Flute Theatre to present A Midsummer Night's Dream show for audiences with autism and their families

Running from 12 October to 12 December 2020, the show is created via Zoom to individual households. It follows on from the company's previous production of Pericles mounted earlier in the pandemic.

Kelly Hunter, artistic director of Flute Theatre said: "I first created these sensory games for autistic people from A Midsummer Night's Dream 20 years ago, when I began this work. The play's exploration of an inverted world with eyes that hear, ears that see, hands that taste and minds that love, gave me a perfect starting place to explore the sensory world of autism and create my sensory games for autistic people.

"Now with Covid-19 continuing to restrict the physical proximity between actor and autistic participant, these sensory games take on a deeper resonance as I continue to adapt my work from real space to virtual. Our production, with our interactive games of dream worlds and awakenings, will offer families who are marginalized and locked away a place to combat isolation, express their deeper feelings and shine their inner lights more brightly than before."

Specialising in bringing Shakespearean productions to audiences that wouldn't necessarily be able to experience them, particularly children on the autism spectrum, the company has performed productions across Europe, in countries such as Poland, Romania and the UK.

The company was founded in 2014 and its current artistic director is Kelly Hunter (who was recently made MBE). Hunter previously worked with children with autism during her time at the RSC. Before the lockdown, a large portion of the company's day-to-day work takes place at the Bush Theatre.

Audiences can book via the Flute Theatre website.

The company were the designated charity for the 20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards earlier this year – you can see a video of them in action below: