THE STORIES
AS YOU LIKE IT
Rosalind, the daughter of a banished duke, falls in love with Orlando at a wrestling match. Her usurping uncle, jealous of her popularity banishes her from court. Disguised as a boy she leaves with her cousin Celia and the jester Touchstone, to seek out her father in the Forest of Arden. Here she meets Orlando again and, under the guise of a young man, counsels him in the art of love and wooing.
THE TEMPEST
Twelve years ago, Prospero, formerly the Duke of Milan, was usurped by Alonso, King of Naples, and Alonso’s brother, Sebastian and cast adrift with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda. They now live on an island. Before they were put to sea, Gonzalo, Prospero’s faithful courtier, ensured that he took his magic books with him, and on the island he has used his magic art to reign over the native Caliban and the spirit Ariel. Desiring revenge, Prospero uses his powerful magic to cause a great storm which shipwrecks his enemies. On the island, the shipwrecked courtiers are separated from Ferdinand, the King’s son, and Alonso believes him drowned. But Ferdinand has not drowned; he believes his father has perished in the tempest and meets Prospero and Miranda – with whom he falls in love. Prospero subjects Ferdinand to trials to test him.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
An enchanted forest charms a disenchanted court. In Athens a daughter’s disobedience forces two lovers to flee to the woods, pursued by the two lovers they rejected. In the woods, amateur actors rehearse a play, while the king of fairies plays tricks and captivates the night. A mischievous Puck with the magical juice of a flower helps love lose its way while the fairy queen falls for an ass; the king and queen of the fairies reconcile; the lovers find each other, return to court and marriage celebrations end in a theatrical dream.
