S9.E44

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Episode aired Jun 24, 1964

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Tony Tanner and Peter Wyngarde in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1964)

Theseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Demetrius is engaged with Hermia, but Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius. Oberon and Titania, of the ki... Read allTheseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Demetrius is engaged with Hermia, but Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius. Oberon and Titania, of the kingdom of fairies have a slight quarrel about whether or not the boy Titania is raising wil... Read allTheseus, Duke of Athens, is going to marry Hyppolyta, Queen of the Amazons. Demetrius is engaged with Hermia, but Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius. Oberon and Titania, of the kingdom of fairies have a slight quarrel about whether or not the boy Titania is raising will join Titania's band or Oberon's, so Oberon tries to get him from her by using some magic... Read all

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IMDb RATING

7.3/10

YOUR RATING

4User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

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7.323

Featured reviews

W.B.

Benny Hill's High Point

Benny Hill was, in my opinion, to British television what Jackie Gleason and Milton Berle were to American television. But there is one fundamental difference between Mr. Hill and the aforementioned American comics, and it could be summed up in one word: Shakespeare. Mr. Gleason often talked about doing a TV production of "Hamlet," in which he would get to spout off the famous "To be, or not to be" line. But Mr. Hill actually DID a TV production of a Shakespeare play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in which he played Bottom. He more than held his own amongst all the fine players who surrounded him. It is only a shame that in the twenty-eight years left of his life, he never did anything that came close to such true artistry.

8eparis2

Bask in Joan Kemp-Welch's "Midsummer Night's Dream"

This black and white version of Midsummer is unexpectedly magical, delicately balancing the poetry and the comedy. This fairy kingdom - ruled by a Titania and Oberon who are powerful, impulsive, not entirely kindly beings - seems genuinely otherworldly despite the inclusion of Mendelssohn's music and ballet dancers.

Though Patrick Allen's Theseus occasionally rants and rages, the play is well acted, with engaging young lovers and amiable, thickheaded mechanicals.

In his scenes with Titania, Benny Hill's Bottom is charmingly bashful.

However, the mechanicals are so much in earnest during the performance of Pyramus and Thisby that Theseus and the young lovers seem cruel in their responses.

Coxer99

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Hill tries to go somewhere with Bottom in this picture, but sadly that's where he ends up...on the bottom!

7tpbx

A BBC live performance with both Peter Wyngarde and Benny Hill - quite good

One does not usually associate Benny Hill with Shakespeare, but not only does he appear, but does a very creditable job of playing Bottom. This is one of those cases where one has a chance of seeing a performer out of what seems to be their normal role, and in this case it works quite well. Appearing quite within what would seem a normal role, is Peter Wyngarde as Oberon. He is up to his usual standard of excellence, as is many of the performers in the play. The real limits of the performance are mainly those caused by being a live Telecast from 1964. If you can find this at all, it will probably be at your main library. Whether or not it is worthy of adding to a collection, it is certainly worth seeing at least once.