Styled heading

A Midsummer Night's Dream
East London Shakespeare Festival

See more from: Children's Activities Special Events Open-Air Summer Season

Photos of ELSF performing at Lauderdale House and other parks
Overview
Booking Information

Bursting with mischief, chaos, romance and magic, this joyful, family-friendly outdoor production reimagines Shakespeare’s hilarious comedy with a bold splash of contemporary flair. 

Escape into the enchanted forest alongside Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius as they get more than they bargained for, when a vibrant cast of magical woodland fairies take matters into their own hands.

The East London Shakespeare Festival brings joyful, contemporary and professional productions to outdoor community spaces across London and Kent. Alongside their productions, ELSF run a full community engagement programme with opportunities for local people to get involved. 

With ELSF’s signature high-energy numbers, slapstick comedy, and audience participation, this is Shakespeare for everyone! Younger members of the audience (3+) can get in the spirit at a ‘flower-fairy’ headband making workshop, run by cast members before the show.

Doors open an hour before the show, so bring a picnic, enjoy the balmy summer weather and settle in for a sparkling evening of Shakespeare.

Booking Information

This performance will take place on the Tea Lawn at the back of Lauderdale House. 

If you would like to sit together, please book together, as this allows us to assign each booking a socially distanced space.

Chairs will not be provided so please bring either a picnic blanket or a chair to make yourself comfortable. Audience members with chairs will be seated behind those on the ground to make sure that everyone has a good view. If you are booking as a group, the whole group will need to be on chairs or on blankets, rather than a mixture of the two.

We have a limited number of picnic tables and benches (see map below) available as group tickets – book these early to avoid disappointment. 

If you have a disability or any special requirements please get in touch with us so that we can best accommodate you.

We would generally discourage bringing dogs. However if you are bringing a dog, you will need to let us know that you are doing so when booking your tickets, it must be on a lead and well-behaved, and we reserve the right to move you to a different spot if needed to accommodate allergies or phobias.

diagram of Tea Lawn Benches & Tables - this shows the stage in front of the tea lawn, with three benches along the left side and two picnic tables at the back of the lawn

 

Weather

The performance will continue regardless of the weather unless unsafe. Please plan for all eventualities and remember to bring a waterproof layer and a warm jumper. We prefer waterproofs to umbrellas because umbrellas can obstruct views. Don’t forget that if you are on a blanket the ground may be wet so make sure you have a blanket with a waterproof side or bring a plastic sheet. There are no refunds for shows cancelled due to the weather (unless it really is King Lear style storms, we will cancel the show and tickets refunded by ELSF. Patrons will be notified as soon as possible).

We are situated quite high on the hill, so we recommend bringing a jumper or extra blankets to stay warm as the sun sets.

Food and Drink

The bar will be run from the café, selling light snacks and drinks before the performance starts and during the interval.

You are also welcome to bring your own picnic to enjoy on the Tea Lawn as you watch the performance.