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'It's 2016': Russell T Davies adds lesbian kiss to A Midsummer Night's Dream | 'It's 2016': Russell T Davies adds lesbian kiss to A Midsummer Night's Dream |
(4 months later) | |
Russell T Davies has defended his decision to add a lesbian kiss to A Midsummer Night’s Dream because “it’s 2016”. | Russell T Davies has defended his decision to add a lesbian kiss to A Midsummer Night’s Dream because “it’s 2016”. |
The former Doctor Who showrunner has adapted Shakespeare’s comedy into a BBC TV movie – but diverging from the original, Titania and Hippolyta share a kiss at the end. | The former Doctor Who showrunner has adapted Shakespeare’s comedy into a BBC TV movie – but diverging from the original, Titania and Hippolyta share a kiss at the end. |
Davies said: “My feeling about the end of the play is that Titania is submissive to Oberon and he gets away with his tricks. | Davies said: “My feeling about the end of the play is that Titania is submissive to Oberon and he gets away with his tricks. |
“It’s very male-female, male-female, so 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. I wanted children to watch this and see the real world in the middle of this fantasy.” | “It’s very male-female, male-female, so 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. I wanted children to watch this and see the real world in the middle of this fantasy.” |
The BBC adaptation stars Maxine Peake as the lovelorn fairy queen Titania, John Hannah as King Theseus, and Little Britain star Matt Lucas in the comical role of Nick Bottom. | The BBC adaptation stars Maxine Peake as the lovelorn fairy queen Titania, John Hannah as King Theseus, and Little Britain star Matt Lucas in the comical role of Nick Bottom. |
In this version, due to air on BBC1 at the end of May, Theseus is killed and the character Francis Flute’s speech becomes a lament for the king as he is dying. | In this version, due to air on BBC1 at the end of May, Theseus is killed and the character Francis Flute’s speech becomes a lament for the king as he is dying. |
Davies said Shakespeare plays had been constantly reworked – and so the Bard’s fans should not be offended by the reinterpretation. “If you’re a Shakespeare purist, it means you’re in love with imagination and drama and truth and fun and honesty,” he said. | Davies said Shakespeare plays had been constantly reworked – and so the Bard’s fans should not be offended by the reinterpretation. “If you’re a Shakespeare purist, it means you’re in love with imagination and drama and truth and fun and honesty,” he said. |
“The plays reinvent themselves constantly, every generation does them differently, so if there’s a problem kiss me instead!” | “The plays reinvent themselves constantly, every generation does them differently, so if there’s a problem kiss me instead!” |
Davies said it was “quite daunting” to reimagine Shakespeare. “There’s something sacred about when you sit down at a computer and you’re looking at words that have been sat there for 400 years, and I did genuinely feel strange. But you’ve just got to do it.” | Davies said it was “quite daunting” to reimagine Shakespeare. “There’s something sacred about when you sit down at a computer and you’re looking at words that have been sat there for 400 years, and I did genuinely feel strange. But you’ve just got to do it.” |
The TV producer and screenwriter also revealed an awkward encounter with a taxi driver who thought he had been working on the ITV detective drama Midsomer Murders. | The TV producer and screenwriter also revealed an awkward encounter with a taxi driver who thought he had been working on the ITV detective drama Midsomer Murders. |
He said: “I was in a taxi yesterday and the driver said to me, ‘What are you working on at the moment Russell?’ and I said, ‘I’ve just done A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. And he went, ‘Oh, my wife loves that show!’” | He said: “I was in a taxi yesterday and the driver said to me, ‘What are you working on at the moment Russell?’ and I said, ‘I’ve just done A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. And he went, ‘Oh, my wife loves that show!’” |
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