Between dusk and dawn, Fairy king Oberon’s kingdom turns into a playground of love. With a drop of a magical love potion, Oberon intervenes in the love life of his subjects and wife Titania. Infatuation, infidelity, ecstasy, sadness and reconciliation roam the night.

Benjamin Britten wrote the magical opera A Midsummer Night’s Dream, after Shakespeare’s romantic comedy. Director Ola Mafaalani discovers the sensuality in this score and pulls all the stops.

The theater of Mafaalani is a feast for the five senses. Not only is there a focus on sight and sound but also touch, smell and taste are treated. According to Mafalaani, also called the empress of theatrical fantasy, opera has the capability to depict all sensory experiences. “The children’s choir doesn’t just come up and sing, they also bake and cook while singing. When you see those children at work, you experience that full unconditional love for everything around you again. It is my goal to let A Midsummer Night’s Dream become your own love affair.”

Ola Mafaalani, who makes her debut at Opera Zuid with this production, sees this opera as a testimonial of how cruel we can be in the name of love. “You can make your partner’s life hell and still say ‘I love you’. But these words carry an obligation. That applies to all your relationships.”

Together with a top cast of mainly Dutch and British soloists, special guests chef André Amaro and aerial artist Dreya Weber (well-known for working with P!nk), Mafaalani and acclaimed musical director Karel Deseure will embark on a sultry midsummer night, with the aim of enchanting the audience.

The opera is performed in English with Dutch and English subtitles.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a co-production with Female Economy. In collaboration with Amaro Creative Industries and philharmonie zuidnederland.