Bottom Gets Top Billing

Hot on the heels of comic actor Matthew Baynton’s portrayal of Bottom in the RSC’s 2024 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Chichester Festival Theatre has handed the role to another one of the UK’s most successful comedians.

In his first stage acting appearance, Youtube star and popular comedy show panellist Munya Chawawa, brings extraordinary levels of energy and superb delivery and timing to this new production of Shakespeare’s ‘Dream’, running at the main Festival Theatre until Saturday October 17.

His infectious enthusiasm means every one of the troop of mechanicals also brings their A-game. Giles Walker brings director and cat-herding energy to Peter Quince, Kishore Walker excels in verbal and physical comedy as Frankie Flute and Charlie Beck relishes both his card-carrying plumber Snug and Lion roles.

Anna Soden as Robyn Starveling and Afi Okaidja as Thomasina Snout both really come into their own during the ‘play within a play’ demonstrating real talent for understated delivery of some of the most famous of Shakespeare’s comic lines.

The production has been reimagined to Sussex in 1994, with Theseus now a Chichester MP and an illegal rave site home to the fairies and hallucinogenic experiences.

That gives set designer Joanna Scotcher licence to create some extraordinary effects with a ‘pyramid’ stage, boujee caravan for Titania and DJ decks for Oberon.

Composer and sound designer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite combines popular music from the era with an amazing atmospheric soundscape. And Lighting Designer Elliot Griggs uses lasers, glitter balls and projections on every side of the theatre to embrace the audience and draw them into the increasingly frenetic action.

This ‘Dream’ will get you thinking about a play you thought you knew, in a very different way.

The posters give this show’s ‘Bottom’ top billing, and Chawawa’s performance (pictured above) fully justifies that decision.

Captioned Performances

· Friday 9 October 2026 at 7:30pm: Stagetext captioned performance with English subtitles displayed on a screen.

Audio-Described & Touch Tour Performances

· Friday 16 October 2026 at 6:00pm: Touch Tour (explore the set, costumes, and props 90 minutes prior to the evening show; advance booking required).

· Friday 16 October 2026 at 7:30pm: Audio-Described Performance providing live commentary via discreet pick-up headsets from the cloakrooms.

· Saturday 17 October 2026 at 11:30am: Touch Tour preceding the final matinee.

· Saturday 17 October 2026 at 1:00pm: Audio-Described Performance (the final session in the run, featuring live audio description)

For more information go to the Chichester Festival Theatre website linked here https://www.cft.org.uk/book

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan