Darkness is never far beneath the enchanted surface in Benjamin Britten’s version of William Shakespeare’s comedy. In this podcast Julie Sanders Professor of English at Newcastle and Professor Mervyn Cooke of the University of Nottingham explain how Britten’s rendering of A Midsummer Night’s Dream manages to be both exceptionally faithful to its source, and one of his most imaginative works.

We also hear from Dame Felicity Lott and tenor James Bowman who performed in Sir Peter Hall’s iconic production of the opera when it debuted at Glyndebourne in 1981 and bass Matthew Rose who has performed the role of Bottom in the same production.

Presenter: Katie Derham

​​Produced by Katherine Godfrey for Whistledown Productions for Festival 2016

Music from the Glyndebourne Label recording of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Ilan Volkov conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra.