A Midsummer Night's Dream (1981 TV) Act II, scene 1

[CrimzonChaos]

"ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT, PROUD TITANIA!"

[TheMOFOprincess]

In a few months my school is putting on this play. I'm Titania :)

[zakkwylde89]

It's so weird watching this since I'm going to perform this in a month.. after studying it for a while, then seeing a movie version of it, same words but totally different acting styles, I'm supposed to play Puck.

[CrescentViolet13]

one of my fav Shakspeare's!!!

[AlltheRockLife]

This is so gonna help me w/ a class I'm taking

[andrielisilien]

Ah I love this play and this version!!! Where are the other parts? My favorite is the scene when both the men are fawning over Helena and Hermia enters. I love the chaos XD

[ifeelgood617]

francais!!!!!

french!!!!!!!

[chrish12345]

How dare they cut so much text??

[whispperson]

wonderfull

[m1klgordon]

In 1994 my daughter played Titania in the school production. I think this video 'gets it' just right. During the school production, which was staged in the school's wooded grounds, I was next to the English teacher who had directed the play. She had her script clasped to her chest and was watching the performance with amazement, delight and pride. then she quietly said "Good old William Shakespeare".

[fantasyfan2010]

Thank-you I think that this is the best version of the play -because Oberon is so sexy!

[LunyandGytrash]

Aww... they cut loads of my line *Laughs*

Those that hobgolin call you and sweet Puck, you do their work and they should have goood luck. Are you not he?

[thelashers]

@LunyandGytrash yeah they have to cut it as the play in it's entierity is four hours long so they have to keep it at certain lengths to keep the audience's attention

[lennoxxify]

PUCK IS SCARY AS FUCKK!!!!

[baraxor]

I once read that in medieval French legend, Oberon was the son of Morgaine  and Julius Caesar. Wut??

[ploermel56490]

@baraxor It's funny, because Hellen Mirren (Titania) plays Morgane in the movie Excalibur (from boorman)

[minimcrrules]

@ploermel56490 Didn't she also play Hermia before?

[ploermel56490]

@minimcrrules Probably: She begins her career playing some roles in Shakespeare works.

[baraxor]

@minimcrrules

Helen Mirren played Hermia to Diana Rigg's Helena in Peter Hall's 1968 production, which was released as a film. In 1964 she was with the National Youth Theatre and played Helena (wearing a costume that Diana Rigg had worn!) to Diana Quick's Hermia.

[jesoby]

remember enjoying the incidental music as much as anything in this production.

[alexiscullen1902]

@metalmusic111 no hes not mad its just the way he interacts with him

[astrogeek15]

Wow they cut A LOT of lines.

[91EarthChild]

love puck in this! :)

[FireEyedMaidOfWar]

Shakespeare had really a crush on fairies and the myths about them; though Oberon and Titiania are nothing to Mercutio raving about Queen Mab in Romeo and Julia; while this play is the one Shakespeare play I do not like, though I cannot give any rational arguments for my dislike; maybe because I saw a dull Hollywood production of it first; well the poetry and characters are as always and so I will endure it and without admitting it to myself I will enjoy and like it.

[Elanel]

My local community theatre will be doing this play next year, and I reeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal­ly want to play Puck. Pray for me, or give me a 'break a leg'!

[BLiNdZoRz]

@metalmusic111 no he isn't.

[BLiNdZoRz]

Why is this "TV"? Was it on TV and not in the theaters?

[nessie96]

@BLiNdZoRz This production was from the BBC in England and was broadcast on PBS in the United States.

[nicki446]

Helen Mirren was beautiful and brilliant then, and is beautiful and brilliant now :)

[gummybears12ful]

Is it just me or does Puck seem... sorta sexy? ? In a creepy way, I mean.

[firelotus117]

Where do you find the rest of this version?

[DABEARS500]

this was the worst 8 minutes and 37 seconds of my life... Thankyou for that

[astrogeek15]

@DABEARS500 wow thats gay... have fun in your uncultured life! :)

[Bachtin08]

I have no idea why people regard this play as a "comedy". Every single person in this so-called romantic comedy is either unhappy or intoxicated.

[swannavon]

Thats why it's a comedy.

[TechBadger]

A 'comdedy' in shakespeare's times was a play with a definitive resolution.

[Bachtin08]

Maybe in those days, but now - Titania and Bottem, the youngsters have all experienced the unexplainable, unable to speak or reflect on it. Yet no-one seems to notice or care that those characters realize how insufficient their senses really are. By the way: did you realize that Demetrius was in fact NOT awakened from the toxious juices in the end, when he admitted he was in love with Helena again anf for real this time? Theres an odd smell of bitterness at the end.

[TechBadger]

I agree with all of that. But I just gave the reason for it being a comedy.

[HingYok]

As TechBadger points out, they're resolutions, but like in real life, they couldn't always be the best resolutions. There are always problems or irony. In the Merchant of Venice, Shylock and Antonio are both going to have problems after the judgement.

[missbabyice]

@TechBadger - Pretty much all the plays have a definitive resolution. Traditionally Shakespearean comedies end with a marriage and tragedies end with a death. Hence you get plays like Measure for Measure which ends in engagements and has the tricks of comedy, but has a serious issue. In recent times, a lot of Shakespeare's comedies have been interpreted in darker ways.

[musicfreek74]

we have adapted a new meaning to comedy since shakespears time

then they regarded a play with a resolution a comedy, now we consider it something funny

[FunkingHostile]

Sorry - but that is absolute rubbish.

[ExplodingCornpops]

weird interpretation, but i heart it.

:]

[SoulxSpectre]

I know lol get a load of robin XD

[mashka96]

hehe luv this, i'm playing titania :)))

[LazlosPlane]

I'm very very grateful that you posted this. I've been having insomnia lately and this cured it! Amazing! Like a shot of pentatol!! Wow!

Thanks!

[zacisghandi]

im playing Puck, it rules!

[gunnarguppi]

I think the changeling has hiccoughs :-)

[Brickcitygirl87]

Im watching this in my english class right now. Scared the crap of me lol

[Cheengow]

Wow. Helen Mirren is the best Titania I have ever seen.

[Chrisiant]

@Cheengow I could not agree more.

[AyeAyeeCaptain]

To ShakespeareandMore, just a quick correction: Puck, not Oberon, is played by Phil Daniels.

[ShakespeareAndMore]

Thanks! Text corrected.

[cutt56783]

im playing the part of pease bolssem its easy

[dhaunic]

hey guyss ...i am playing a part of titania

its really really hard to memorize all the line :(

[Tentasticle]

Phil Daniels is fucking shit.

[zavalation831]

then why are u watching it FAG! lol

[BluberryMuffin652]

is the baby eating when titania is holding him?

[rellik619555]

this shit is so fucking stupid!!! i go watch commando that movie has action yeah!!!!! not this gay shit!!!! go fuck urself if you think this is awesome

[spiritallabout]

why don't you jump up your own arse and die!!! if you do not like it, then don't watch it...

[rellik619555]

your soft a fucking fairy like all these faggots that think this shit is cool! spirtallabout go fist yo mom bitch the reason i watched it because my class u dumbshit!!

[spiritallabout]

I did not say I like it... I think the acting is that good. And I also had to watch it as part of a College project, but I didn't swear and say stupid profane things like you did. So the question is, who is the real dumbshit here...

[kisstheesky]

rellik619555, don't be ignorant. midsummer is a classic. shakespeare was a genious and an amazing poet.

you wouldn't know art if someone fed it to you with a spoon.

[wyvern723]

Look, he's just posting this stuff to get attention, he obviously wants to pick a fight, so he's saying offensive things to get a rise out of people. Report him, and ignore him.

[smileyet]

Helen Mirren will always be Titania to me. Fantastic performance. Thanks for posting.

[ellent85]

who is speaking at the beggining? x

[TitaniaFairy1114]

Helen Mirren is totally awesome!!!!

[sehrezad]

this oberon is horrible... but Helen Mirren rocks!!!

[Opreaismylife10692]

Titania rocks!

[MandyBuglet]

I love Phil Daniels!

[xoloverlyxo]

im playing puck in my school production of the modern version. :)

[christentze]

this is beautiful!

[Daakuraii]

im a guy and im titania :( pretty sad

[missbabyice]

@Daakuraii - I've played Titania too and am always very critical about portrayals of her and Oberon. Luckily there were two very good portrayals here :)

[FluffiFish]

lol everyone's talking about how they're doing the play.

ours is tomorrow! :)

[ChrisTheFitz]

Woot! I'm playing Oberon tomorrow night! *May 22, 08* Wish me luck!

[Kalsh]

i'm playing him in 2 weeks time. how did urs go?

[1FNPONY]

IM A FAIRY IN MY PLAY AT SCHOOL!

[utopicchalupaman]

im demetrius at my play @ school

[carwash131]

i'm Helena in the play at skool.

[Lovely199500]

cool i'm doing this play! i'm Hermia...

[DENIRA1234]

Me too! I just had my second performance! How was yours?

[Lovely199500]

cool! mine waz awesome! i still can't believe how many ppl clapped for me. how waz ur second performance?

[DENIRA1234]

It wasn't ass good as the first, but I loved the catfight scene... didn't you have fun w/that?

[Lovely199500]

oh...yea the catfight scene waz awesome!

[susibbz]

wats the little indian boy doing??? lol im doing this play 2.

[dicksonrox]

lol i am study midsummer's night dream in literature

[graykb86]

i like this movie i'm from wellcome middle school and i played as blue child and thisby i love this play

[krissygirlchick077]

... im bottom for this year and im a girl o.o

[classicU]

BORINGGG zzZZZ

[nickthaxton23]

it shouldnt be i had to play puck, it should be i got the pleasure to play puck

[PrinceMemories]

dang im pyramus beat that! and all my groupies in this play are girls lol!

[horseloverktv]

I'm doing this play now, I'm titania xD

[ofthetrees]

me too!

[randompersonel]

lol i had to be puck but that was last year.

[haariskane]

i had to be Oberon lots of words

[zestCC]

yea, me too

[LeehanSarang]

Woo! I had to be Titania in our class shakespeare play

[objie]

does puck play kevin off of eastenders???

[JACKOSBORNE]

yep

[JACKOSBORNE]

yep

[superpanda108]

puck looks weird here. isn't he the naughty type? anyway, i was part of this play in sixth grade. just saying :)

[ephiny513]

ive never seen this version before :) looks good though, i played oberon once, and fell in lvoe with shakesperean acting..alright so im a girl but it was still a fun part!

[TannerMan6]

6:34-7:36 is the part i have to do for theater class friday. i'm researching it so i know how to act. i already know the lines

[irinap1993]

Helen Mirren is great...:x...love she

[cleverboi2]

I loved Helen Mirren as Titania in this production, but the Puck as an angsty demonic looking teenager? Not so much. Puck is impish and mischievious but certainly not fanged and mad as hell.

[severelyconfused111]

that's the beauty of theatre. Interpretation. Personally- when I read Puck I think he's meant to be kind of cute and mischievious- like you said. But when you look closer at what he says throughout the play, he's not a particularly nice fairy, so it's totally legitimate to make him more of an evil type sprite.

[cleverboi2]

I get what you're saying. But I don't think it works to add the angsty teenage look to the character. Granted he can be percieved as evil, but I don't think it should be played as intense and forceful as this actor portrays. But Puck is too undefined to be defined so who the hell knows? ;)

[severelyconfused111]

Agreed. ^_^

[Desperada57]

I dunno, I thought he was sexy - but then my tastes have always been different ;-)

cleverboi2 said:

I loved Helen Mirren as Titania in this production, but the Puck as an angsty demonic looking teenager? Not so much. Puck is impish and mischievious but certainly not fanged and mad as hell.

[MicrophoneFarmer]

@cleverboi2 I absolutely agree. This Puck did nothing for me. He completely misinterpreted the character.

[mjacintho]

I remember when I did theater..I loved it...although I am a girl, I played Puck and it was the best part I have ever played...Oh but how reality took its turn on me and now I am a science major..ugh I love Shakespearean theater..

[wrathtakethmeover]

I love Puck in this.

[Kinnikujoe1]

Gotta be puck aka robin goodfellow

[Legoland1085]

The song seem to have sounded good. I was part of a high school version of this. The play is modern that Puck and Snug are girls.

[generousrabbit]

awesome actors I love. but it seems that the baby has the hickups...?

[Etheline]

I'd love to see that! Helen as Titania is fabulous! When I read that I saw Titania exactly like that!

[Joyshillaker]

I hated this play until I saw this version. Lovely music and inspired costumes.