A Midsummer Night’s Drama
Louie Stowell and Isobel Lundie
Little Tiger

The whole story is presented in three acts and includes a performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream unlike anything you’ve experienced before. It’s penned, so we’re led to believe by a clever bear, Bill, residing in a treehouse with his friends Sir Bun Bun, Foxy and Lady Bushytail. The friends love to act plays at their theatre, The Glade and these attract large audiences from all over the kingdom.

There’s great excitement as Bill and his pals are performing a brand new play. Its entire cast comprises a fairy queen, a fairy king, Puck the cheeky sprite and Bottom. Various insects perform the duties of stage manager, set designer, understudy, and one looks after lighting and another is responsible for props. Its opening night constitutes Act 1. It’s a wild success,

which leaves Bill thrilled but over-excited.

Act 11 shows he is just that, unable to sleep in his cosy bed, his brain all a-fizz with ideas. Up he leaps and against his friends’ advice, begins working on another play until that is, in buzzes Queen Bee who speaks thus, “I COMMAND you to zzzzzzzsleep!” and buzzes out again leaving the acting troupe to offer sleeping advice.

Act 111 opens with Bill trying out some of the ideas proffered, the first being to dance, but to no avail.

Perhaps Sir Bun Bun’s suggestion will induce that much-needed slumber …

With appropriately dramatic illustrations by Isobel Lundie and Louie Stowell’s clever word usage both hinting at the story’s Shakespearean origins and background, this is a pre bedtime treat. Equally it’s enormous fun to share with a class and you can enjoy investigating the book’s final spread that presents some information about the bard himself, William Shakespeare, and his work. Make sure you look closely at the front endpapers too. I wonder what Bill Bear et al would do with Twelfth Night, my favourite Shakespeare play.