The Stratford Festival has unveiled its 2014 season – and more than a dozen plays feature the theme of  “Madness: Minds Pushed to the Edge.”

The lineup contains plays in which the protagonists are driven to extremes –  and artistic director Antoni Cimolino says this leads to great  drama -with characters  whose minds are unbalanced by  forces such as love, war, poverty  and sexuality.

The upcoming  Stratford season coincides with the 450th  birthday of Shakespeare. Five of the bard’s plays are planned – including two versions of  “A  Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The season includes “King Lear,” and “Antony and Cleopatra.” Also on  the playbill is Bertold Brecht’s “Mother Courage” and Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever.”

Audiences next season can also see  “Alice Through the Looking Glass”…”Christina”  and the musicals “Crazy for You”  and “Man of La Mancha.”

Tickets go on sale  in early November for members   and in  early January for the general public.