The Exes – Annika Pilstl

- Deutschland

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – oh, how lovely!

Everyone thinks of a balmy summer’s night, of dancing fairies and lovers kissing.

But if we look more closely, this night turns out to be a nightmare. Love and fidelity themselves are put to the test and fail miserably. Relationships are built on lies and deceit, and yet people merrily go on getting married. With a touch of fatalism, Mr Shakespeare lets things take their course in his A Midsummer Night’s Dream; his characters spout vows of fidelity only to break them immediately, and in the end, nobody seems to mind.

Actually, the evening was only meant to be a straightforward introduction to the play, but when even the Queen of the Fairies falls for the underhand humiliation of her husband, the shy education officer loses her temper. She can’t help herself; she intervenes in the world of literature and asks: ‘Who’s the donkey here?!’

Tiny hand puppets grapple with the big questions of love and fidelity. Inside the proscenium, the famous stage classic unfolds, brimming with jealousy, desire, reconciliation and magic. You’ll even find yourself hopelessly lost on this one-metre stage.

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – pared down, condensed, with humour and depth.