London and Stratford set to stage A Midsummer Night’s Dream aimed at young audiences

A NEW production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which is aimed at children and families is being created by the RSC and Unicorn Theatre.

Shakespeare's riotous tale of mischief, magic and mayhem, which will be suitable for children aged seven and older, will premiere next year in London before moving to Stratford.

Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, RSC co-artistic directors said: “We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with the Unicorn Theatre on this magical and riotous re-telling of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ made with young audiences in mind. Like the Unicorn, we believe passionately in the power of theatre and great storytelling to bring joy and deepen our understanding of the world around us, whatever our age.

"This latest production, arriving in The Other Place in summer 2026, builds upon our family activities and follows in the footsteps of accessible, bite-size stagings of Shakespeare’s As You Like It in the Holloway Garden Theatre in 2024 and Joanna Bowman’s 80-minute edit of The Two Gentlemen of Verona for families, coming to The Other Place this August.

"We cannot wait to welcome Unicorn associate director Robin Belfield back to the RSC, following his joyous production of First Encounters: Twelfth Night in 2023 and look forward to collaborating with artistic director Rachel Bagshaw to inspire the next generation of young theatre audiences.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream will run from 21st March to 3rd May 2026 at the Unicorn, in Southwark, London. The production will then visit The Other Place, Stratford, in the summer of 2026, with dates and on-sale details to be confirmed later this year.

The production will be directed by Bagshaw and adapted by Belfield.