Cast set for A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Exchange

The Royal Exchange Theatre has announced casting for William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, running from 6 September to 12 October, directed by Stef O’Driscoll.

This production, marking O’Driscoll’s directorial debut at the Royal Exchange, blends Shakespeare’s classic play with contemporary elements of Manchester’s dance, music, and rave culture.

The cast includes WhatsOnStage Award winner Natalie Casey as Hippolita and Titania, Guy Rhys as Egeus and Oberon, and Harry Egan as Puck and Theseus. The lovers are portrayed by Melissa James as Helena, Joe Usher as Demetrius, Alicia Forde as Lysander, and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu as Hermia. David Mumeni takes on the role of Bottom, with LJ Parkinson as Quince, Sam Black as Flute, and Rebecca Hayes as Snug. Manchester-based artist SALO, recently seen at Parklife 2024 and on Channel 4’s The Piano, will play the Moon.

O’Driscoll explained: “Blending the worlds of Shakespeare and Manchester’s current rave scene, I wanted to celebrate that music in this production and highlight Manchester’s many gifted artists, rappers, and MCs alongside Shakespeare. To me, they all are the greatest wordsmiths and storytellers around. While the show is often described as a comedy, this production delves into the darker side of obsessive love and the lengths people go to, to get what they want.

“I’m excited that heaps of young people across Manchester will come where it will feel as close to the energy and vibe I imagine it was in Shakespeare’s time: you will know if they are enjoying it, and you will know if they are not! It’s a celebration of music, storytelling, and the vibrant spirit of Manchester.”

The creative team for this production includes designers Mila Clarke and Rosie Elnile, lighting designer Mark Distin Webster, sound designer Dom Kennedy, movement director Annie-Lunnette Deakin, movement associate Hayley Chilvers, intimacy and fight director Yarit Dor, composers Dom Kennedy and Salo, casting director Olivia Barr, casting assistant Francesca Tennant, Birkbeck assistant director Elizabeth Laurence, production manager Helen Mugridge, dramaturg Richard Neale, voice and dialect coach Gurkiran Kaur, and text consultant Simon Trinder.