a homecoming for Amelia.

“I grew up in Leamington Spa. My mum is still in Leamington, and all my family are still in Studley and Shipston - all around there. My grandad grew up in Alcester. When my uncle came to see one of the shows in 2019, we sat in [local pub] the Dirty Duck afterwards and he said to me, ‘I first came to this theatre 70 years ago with your grandpa.’ So, for me, being in Stratford is a really, really special experience.”

The play itself - a perfect introduction to Shakespeare’s work for new audiences of any age - features three madcap, magical storylines which weave together into one big ‘happy ever after’. For much of the production, Amelia plays Titania, the queen of the fairies, magically tricked into falling in love with a not-so-humble weaver named Bottom, who has been magically transformed into an ass (of the donkey variety).

“I think it’s great fun, which is a great way to introduce you to theatre - with lots of magic and mischief! We split it into two parts really: the ‘human world’ and the ‘fairy world’. Having that element of mystery and magic and imagination is captivating to young people. One of my goddaughters came and she just fell in love with it. She loves Bottom. She read the children’s version of it, and now she wants to go and see more Midsummer Night’s Dream. She’s been asking her mum, ‘Can we go and see more Shakespeare?’ So I’ve got hard evidence that it’s a good gateway for children.”

The production has been condensed into 80 minutes without an interval. And the whirlwind telling of the story has been a hit with children and adults alike, according to Amelia: “Honestly, it’s a lovely treat for us. I think there’s something really lovely about seeing what you can do with less, and still keep the core of the story, the core of the characters - everything that you need. It makes it much more accessible. It’s not just about [being] accessible for children, but for lots of people for different reasons… We’ve had lots of kids come, but some of my adult friends have really appreciated it being an abridged version.”

Another integral element of the production -  and one which has proved popular with audiences of all ages - is the creative captioning. Regular theatregoers might be accustomed to seeing subtitles which appear on a screen at the side of the stage - but in this production, Shakespeare’s written words are built into the play’s visuals.

“They’re incorporated into the design of the show. They’re just as magical as the show itself - sometimes they’re in different colours, to represent the character who’s saying [the line]. We have big statement pieces on there, there are pictures - and our fairies are literally the captions; they get created in front of your eyes. It’s a beautiful way of telling stories, but also a great way for you to check understanding as you go… And that is, again, not just great for kids, but for everyone who might be less familiar with Shakespeare, or who might want to get to know the story a bit more.

“Honestly, everyone says to me, ‘We loved the captions!’ Think about how many people watch TV now with the subtitles on - so many people do it. I do it, and I want to do this in all my shows. We should always have creative captions!”

With the production condensed and featuring a cast of just eight, many of the performers take on multiple roles. Amelia is enjoying the contrast between playing fairy queen Titania and queen of the Amazons Hippolyta.

“I’ve got two different costumes [as Titania]. I’ve got my more ‘natural’ costume - it’s made of cork, but it’s big and bold. I’ve got this huge skirt, and a big crown and a corset - it’s really natural and earthy. And then I’ve got a multicoloured one that’s full of ribbons, sashes and taffeta. I feel like a quintessential fairy, but in a crazy way! Hippolyta is much, much more refined.”

Whether performing to schools, families or groups, Amelia is used to hearing laughter in the audience - the play is, after all, a comedy! - and with the kids fully immersed and involved in the story, the cast are certainly kept on their toes…

“There are some bits which the adults laugh at, some bits which the kids laugh at, and then other bits in between. I think the joy is that you’re never quite sure when they’re going to pipe up. And sometimes, our job is making sure that we don’t laugh when a kid says something - because they’re very funny and their comic timing is very good!”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream shows at RSC venue The Other Place, in Stratford-upon-Avon, from Friday 19 June to Sunday 30 August

By Jessica Clixby