A Midsummer Night's Dream (2016 film)

{{short description|2016 British television film}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox television

| image = MidsummerBBC2016.jpg

| image_alt =

| caption =

| genre =

| based_on = {{based on|A Midsummer Night's Dream
1600 play|William Shakespeare}}

| screenplay = Russell T Davies

| director = David Kerr

| composer = Murray Gold

| country = England

| language = English

| executive_producer = Russell T Davies, Brian Minchin, Faith Penhale

| producer = Nikki Wilson

| cinematography = Dale McCready

| editor = Philip Kloss

| camera = Single-camera

| runtime = 1 hr 30 mins{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07dx7lt |title=BBC One - A Midsummer Night's Dream |website=BBC |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-04-28}}

| company = BBC

| network = BBC One

| released = {{Start date|2016|05|30|df=y}}

}}

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 2016 British television film based on the William Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was adapted by Russell T Davies, directed by David Kerr and produced by Nikki Wilson. It stars Maxine Peake as Titania, Matt Lucas as Bottom, John Hannah as Theseus and Nonso Anozie as Oberon. The film was first broadcast on 30 May 2016 on BBC One.

The film gained attention for its gay additions to the story, including a kiss between Hippolyta and Titania.{{Cite web |url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/675414/Viewers-delighted-gay-scenes-Russell-T-Davies-A-Midsummer-Night-s-Dream-BBC-Maxine-Peake |title=Viewers delighted by gay scenes in Russell T Davies version of A Midsummer Night's Dream |last=Bullock |first=Andrew |date=2016-05-31 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en |access-date=2019-04-28}} Russell T Davies said, "I wanted to have a man with a man, a man who was dressed as a woman with a man, and a woman with a woman because it’s 2016, so that’s the world now."{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/russell-t-davies-defends-lesbian-kiss-a-midsummer-nights-dream-william-shakespeare-bbc-film-a7016201.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160507130541/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/russell-t-davies-defends-lesbian-kiss-a-midsummer-nights-dream-william-shakespeare-bbc-film-a7016201.html |archive-date=2016-05-07 |url-access=limited |url-status=live |title=Russell T Davies defends adding lesbian kiss to A Midsummer Night's Dream |last=Denham |first=Jess |date=2016-05-06 |website=The Independent |language=en |access-date=2019-04-28}}

The film received positive reviews. The Guardian called it "Doctor Who-ish but rather good" and said the ending "was infused with such a sense of sincere, undiluted joy that I found I had a lump in my throat".{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/may/31/a-midsummer-nights-dream-review-russell-t-davies |title=A Midsummer Night's Dream review: Doctor Who-ish but rather good |last=Dowling |first=Tim |date=2016-05-31 |website=The Guardian |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-04-28}} The Daily Telegraph gave it four out of five stars and said "Russell T Davies made Shakespeare engaging, fresh and funny".{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/05/30/a-midsummer-nights-dream-bbc-one-russell-t-davies-made-shakespea/ |title=A Midsummer Night's Dream (BBC One): Russell T Davies made Shakespeare engaging, fresh and funny: review |last=O'Donovan |first=Gerard |date=2016-05-30 |website=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-04-28}}