People all over the world will be able to join the Royal Shakespeare Company and Google live in Stratford and online as they present a one-off digital theatre project, Midsummer Night’s Dreaming.
The experiment will take place over midsummer weekend, 21 to 24 June, and will explore different ways to make and watch theatre.
This is the first time Google has collaborated with a theatre company.
The story will be told in real time over three days and will be performed by a group of actors directed by RSC artistic director Gregory Doran.
New characters created by a group of commissioned artists will report the story as it happens, sharing it through the Internet.
After the event, the RSC will release an online audio recording of A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by the acting company, which will be annotated with the content and side-stories created by the commissioned artists and audiences over the weekend.
Gregory Doran said, “I’m delighted to be working with Google on this truly daring and innovative project.
“We’ll be exploring what happens when one of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays is experienced through the eyes of the internet.”
Audiences are being invited to join the RSC on Google+ to follow Midsummer Night’s Dreaming. New material and updates will be released each week at www.google.com/+royalshakespearecompany.