A Midsummer Night’s Dream (based on the story by W.Shakespeare and materials provided by LearnEnglish Kids https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/short-stories/midsummer-nights-dream)
School performance script
Characters:
Narrator, Demetrius, Hermia, Helena, Lysander, Oberon, Titania, Puck, Bottom, actors
Narrator: This is a story about many things. It’s about misunderstanding, magic, fun and sorrow. But first of all, it is about the power of love that overcomes all misfortunes! So, let’s begin.
Scene 1 (Athens, in the hall)
Narrator: In Athens, Greece, a young man, Demetrius, has a problem.
Demetrius and Hermia are standing in the hall and talking.
Demetrius: ‘Please, Hermia. I love you!’
Hermia: ‘No, Demetrius. I love Lysander!’
Lysander comes in. Hermia sees him and runs to him. They are holding hands and smiling.
Lysander: (looking at Demetrius) ‘Love is never easy!
Demetrius leaves in sorrow.
Lysander: Hermia, you are so charming! I love you so much! Let’s run away together!’
Scene 2 (Athens, in the park)
Demetrius is in the park sitting on a bench. He is very sad. Then Helena comes to him.
In a distance, Lysander and Hermia are running to the forest.
Narrator: Helena is Hermia’s friend. She loves Demetrius.
Helena: ‘Demetrius, Look! You know Hermia is running away to the forest with Lysander ...’
Demetrius: ‘I’m going to follow them!’
He runs after Hermia and Lysander.
Helena: ‘Well, I’m going to follow you, Demetrius. I don’t want to lose you, I love you so much.’
Helena follows Demetrius.
Scene 3 (in the forest, meadow 1)
Narrator: In the forest, the fairy king Oberon and his beautiful wife Queen Titania are arguing.
Titania: ‘You are a cheating husband, Oberon! But you keep following me everywhere and cause chaos in the world! Stop that and be loyal to me!’
Oberon: ‘Oh my dear, you are no better than me! Still, I love you! When you forgive me, I’ll fix everything.’
Titania: ‘I don’t believe you!’
Narrator: Titania doesn’t what to listen to him and leaves in anger. Oberon wants to play a trick on Titania. He calls his servant, a mischievous elf Puck.
Oberon: ‘Puck, come here!’
Puck: ‘My king, how can I serve you?’
Oberon: ‘Go and find a magic flower!’ (Puck leaves).
Oberon: ‘I’ll put the juice onto your eyes, Titania. It will make you fall in love with the first living thing you see.’
Puck brings the flower. Oberon is happy and laughing. He approaches Titania, who is sleeping on the grass under a tree, and he puts the flower juice onto her eyes. He is giggling.
Scene 4 (in the forest, meadow 2)
Demetruis and Helena are walking in the forest. They are arguing. Helena keep saying that she loves Demetrius but he is very rude to her.
Helena: ‘Oh, Demetrius, please stop and listen to me! I am the one who loves you!’
Demetrius: ‘Leave me alone, Helena, or I’ll hurt you!! Go away! I don’t like you!’
Narrator: Oberon sees Demetrius and Helena. He doesn’t like the way Demetrius talks to Helena.
Oberon: ‘Puck! Put this on Demetrius’s eyes so he will fall in love with Helena!’
Puck: ‘As you wish, my king.’
Everybody leaves.
Scene 5 (in the forest, shady meadow 3)
Lysander and Hermia are tired. They are sleeping on the grass. Puck enters. He’s holding the magic flower.
Narrator: Puck sees Lysander sleeping, and thinks it is Demetrius.
Puck: Oh, that must be Demetrius. Finally, I can obey my king’s order. That’s going to be fun!
Puck puts the magic flower juice onto Lysander’s eyes.
Suddenly, Helena enters. She is very sad.
Lysander wakes up and sees Helena.
Lysander: ‘Helena, I love you!’
Narrator: He doesn’t love Hermia any more!
Lysander stands up and tries to hug Helena. Helena is confused and pushes him back. Hermia is still sleeping. Helena walks away but Lysander follows her.
Scene 6 (in the forest, meadow 4)
Narrator: A group of wandering actors are in the forest. They are practising their play to perform it in Athens later. Puck sees them. He is a mischievous elf, remember?
Puck: I want to play a trick on them! I think I will use my magic and change that man’s head into a donkey’s! It will be hilarious! Ha-ha!
Narrator: Naughty Puck! Puck is a magical creature so people can’t see him.
Puck comes to Bottom, one of the actors, and puts his own spell on him. Bottom’s head turns into donkey’s. Puck is laughing.
Bottom: ‘What’s wrong? Hee-haw, hee-haw.’
His actor fellows are scared of him and run away.
Bottom is very upset.
Scene 7 (in the forest, meadow 5 where Titania is sleeping)
Bottom is very upset. He wanders around the forest with the donkey’s head. He comes to the meadow where Titania is sleeping. She wakes up, sees him and falls in love with him.
Bottom: ‘Hee-haw, hee-haw. What should I do?’
Titania: (looking at Bottom) Oh, you are the man of my dreams, I love you!
Narrator: Titania falls in love with Bottom!
Scene 8 (in the forest, large meadow 6)
Demetrius, Helena, Lysander and Hermia come to the meadow. Oberon and Puck are is there, too. Oberon is very angry with Puck for his tricks.
Narrator: Oberon knows Puck put the juice on Lysander, not Demetrius, so he makes Demetrius fall in love with Helena. He puts his own spell on Demetrius.
Demetrius: ‘Helena, I love you!’
Lysander: ‘No, I love Helena!’
Lysander and Demetrius want to fight over Helena.
Hermia: ‘Why does no one love me?’ (starts to cry)
Helena feels sorry for Hermia and tries to comfort her.
Oberon: ‘Puck, make a magic fog to put them all to sleep! Don’t forget Titania and the man with the donkey’s head.’
Puck: ‘Yes, my king.’
Puck makes a sleeping fog spell, and everybody falls asleep.
Oberon: Now, fix every bad thing that you have done to them.
Puck: ‘Yes, my king. I’ll take the love spell away from Lysander.
Narrator: Oberon and Puck go to the meadow where Titania and Bottom are. Puck makes them fall asleep, too.
Oberon: ‘Now, my dear wife, I’ll take the love spell away from you.’
Puck: ‘And I’ll give Bottom his human head again.’
Titania wakes up, sees Oberon and hugs him. Oberon and Titania leave.
Puck leaves, too.
Narrator: In the morning, everybody wakes up.
Demetrius: ‘I love you, Helena!’
Helena: ‘I love you too, Demetrius!’
Lysander: ‘I love you, Hermia!’
Hermia: ‘I love you too, Lysander!’
Narrator: Nobody remembers what happened! But now everybody is in love with the right person, they decide to go home. Perhaps it was all just a dream!