Together with The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most magical plays.
One night, two parties creep from Athens into the surrounding forest. One party includes sweethearts Lysander and Hermia, fleeing from Athenian law and the disapproval of Hermia’s father to get married. In pursuit is Demetrius, the suitor of Hermia favored by her father, and the doleful Helena, formerly affianced to Demetrius.
Six tradesman (the “rude mechanicals”) make up the other party. They hope to present a play at the upcoming nuptials of Theseus, Duke of Athens, and are seeking a private place for rehearsal.
Surveying these disparate interlopers are the forest fairies, whose King Oberon and Queen Titania are engaged in a ferocious marital dispute.
A magical love potion throws all into disarray. Attachments are disrupted, new ones are formed—but finally, conjugal harmony is established between lovers. In the last act the “rude mechanicals” win their chance to present their clumsy dramatic piece to the amusement and satisfaction of the aristocratic audience.
Download and start listening now!
Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
William Shakespeare (1564–1616), English poet and dramatist of the Elizabethan and early Jacobean period, is the most widely known author in all of English literature and often considered the greatest. He was an active member of a theater company for at least twenty years, during which time he wrote many great plays. Plays were not prized as literature at the time and Shakespeare was not widely read until the middle of the eighteenth century, when a great upsurge of interest in his works began that continues today.
Bleak December Inc. is a multimedia company founded by Canadian actor and filmmaker Anthony D.P. Mann.
Linda Barrans is a British narrator with a fondness for Jane Austen and Shakespeare. She wrote the Sam the Sheep books to make positive use of the time during COVID lockdown, and to give herself and her friend Cate Barratt a modern piece to record together.
Kyle Tait is a professionally trained voice actor and sports broadcaster based in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s done voice work for TV and radio ads around the world, corporate training videos, whiteboard and explainer videos, documentaries, audiobooks, and more. He’s narrated more than twenty titles on Audible and iTunes, across genres spanning from sports history to crime thrillers to self-help.
In addition to his voice work, Tait is an established sports broadcaster, calling baseball, basketball, and football on ESPN3, as well as serving as a studio host on multiple national college networks with IMG College.
John Burlinson is an American audiobook narrator.
Denis Daly is an audiobook narrator and codirector of Voices of Today, an Australian spoken word production house.
Gary MacFadden is a voice talent based in western Montana, USA. He works in commercial, e-learning, explainer videos, and audiobooks. Gary has narrated and produced over forty audiobooks, and has produced another dozen books for other narrators.
Denis Daly is an audiobook narrator and codirector of Voices of Today, an Australian spoken word production house.