Headlong and Shakespeare’s Globe have announced the full cast for their ambitious new co-production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which will open at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on 15 November 2025 before touring the UK.
This new production, directed by Headlong’s Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan and co-directed by Naeem Hayat, reimagines Shakespeare’s best-loved comedy through a darker, contemporary lens.
It will open at the Globe’s intimate, candlelit indoor theatre before visiting Shakespeare North Playhouse, Leeds Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic, and Oxford Playhouse through early 2026.
Roughan, known for her striking reinterpretations of classics, said the production will “explore some of the darker elements of Shakespeare’s well-known comedy, turning it on its head and asking us to reexamine its themes and subject matter.”
Cast and creative team
The ensemble includes Hedydd Dylan (The Comedy of Errors – RSC, The Merry Wives of Windsor – Globe) as Hippolyta/Titania, Michael Marcus (The Invention of Love, Who Killed My Father) as Theseus/Oberon, and Danny Kirrane (Skins, Jerusalem) as Bottom.
They are joined by Tiwa Lade (My Father’s Fable, Great Expectations) as Hermia, Tara Tijani (The Merry Wives of Windsor, School for Scandal) as Helena, David Olaniregun (Romeo and Juliet – Globe, Andor) as Lysander, Lou Jackson as Demetrius, and Sergo Vares (The New Real, People, Places & Things) as Puck.
Further cast members include Pria Kalsi, Jack Humphrey, Dannie Harris, and Ben Lynn.
The creative team features design by Max Johns, lighting and candlelight design by Joshie Harriette, and sound design by Nicola T Chang, with dramaturgy by Frank Peschier and movement direction by Malik Nashad Sharpe. The production is cast by Becky Paris CDG, Head of Casting at Shakespeare’s Globe.
A winter dream with a twist
Set against a backdrop of political unrest and environmental imbalance, this Dream unfolds as four lovers flee an oppressive society into a forest torn apart by the warring Fairy King and Queen. As jealousy and enchantment blur reality, the story asks whether this midsummer fantasy might, in fact, be a chilling winter’s dream.
Roughan added: “The world of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is turbulent, the natural environment upside down and unpredictable — creating a sense of tension that we are all experiencing today.”
Touring Dates
Following its Globe run (15 November 2025 – 31 January 2026), the production tours to:
- Shakespeare North Playhouse (3–7 February 2026)
- Leeds Playhouse (14–28 February 2026)
- Bristol Old Vic (4–21 March 2026)
- Oxford Playhouse (24–28 March 2026)
Current Productions
Alongside preparations for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Globe is currently presenting Twelfth Night (playing until 25 October 2025) and Troilus and Cressida (until 26 October 2025). This winter, a new staging of Pinocchio will take over the venues main theatre, the Globe Theatre from 29 November 2025 to 4 January 2026.
Book tickets to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe
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