See Shakespeare under the stars at Kew this summer

It’s difficult to imagine a more perfect stand-in for the twinkly, fairy-filled woods of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ than our own very ravishing Kew Gardens. And this summer you can at last experience the beloved comedy under the Kew stars.

Over the last five years, the Australian Shakespeare Company have dodged several Melbourne winters by bringing daytime family shows to Kew, but 2021 marks the first time they’re putting on a late, with an 8pm kick off and magical transition from dusk to dark on a (hopefully) balmy night pretty much guaranteed. It’s not called ‘A Midsummer Day’s Dream’ is it now? Bring a blanket, pack a picnic and presumably a few wines, and settle in for a night of Rude Mechanicals and bickering lovers. 

It’s worth pointing out that there will also be a daytime family show for those not necessarily in the market for a late one: ‘The Wind in the Willows’ will run while the sun’s up. But the ‘Dream’ is your first-ever chance to see Shakespeare at night here – you’d be an ass to miss it.

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is at Kew Gardens Jul 28-Aug 29.

See more Shakespeare plays in London.

See more open-air theatre in London.