Staging the Spirits of “Shadows”: Dominic Dromgoole’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the New Globe Theatre

Staging the Spirits of “Shadows”: Dominic Dromgoole’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the New Globe Theatre

Dominic Dromgoole’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most popular productions at the Globe Theatre, which attracts the attention of modern audiences to the traditional perspectives on the presence of fairies in the Elizabethan period. In Tudor times, the fairies were regarded as dark spirits that were buried and sometimes came up from the underground as dead beings. This is totally different from the perspectives on the fairies in the nineteenth century; they were often depicted as transparent, winged things that have small and light bodies, dancing and singing on stage. As beautiful figures, the fairies have been greatly popular, even in many contemporary productions. However, Dromgoole refuses to follow this popular convention, instead trying to be faithful to Shakespeare’s Dream by describing the spirits as dead spirits and shaping their presence by exploring their dark and fearful aspects. Dromgoole focuses especially on the performers’ physical expressions to emphasize the fairies’ animalistic side; in particular, Oberon and Titania are true to their desire, which is often depicted through their violent and sexually aggressive attitude and behaviors. Their bodies representing a dark world are portrayed as clear and embodied forms, which makes the audience see the presence of the spirits as real. Rather than focusing on the harmonious peace in both the human and fairy worlds, through this production, Dromgoole prods modern audiences into seeing different sides of the fairies, who represent human imagination toward the uncertain and mysterious aspects of a world full of tension and anxiety.

Dominic Dromgoole’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most popular productions at the Globe Theatre, which attracts the attention of modern audiences to the traditional perspectives on the presence of fairies in the Elizabethan period. In Tudor times, the fairies were regarded as dark spirits that were buried and sometimes came up from the underground as dead beings. This is totally different from the perspectives on the fairies in the nineteenth century; they were often depicted as transparent, winged things that have small and light bodies, dancing and singing on stage. As beautiful figures, the fairies have been greatly popular, even in many contemporary productions. However, Dromgoole refuses to follow this popular convention, instead trying to be faithful to Shakespeare’s Dream by describing the spirits as dead spirits and shaping their presence by exploring their dark and fearful aspects. Dromgoole focuses especially on the performers’ physical expressions to emphasize the fairies’ animalistic side; in particular, Oberon and Titania are true to their desire, which is often depicted through their violent and sexually aggressive attitude and behaviors. Their bodies representing a dark world are portrayed as clear and embodied forms, which makes the audience see the presence of the spirits as real. Rather than focusing on the harmonious peace in both the human and fairy worlds, through this production, Dromgoole prods modern audiences into seeing different sides of the fairies, who represent human imagination toward the uncertain and mysterious aspects of a world full of tension and anxiety.