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A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

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By Leah Gabriella Cardenas

For the summer of 2026, Shakespeare’s comedy play A Midsummer Night’s Dream has returned to the Globe Theatre. 

I attended the 7:30pm show on Tuesday, July 7th. I was given free tickets from CIEE, however, prices typically range from £5 for standing to £88 for seating. 

I had never read or seen the play in full before, but I did know of the premise from excerpts in movies and on social media. In summary, there are several intertwined storylines: four young Athenians lost in the woods, a feuding fairy king and queen, and amateur actors rehearsing a play. 

Though I arrived just after 7pm, I was able to stand at the very front and center. The show started a little bit early with the cast bringing up audience members to do auditions for the play that’s within the actual play. We learned a song, some got to dance, and others performed a short monologue. Shortly after, the show began.

The stage was the first thing I was able to take in. The venue itself is an open-air 360° auditorium, but it was still intimate as it only holds 1,570 audience members. For this production, the stage had four runways where the actors often entered from as well as stairs in the front center. This made the audience feel even more immersed in the story.

Before attending, I wasn’t aware that the show was extremely interactive and not just during the pre-show auditions. There were shoutouts to different audience members when the amateur play’s casting was called. The actors walked through and stood in the yard many times. Audience members were even chosen to actually be in the play, wedding ceremony, and help Puck put the Athenians to sleep. 

Photography by Helen Murray

Though I unfortunately was not chosen to go up onto the stage, I still felt a part of the show. Being in the front, I was ‘the wall’ in the play and got to link arms with one of the actors. There were several times when the actors spoke their lines directly to me with some intense eye contact. I even got spit on, by accident of course, but I figured that would happen at some point. 

A fellow CIEE intern, Josie Jukita also appreciated the ability to participate. Jukita said, “My favorite part was how interactive it was, the fact that so much of the audience was able to get involved. It was well-integrated into the show and made the experience very memorable.”

The set design, costumes, and props matched the play’s eccentricity. The rainbow flowers and other decor ‘magically’ appear during the show as the fairies come out at night. The colorful and atypical costumes by Fly Davis also brought the play’s whimsy to life. Puck the fairy seemed to be wearing a greenscreen suit and donkey Bottom was more like a piñata. The props were equally unique as Puck’s magic was shown with bubbles. All three aspects complimented each other for a colorfully modern take, which I think made it more digestible for the average viewer. 

Photography by Helen Murray

Romaya Weaver who played Helena was my absolute favorite. Her faces were priceless and her raspy voice, whether intentional or not, fit the role well.

My roommate and fellow CIEE intern, Nowal Farah also thought Helena stood out. “I liked the storyline where the girl [Helena] was in love with the guy [Demetrius] that wasn’t interested,” said Farah. “I thought she was very dramatic and I enjoyed her performance.”

Though the entire cast was brilliant, as most took on two roles as well as sang, danced, and acted. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of singing and dancing throughout. The musicians were tucked up in the stage’s balcony but they truly brought the performance to life. Mel Lowe who played Lysander had a beautiful voice. At one point, she snuck in the “Defying Gravity” run. There were more shoutouts to other musicals with the character Bottom wearing Hamilton and Cats t-shirts during the play rehearsals.

Photography by Helen Murray

Overall, seeing a Shakespeare play in a recreation of Shakespeare’s iconic playhouse was an experience I will never forget. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially with it being my first interactive performance. 

Visit the Shakespeare’s Globe website to get tickets to other performances.

A Journey Back in Time at Shakespeare’s Iconic Globe Theatre

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By: Jake Keller

Stepping into the Globe Theatre is like a waltz back into the 17th century. The exposed wooden beams and thatched roof work together to transport you to medieval times, and when the performers step foot on the stage, your place in the past is solidified. 

I visited Shakespeare’s Globe to watch the classic play “Romeo and Juliet“, but the performance differed slightly from the original. Although the script was largely the same, and the plot remained, the well-known tragedy was set in the Wild West. Actors spoke in American country accents, engaged in saloon brawls, and were adorned with cowboy hats and boots. The show maintained the integrity of William Shakespeare’s original script while offering an exciting modern twist. 

The Globe Theatre first opened in 1599, and surprisingly enough, it was constructed by Shakespeare’s own company of actors, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. It burned down in 1613 after a cannon misfired during a performance of “Henry VIII”, and it was rebuilt a year later. Unfortunately, the Globe only stood for another 30-odd years before it was demolished to make room for housing, as the Puritans who had obtained power in Parliament deemed theatrical performances “sinful”. 

In 1971, actor and director Sam Wanamaker embarked on a journey to fulfil his dream of reconstructing the Globe. While this endeavor took over 20 years of fundraising and research, construction of the new Globe Theatre was finalized in 1997. The theatre that stands now is merely a replica of the original. It’s about half the size of the Globe where Shakespeare set foot, and despite being near the original site, it was not built in the exact location. Nonetheless, these small details are obsolete in comparison to the work Wanamaker did to bring the magic of the original playhouse back to life in our time.  

The performances are raw. Rather than focusing on over-the-top set design and lighting, they focus on the play itself. The actors don’t wear microphones, but the emotion in their voices carries throughout the house. The audience interacted with the show like none I had ever seen before. There was endless laughter and audible gasping. The performers artfully broke the fourth wall, and at one point, Mercutio sat on the edge of the stage, bending down slowly to kiss a member of the audience right in front of my eyes. He pulled back sharply, and the audience roared with delight. 

If you’re visiting London, I strongly encourage a trip to the Globe. I found that even those who do not usually enjoy theatre found a deeper appreciation after the show’s conclusion. There is perhaps no more authentic a representation of what a Shakespearean play may have felt like circa 1613. We have added modern comforts, but when you dial in to the performance itself, coupled with the atmosphere of the gorgeous theatrical space, you are truly sent on a journey back in time.