Lysander

But as is our way, we'll give you a quick little rundown of what happens in act four before we get going.

So when we last left our lovers, the four young Athenians, that's Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius, had been magically put to sleep and left on stage by Puck.

At the top of act four, Titania and Bottom enter with her fairies in tow.

Bottom acts a little bit of a fool, Titania dotes on him, and they both go to sleep.

So then Theseus and Hippolyta, who you also may have forgotten because we haven't heard about them since act one, they come on stage with Aegeus and they're ready to go on a hunt for May Day and the celebration of their wedding.

when they discover the sleeping lovers.

So upon waking, the lovers confirm that Lysander loves Hermia again and Demetrius loves Helena again.

Theseus then decides he's going to override Aegeus' will.

well i think we were taken to see that because it was the first play that i was in as an actor properly it was so i had been the school i'd gone to before abingdon uh i my best friend there was the actor in the school and i wasn't an actor at all but because he was the actor whenever he would be in a play i would also audition for the play and was sort of be a spear carrier at the back just to sort of hang out with him and sort of be in that vicinity and I swear I'm probably in this industry just to try and keep a friend close.

But then I, when we went to Abington, there was a drama teacher there who, his name was Jeremy Taylor, who... saw something in me and so gave me a pretty decent-sized role in Midsummer Night's Dream that they did there, playing Lysander.

I played Lysander at school.

It's a great role.

Biggest role in the play.

And suddenly it felt like it could be surprising again.

And moments like that tree...

Whenever I see that play, there's the moment where Lysander wakes up and sees Helena when he's had the love juice on his eyes, and he goes, and run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.