Shakespeare Stories: A Midsummer Night's Dream

In book form, handsomely matched by Michael Foreman's illustrations, Leon Garfield's simplified retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream with a few of Shakespeare's choicest phrases thrown in, offered an attractive alternative way into the play. Without the visual dimension this audio version is far less inspiring. In fact, it is almost confusing: opening with an explanation of the complexity of the four Athenian lovers delays the ethereal magic promised by the opening music. Claire Higgins' reading is as of a story rather than a play, so much of the excitement of a drama is missing. Forget a love of Shakespeare. Use this tape with its additional sound but uninspiring introduction to Shakespeare read by Simon Russell Beale, as an introduction to Key Stage 2: The Tudors/Shakespeare.