Contributing to Peace in Northern Ireland: Terra Nova’s Midsummer Night’s Dream

This article examines the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream put together by Terra Nova Productions in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2019.1 Terra Nova Productions (directed by Andrea Montgomery) is a professional theatre company known for its intercultural work, already demonstrated in its first engagement with Shakespeare, The Belfast Tempest (2016). This challenging intercultural production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was characterized by gender-switched characters, multi-racial casting and the integration of amateur actors into a professional cast. Alongside these features, the production emphasized Northern Irish legacies. In response to Northern Ireland’s complex history, not least the so-called “Troubles,” peace was an underlying imperative in this Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was supported by the European Union’s PEACE Program. This article aims to emphasize the importance of the socio-political context in this production at several levels, not just in terms of the final outcome. The workshops and intercultural weekends organized for the amateur actors, their rehearsals with the professional cast, the performances themselves and the active engagement with the audience after the performances were all oriented to fostering peace. The play becomes the perfect scenario to confront and challenge audiences and all the agents involved: A Midsummer Night’s Dream brings about a socio-political transformation, and, in the process, is itself transformed.