UK’s Globe Theatre Company returned to the Abu Dhabi Festival 2012 with a specially commissioned production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

As part of Abu Dhabi Festival’s education program, the interactive play featured a cast of mortals, mechanicals and fairies packed with dazzling poetry and sparkling comedy.

Hoda Al Khamis Kanoo, founder and artistic director of the Abu Dhabi Festival, said: “Director Buckhurst and his talented cast have done a superb job once again and delivered a powerful and passionate performance. The Abu Dhabi Theater was transformed into a magical fairyland with an impressive set design, lighting and dazzling costumes.”

Earlier in the day Globe Education presented a number of specially commissioned productions for students from across the Emirate. Students were enthralled as the Globe ensured its traditional 360 degree theater experience.

The creative team behind this year’s performance included Bill Buckhurst (director), Isla Shaw (designer) and Olly Fox (composer).

“We were honoured to be invited back to Abu Dhabi and take part in this year’s Abu Dhabi festival. We have really enjoyed putting this performance for admirers of English Renaissance theatre and the response we received in Abu Dhabi tonight was fantastic,” said Buckhurst.

"We had a wonderful experience in 2011 when we brought our production of Macbeth to the UAE, so we’re thrilled to have returned this year. A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's best loved and most magical plays, so we hope we provided many young people with an exciting introduction to his work with this show.”

“Our production is designed especially to appeal to young audiences and to be relevant to their lives, but it still retains Shakespeare's original language so we’ve worked hard to communicate the meaning of the play to everyone who sees it,” he added.

The Abu Dhabi Festival continues its commitment to showcasing the very best of the arts, with a schedule combining classical music, theatre and performing arts, jazz, ballet and fine arts. The programme crosses cultures and explores the past, present and future of artistic expression.

The event, which is running up to April 6, will play host to a range of talented artists, performers and musicians. – TradeArabia News Service