A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream was a play by William Shakespeare.

References

The Fourth Doctor called it the "one with the ass's head and the chink in the wall". He suggested that he could play Thisbe and Romana II Pyramus — or "the other way round". K9 Mark II he imagined could play the part of the Lion, but K9 seemed unenthusiastic.

Romana II once forewent a performance of the play in order to see the comparatively "more useful ... and much funnier" The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Doctor didn't share her opinion, pushing back by saying, "Oh I don't know, I rather like old Shakespeare." (PROSE: A Midsummer's Nightmare)

Owen Harper studied the play at school, quoting the line "well met by moonlight, proud Titania". He also knew of a porn version - A Midsummer Night's Wet-Dream - although he hadn't seen it "for years". (PROSE: Slow Decay)

It was one of the subjects that Clara Oswald's English class at Coal Hill School covered during the year. (COMIC: Spirits of the Jungle)

Behind the scenes

In 2016, BBC One aired a televised version of the play adapted by Doctor Who head writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, with music by Murray Gold, starring Matt Lucas, Bernard Cribbins, Colin MacFarlane, Richard Wilson, Nonso Anozie, Eleanor Matsuura and Kate Kennedy. It had many of BBC Wales' Doctor Who crew working on it, including casting by Andy Pryor, cinematography by Dale McCready, editing by Philip Kloss and production design by Michael Pickwoad.

The title of A Midsummer's Nightmare is a reference to the play.