Classic Stories: A Midsummer Night's Dream
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Hello, my name's Tim. Today's story is set in ancient Greece. It's a tale of lovers, fairies and amateur actors, and it all takes place in a magical wood on Midsummer's night. We begin in Athens, where Duke Theseus is preparing to marry Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.

They're interrupted by Aegeus, who complains that his daughter, Hermia, is playing up. She refuses to marry Demetrius, the man Aegeus has chosen for her, because she is in love with Lysander. Theseus declares that Hermia must play ball and marry Demetrius or else.

Lysander tells Hermia that if they play their cards right, they can escape together by travelling through the nearby woods. Hermia tells this secret to her friend Helena, who is in love with Demetrius. Turns out Demetrius has been playing the field. He used to fancy Helena, but now prefers Hermia. Determined to win him back, Helena tells Demetrius about the eloping lovers.

Big mistake. Demetrius rushes off in pursuit and Helena follows in desperation. Meanwhile, some manual workers, or mechanicals, are preparing some amateur dramatics. The tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe. Ambitious. Their lead actor, Nick Bottom, wants to play all the parts, but eventually settles for Pyramus.

They agree to meet later to rehearse. Where? You guessed it. The woods. In those woods, Oberon, king of the fairies, has argued with his fairy queen, Titania. She cares for a magical child whom Oberon wants as a pageboy.

Titania refuses him, so Oberon decides to play a trick on her. He sends his fairy servant Puck to fetch a rare purple flower, which produces a potion that makes people fall in love with the next person they see. Demetrius and Helena burst in.

Helena is not one to play it cool. She says she will do anything for Demetrius if only he will love her. Demetrius is very rude and storms off. Oberon feels sorry for Helena and when Puck returns, orders him to use the potion on the Athenian, only he doesn't specify which Athenian.

The first Athenian that Puck finds is the sleeping Lysander, so mistakenly uses the potion on him. Disaster! Lysander wakes and sees Helena, immediately falling in love with her and abandoning Hermia. Oberon tries to correct the mistake by using the potion on Demetrius. Now both Lysander and Demetrius love Helena.

Helena is confused by their sudden change in affections and assumes they are mocking her. Hermia is angry with Lysander for playing fast and loose with her feelings. They all end up in a chaotic and confused fight. Oberon orders Puck to put things right and Puck gives the antidote to Lysander. MUSIC

Elsewhere, the mechanicals have started their rehearsal. Park decides to play around with them. He magically transforms Bottom's head into a donkey's head. The other mechanicals run away, terrified, but Oberon realises he can use this to his advantage.

He uses his potion on the sleeping Titania and when she wakes, she falls in love with Bottom, admiring his hairy ears and pampering him with her fairy servants. Eventually Oberon gives her the antidote and she is shocked that she could possibly have fallen in love with this donkey man. Oberon plays innocent.

Puck removes the donkey enchantment from Bottom, who thinks it was all a strange dream. A hunting party comes past, playing horns. The four lovers wake up and Lysander falls in love with Hermia once again. Now everybody is in love with the right person. Theseus and Hippolyta declare that they will all get married on the same day.

The mechanicals present their play with a little too much enthusiasm to the hilarity of the court. As everyone heads to bed, Puck returns to bless the palace. I love a play with a happy ending, and this is one of my favourites. I hope you enjoyed it too, and that you'll join me again soon for another classic story. Goodbye.