Britten Pears Arts Integrated Catalogue - Archive

Photographs of the original production of A Midsummer Night's Dream

Parent Record(s)

Level	Ref.	Title
Collection	PHPN	Photographs of productions
Section	PHPN/10	Production photographs of Britten's...

LevelSeries

ReferencePHPN/10/1

Title

Photographs of the original production of A Midsummer Night's Dream

DateJun 1960

DescriptionThe production opened officially at the Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh, Suffolk on 11 June, 1960 and received three further performances there on 15, 22, 24 June. It was then taken to the Holland Festival with performances in Amsterdam (11 and 15 July), and the Hague (12 & 14 July). A complete performance had been given on Friday 10 June "for the purposes of recording" before an invited audience including members of the press.
The cast was Oberon, Alfred Deller; Tytania, Jennifer Vyvyan; Puck, Leonide Massine II; Peaseblossom, Michael Bauer; Cobweb, Kevin Platts; Mustardseed, Robert McCutcheon; Moth, Barry Ferguson; Fairies, Thomas Bevan and Thomas Smyth; Theseus, Peter Forbes Robinson; Hippolyta, Johanna Peters; Lysander, George Maran; Demetrius, Thomas Hemsley; Hermia, Marjorie Thomas; Helena, April Cantelo; Bottom, Owen Brannigan; Quince, Norman Lumsden; Flute, Peter Pears; Snug, David Kelly; Snout Edward Byles; Starveling, Joseph Ward; Master of Ceremonies, John Perry; Attendant, Jeremy Cullum; Pages, Robert Hodgson and Nicholas Cooper.
At some Holland Festival performances there were cast changes for: Puck, Nicholas Chagrin; Helena, Joan Carlyle; Bottom, Roger Stalman/ Peter Forbes Robinson.
The English Opera Group Orchestra was conducted by the composer at the first performance, and on 11th and 14th July; at other performances by George Malcolm.
Libretto by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten after William Shakespeare.
Scenery and Costumes: John Piper assisted by Carl Toms. Producer, John Cranko; Technical Director, William Bundy; Stage director, John Copley; Stage Manager, June Cropley, assisted by Gavin Reed; Wardrobe-mistress, Fiona Macdermott; Master-Carpenter, William Ewer.

Extent34 photographs

Physical Descriptionblack and white

CatalogueArchive

Permalinkhttps://www.bpacatalogue.org/archive/PHPN-10-1

Actions

35 Component Record(s)

Level	Ref.	Title	Date
Item	PHPN/10/1/1	Rehearsal photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/2	Rehearsal photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/3	Rehearsal photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/4	Rehearsal photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/5	Rehearsal photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/6	Rehearsal photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/7	Rehearsal photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/8	Rehearsal photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/9	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I opening chorus 'Over hill over dale'	Jun-Jul 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/10	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I	Jun-Jul 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/11	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/12	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/13	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/14	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/15	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/16	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/17	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/18	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/19	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II	Jun -Jul 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/20	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/21	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/22	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III	Jun-Jul 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/23	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/24	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III The Rustics	Jun-Jul 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/25	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III The Wall	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/26	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III Thisbe's entrance	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/27	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III The Rustics' play	Jul 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/28	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III Pyramus and Thisbe kiss	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/29	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III Thisbe's anguish	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/30	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III Thisbe's dying aria	Jul 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/31	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III The Rustics' dance	Jul1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/32	Production photograph of Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III The Fairy Finale	Jun-Jul 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/33	Photograph of set design for Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/34	Photograph of set design for Britten's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream	Jun 1960
Item	PHPN/10/1/35	Ward, Vyvyan, Brannigan and Tunnard at the 1960 Aldeburgh Festival	June 1960