Sydney Opera House presents
The Royal Shakespeare Company, in collaboration with Manchester International Festival, Marshmallow Laser Feast and Philharmonia Orchestra

A live, online performance set in a virtual midsummer forest.

Theatre, music and ground-breaking technology combine in this extraordinary exploration into the future of live performance. Inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck invites you on a dreamlike journey between dusk and dawn. With a cloud of fireflies lighting the way, you will explore the forest and encounter four sprites, Moth, Peaseblossom, Cobweb and Mustardseed. But storm clouds gather on the horizon, threatening destruction...

Dream uses real-time motion-capture technology to take you into the magical world of a midsummer forest – online but entirely live. Integral to the experience of Dream is also the music; an interactive symphonic score recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra will be manipulated in key points in the play in real-time by the performers, creating interactive music with their movements.

Cast and creatives:

Robin McNicholas – Director
Pippa Hill – Script Creation
Robin Mc Nicholas & Pippa Hill – Narrative
Esa-Pekka Salonen – Music Director & Composer
Jesper Nordin – Composer, Interactivity Designer and Creative Advisor, Music
Sarah Perry – Movement Director

Maggie Bain – Cobweb
Phoebe Hyder - Understudy Puck & Mustardseed
Durassie Kiangangu – Moth
Jamie Morgan – Peaseblossom
Loren O'Dair – Mustardseed
Tom Scurr – Camera Operator
EM Williams – Puck
Edmund Wood – rehearsal assistant and Understudy Moth, Cobweb and Peaseblossom
With
Nick Cave – as the Voice of the Forest

Broadcast Thursday 18 March 2021, 9pm
Duration: approx 50 minutes.
Available for duration of livestream only.

Sydney Opera House is the exclusive Australian streaming partner for two live performances of Dream only on: THU 18 MAR, 9PM AEDT & SAT 20 MAR, 9PM AEDT.

For the full Dream schedule and an option to interact during the live performance visit https://www.dream.online. Sydney Opera House performances will not feature an interactive option.

Dream is brought to you by the Audience of the Future Consortium. The project is funded within the Audience of the Future programme by UK Research and Innovation through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Dream is generously supported by Miranda Curtis CMG, the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, Audrey Mandela and Sean Phelan, and is an EPIC MegaGrants recipient.