Nick Cave Joins Cast of Interactive Play ‘Dream,’ Playing a Forest

Nick Cave has joined the cast of Dream, a virtual, interactive theater production based on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Cave will provide the voice of the forest in the play — appropriately named The Voice of the Forest — described as “a strange and mystical character who accompanies the audience as they explore the rivers, flowers, and trees of a virtual midsummer forest.”

Dream is a collaboration between the Royal Shakespeare Company, Manchester International Festival, Marshmallow Laser Feast, and Philharmonia Orchestra, and was recorded during Covid-19 lockdown. (It was originally scheduled to open in the spring of 2020.) The 50-minute show will use motion capture technology to portray the actors alongside their own digital avatars and will allow viewers to interact with the performers in real-time.

“Music is an integral part of the Dream experience and we’re thrilled that Nick Cave’s voice will sit alongside Jesper Nordin and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s living, dynamic score,” Jane Beese, head of music at the Manchester International Festival, said in a statement. “With his mystical voice and dark vocal tones, Cave is the perfect person to represent the forest helping audiences traverse the otherworldly land of Dream.”

Dream will stream from March 12th through 20th on the production’s website.