Midsummer Nights Dream - Act 2 Scene 1 - "How now, spirit!" (Subtitles in modern English)

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In this scene, we dive into the enchanting forest where the mischievous Puck and the fairy king, Oberon, are up to their hilarious tricks. Oberon and his queen, Titania, are having a lover's spat over a little Indian boy, and things are about to get wacky.

To settle the score, Oberon decides to play a prank on Titania. He tells Puck to find a magical flower whose juice, when applied to someone's eyes, makes them fall madly in love with the next creature they see. Oh boy, love potion shenanigans are about to begin!

But wait, there's more! While Puck is out searching for the flower, a group of amateur actors called the mechanicals enters the forest to rehearse their play. And guess what? Puck spots one of them, Nick Bottom, and decides to have some fun.

Puck, being the ultimate trickster, transforms Bottom's head into that of a donkey. Yep, you heard it right—a donkey-headed actor! Now, that's a look that will turn heads (and probably get some laughs).

Soon, Puck returns with the magical flower and squeezes the love juice onto Titania's eyelids while she's asleep. When she wakes up, the first thing she sees is... drumroll, please... the donkey-headed Bottom!

Titania, under the spell of the love potion, falls head over heels in love with Bottom and starts lavishing him with affection. Picture a fairy queen doting on a donkey-headed guy—talk about a sight to behold!

Meanwhile, Puck keeps the mischief going, playing tricks on the mechanicals and making them run off in fear, leaving poor Bottom all alone with his newfound, fairy-induced admirer.

So, there you have it! Act 2, Scene 1 is a riotous mix of love potions, donkey-headed actors, and fairy-fueled chaos. It's a scene that will have you rolling with laughter and marveling at the absurdity of it all.

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Filmed in the Cork Arts Theatre - 15 April 2023