Last year, Birmingham Rep announced the main stage directorial debut of Artistic Director, Joe Murphy, with a distinctively Birmingham version of Shakespeare’s ever popular A Midsummer Night’s Dream, co-directed with Deputy Artistic Director, Madeleine Kludje for spring 2026.
As well as being ‘distinctively Birmingham’, part of Joe’s mission was to adopt a renewed focus on The Rep producing new shows ‘Made in Birmingham’- providing opportunities for local actors, creatives and communities.
For The Rep’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which plays on the main stage from Saturday 25 April – Sunday 24 May,this has included an open casting call for Birmingham and West Midlands actors, a successful fundraising campaign to subsidise 5,000 £5 tickets for young people under 25 and state schools for the production, plus an exciting costume design competition for young people in Birmingham.
The Rep’s acclaimed Creative Learning team sent a call-out to their network of primary and secondary schools across Birmingham and wider parts of the West Midlands for pupils to design fairy-costumes, where the winning design would be brought to life by The Rep’s in-house wardrobe and costume department, and used in the production.
Over 200 imaginative entries were received, showcasing extraordinary creativity, originality and engagement with the wonder and environmentalism of Shakespeare’s magical tale. From these entries, 10 finalists were selected by a judging panel, which included A Midsummer Night’s Dream Set & Costumer Designer Carl Davies, who selected two joint winners, who will see their designs brought to life on stage by Carl and the in-house wardrobe and costume team at The Rep this April.
Co-directors Joe Murphy & Madeleine Kludje, who praised the finalists, said:
“We were so impressed by the creativity and imagination shown in these designs. Each finalist has engaged so inspiringly with the magic, mischief and imagination of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, while bringing their own playfulness to the designs – honestly it was hard not to use them all.
“This competition was about opening the doors of The Rep to local young creatives, and the results have been truly inspiring. These winning designs capture the spirit of A Midsummer Night’s Dream while showing the incredible talent that exists in our community. We couldn’t be prouder to showcase their work on our stage. Congratulations to all our finalists and a huge thank you to everyone who took part.”
The 10 finalists are (in no particular order):
Huraina (5),Billesley School; Farzaana (10), Billesley School; Maryam (10), Billesley School; Swara (8), Nelson Primary School; Jun-Kai (8), Robin Hood Academy; Anaya (11), UOB School; Silvia (9), Bellfield School.
With a special mention to the runner up: Sasha (8), Billesley School.
And finally, the joint winners who will see their designs on stage are: William (11), UOB School and Nifrah (6), Billesley School.
Both winning designs impressed the judges with their bold use of colour, strong character interpretation and whimsical sense of fantasy.
All the finalists were invited to attend The Rep to meet Artistic Director Joe Murphy and Deputy Artistic Director Madeleine Kludje, as well as receive a backstage tour of the theatre.
The Rep would like to thank all participating schools, pupils, and teachers for their enthusiasm and creativity. The competition forms part of The Rep’s ongoing commitment to inspiring young people through theatre and storytelling.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream will open to Birmingham audiences on Saturday 25 April until Sunday 24 May. Further details about casting and the production will be announced shortly.
To book simply visit Birmingham Rep at birmingham-rep.co.uk or call the Box Office on 0121 236 4455 (Monday to Friday from 12pm to 6pm. Saturdays 12pm to 6pm, or 4pm if there is no evening performance scheduled).