For me, there are two kinds of Shakespeare: the Richard Burton kind that I can actually understand, and everything else that I can. Since he wasn't in this 1968 tv-version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I wasn't able to understand a word of it. With a huge cast, Judi Dench and Ian Richardson as the ruler of the fairies, Ian Holm as Puck, Helen Mirren, David Warner, Diana Rigg, and Michael Jayston as the lovers, and Paul Rogers as Bottom, if you do want to watch it, you'll see tons of familiar faces. If you're not well-versed in Shakespeare, though, you might not be able to understand many of them.
This version is a bit weird, with funky camera angles, green body makeup on all the fairies, and a serious '60s vibe. Through the haze of what it would look like if Shakespeare said, "Far out, man!" you will get one very unexpected bonus: An unrecognizable Judi Dench of 1968, with long brown hair, tons of glittery makeup, and prancing around practically naked. This was the same year she originated (the London version of) Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and while only a brief snippet of her performance can be found online, you can console yourself by watching her play Titania. How often can you see her acting flirtatious, sultry, and scantily clad? Not very often, but she's just adorable.
This version is a bit weird, with funky camera angles, green body makeup on all the fairies, and a serious '60s vibe. Through the haze of what it would look like if Shakespeare said, "Far out, man!" you will get one very unexpected bonus: An unrecognizable Judi Dench of 1968, with long brown hair, tons of glittery makeup, and prancing around practically naked. This was the same year she originated (the London version of) Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and while only a brief snippet of her performance can be found online, you can console yourself by watching her play Titania. How often can you see her acting flirtatious, sultry, and scantily clad? Not very often, but she's just adorable.