Love is a verb, and every lover in A Midsummer Night’s Dream knows it!
In Benjamin Britten’s intoxicating magical opera, a quarrel between the Fairy King Oberon and his wife spirals into mayhem when Oberon concocts a magical potion from the “love-in-idleness” flower. When the magical concoction is applied to the eyelids of the sleeping they fall in love with the first living thing they perceive upon waking. But due to a mix-up, the magical concoction is applied to the wrong eyelids which leads to unintentionally couplings. With these mix-ups, the composer aims to reveal the tragic fragility of love. In the nocturnal magic forest – a Twilight Zone between reality and fantasy, enchantment and disappointment, love and illusion – the oath of loyalty perishes. The result? Heartbreak and bickering for some, while others fall madly in love!

Making her debut at Opera Zuid the spectacular director Ola Mafaalani will add extra flair to the production. Mafaalani, praised throughout the Netherlands for her time as the former artistic director of Noord Nederlands Toneel. In this enchanting opera production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mafaalani’s extensive professional knowledge and social commentary translate into an enchanted feast of the senses.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed in English with Dutch and English surtitles.