Posted by: Michelle Gendron and Kate Smith
Pack your picnic blankets and prepare to sail away as a Company of Fools brings you to the shores of the Greek islands! This year the Fools are setting Shakespeare’s most famous comedy against a backdrop inspired by seaside revelry, moonlit dances, and the toe tapping energy of your favourite 70’s disco (you may feel an inexplicable urge to clap along, and we encourage you to follow that feeling!).
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a tale of love, magic, and mischief. The story follows four young lovers who flee into the woods, where they encounter a feuding fairy king and queen, a playful fairy named Puck, and a group of well-meaning amateur actors from the village. With a splash of love potion and a lot of confusion, hearts are tangled, identities are mixed up, and nothing goes quite according to plan. Dream is a celebration that reminds us that love can be unpredictable, absurd, and beautifully transformative.
Imagine the musical stylings of ABBA and David Bowie, the passion of Love Island, and the cobblestone streets of coastal Greece all coming together to bring you one fantastical evening in your local park! From the costumes, to the sets, to a retro bike or two, this production is sure to provide audiences with 90 minutes of laughs, excitement, and maybe even a group dance number… Audiences can expect to leave with their cheeks sore from smiling and humming a tune all the way home.
The Fools are committed to bringing high-quality theatre to the people and eliminating the barriers that prevent patrons from engaging with the arts. We exist to serve the people of Ottawa and strive to share our work with surrounding communities, particularly those without access to live theatre. We aim to inspire connections at our performances between the art, the audience, and the community we perform within.
Shakespeare in the Park shows offer Ottawans a chance to gather, connect, laugh, and share a communal experience in parks across the city – spaces you probably already have a meaningful relationship with. When we laugh together, we understand each other better. We open ourselves up to new experiences, and maybe even to considering other points of view.
Creating theatre is a hopeful act. Joy is an act of resistance. This production is an invitation to be entertained, to experience awe, and to celebrate all the wonder contained within our shared world.
Community members of Old Ottawa South can find this highly anticipated production on August 15, 2026, in Windsor Park. The full tour calendar and all park locations (including Patterson Creek Park in the Glebe on July 18), can be found on the Company of Fools website. In classic Fools fashion, all our shows are by donation, no ticket required!
Michelle Gendron is the Fools Marketing and Development officer and Kate Smith is the Artistic Director with the Company of Fools.
Featured in the July-August 2026 OSCAR.