Written By:         William Shakespeare

Directors:            Elise Hall & Hope Meffle

Synopsis:             Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a romantic comedy play that takes place in a forest inhabited by fairies. The play has four main plots that revolve around the conflicts between the fairy King and Queen, the romantic troubles among four young lovers, the comical performances by a group of amateur actors, and the transformation of Bottom the weaver into an ass. All these plots are interconnected by the central theme of love and its complexities. The play is known for its memorable characters, including Puck, the mischievous fairy, and the mortal lovers Hermia, Helena, Lysander, and Demetrius.

Please note there are no ‘lead’ roles, as A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a strong ensemble play. Certain roles, such as Oberon and Titania, and the Four Lovers require more speaking than roles such as the Mechanicals, but this will be made clear to auditionees at Info Night. We have also split the characters into two sections—the Human Court and the Fairy Court—and organised those two sections into smaller sub-categories. This is mainly for rehearsal organisation, as the sub-categories are mostly on-stage at the same time.

Role Name:  Theseus     Duke of Athens, set to marry Hippolyta. Male-presenting, 35-55 years

Role Name:  Hippolyta   Thesus’ fiancée. Female-presenting, 35-55 years

Role Name:  Egeus        Hermia’s father; insistent she marry Demetrius. His persistent and stern demeanour act as a stark contrast to the whimsy of the forest and its folk. Male-presenting, 35-55 years

Role Name:  Philostrate   Thesus’ Master of Revels, in charge of organising entertainment for the wedding. Male-presenting, 35-55 years

Role Name:  Hermia       In love with Lysander, despite her father’s wishes. In an attempt to escape life as a nun, she and Lysander flee Athens for the forest. Shorter than Helena. Female-presenting, early 20s

Role Name:  Lysander     In love with Hermia. Instigates he and Hermia fleeing Athens. Falls briefly in love with Helena when Puck mistakes him for Demetrius in the forest. Marries Hermia at the end of the play. Male-presenting, early 20s

Role Name:  Demetrius     Also, in love with Hermia, Demetrius follows her and Lysander into the forest after Helena tells him of their flight. Puck uses his magic to make Demetrius fall for Helena. Male-presenting, early 20s

Role Name:  Helena          In love with Demetrius, rather hopelessly, as they were once betrothed before he fell in love with Hermia. Down-on-her-luck, full of ennui, she finds the news of Hermia and Lysander’s parting as her chance of catching Demetrius. Believe the pair of boys are tricking her by acting like they love her when they are under Puck’s spell. She and Demetrius end up married. Female-presenting, early 20s

Role Name:  Peter Quince    Carpenter and leader of the craftsmen’s troupe set to perform at the wedding of Thesus and Hippolyta. He is often pushed to the side to make way for Nick Bottom’s self-confidence. Plays the ‘Prologue’ in Pyramus and Thisbe at the wedding. Male-presenting, 35-55 years

Role Name:  Nick Bottom      Weaver and member of Quince’s troupe, Bottom’s arrogance is highlighted at his nonchalance on being turned into a donkey and Titania’s love for him. Plays ‘Pyramus’. Male-presenting, 35-55 years

Role Name:  Francis Flute      The bellows-mender, cast as ‘Thisbe’ due to the high, squeaky nature of this voice. Male-presenting, 17-25 years

Role Name:  Tom Snout     Tinker who plays the role of ‘Wall’. Male-presenting, 20+ years

Role Name:  Snug              The joiner, cast as the Lion. male-presenting, 20+ years

Role Name:  Robin Starveling    A tailor, cast as ‘Moonshine’. male-presenting, 20+ years

Role Name:  Oberon        King of the fairies, in the midst of a disagreement with his wife, Titania, that is causing change in both the fairy and mortal worlds. Oberon’s demands for Puck are the catalyst for the mayhem that ensues. Male-presenting, 35-55 years

Role Name:  Titania         Queen of the fairies, Titania is followed by her band of loyal fairies as she argues with her husband, Oberon, over the fate of a changeling. Puck’s magic is also used on Titania, making her fall briefly in love with Nick Bottom. Female-presenting, 35-55 years

Role Name:  Robin “Puck” Goodfellow       Puck is Oberon’s jester; he is the closest thing to a protagonist Dream has and acts as a link between the mortal and fairy worlds, through his use of magic. Either male or female-presenting, 20-30 years.

Role Name: Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth and Mustardseed

Titania’s band of loyal fairies. Either male or female-presenting, 10-18 years.

Audition Contact Name: Elise Hall & Hope Meffle

Audition Contact Email: midsummer@sccas.org.au