The Rose Theatre announced last week an extra performance in their new hit play A Midsummer night’s dream. The play, by William Shakespeare, sees Judi Dench playing the star role of Titania and also reunites Peter Hall (the director) and Judi Dench, after an enduring theatrical partnership lasting some fifty years. Judi Dench first played Titania for Peter Hall with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962 and has since held a passion for her part.

Stephen Unwin, the artistic director of the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames tells us of how Judi Dench is a long standing supporter of the Rose, and after hosting a fundraising gala for the Theater in 2004, saw an opportunity to further support the Rose Theatre. Instead of writing a donating money to them, she decided to become more actively involved by taking on Titania and bringing a huge amount of credibility to the play due to her fame as not only a film actor, but more so as an outstanding theatrical actor.

Stephen Unwin also tells us of how he and the director brought a new light to the role Judi is playing. Unwin says how they made Titania “a veiled portrait of the ageing Queen Elizabeth I, fascinated with the theatre, besieged by courtiers but married to the people of England.” He says how there is evidence in the text to show how this is true in the relationship between the characters Titania and Bottom and in this version of the play he wanted to bring that aspect to life.

The changes that Unwin and Dench have brought to this play have been hugely successful and the extra performance of a Midsummer night’s dream is to be played on 9 March at 7.30 PM where it is expected for there to be a full house. The airing of the play will continue until 20 March, however due to such high demand, tickets are only available for KT holders. Which the Rose Theatre says is the only fair way they could make sure people who live close by will receive tickets.