One of Shakespeare's most widely known and frequently performed plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream is a truly magical story which involves fairies, potions and very complicated love triangles/squares. The wonder of Shakespeare's plays is how current they feel - how they still seem new, exciting and genius even 400+ years down the line, and every production breathes new life into them. This production stays true to the text and captures all of the magic that Shakespeare weaves into his writing, even using illusions to heighten the sense of wonder. The love 'complications' (which can often be difficult to understand but not on this occasion) were played out with intense drama, and the fantastic Remy Beasley brought out the anguish and torment of poor Helena whilst also creating great comedy. The magic and elegance of the fairy world was brought out and stood in stark contrast to the raucous setting of the Duke's court. The group of amateur actors, who famously play the scene in which Thisbe and Pyramus whisper through the chink of a wall, were hilarious. Susan Wokoma as the eager Bottom gave a particularly stand-out performance - with her clever delivery of the Shakespearean text I think that she drew out every possible laugh from the audience. She made the character someone I could all too easily imagine bumping into at an amateur dramatic society or in the drama classroom.
Rachael Canning's design was masterful. The fairies stood hunched over on stilts and seemed to be porcupine inspired, bringing a very ethereal and magical but slightly sinister feeling to the fairy kingdom. Titania, queen of the fairies, was magical in her swooping white and black dress and silver hair and Amber James commanded the stage as she portrayed the queen's poise and power. Every detail of the costume design added to the performance. The comedic group of amateur players made me laugh before even opening their mouths because of the way they were dressed: carrying yoga mats and wearing anoraks with large hiking bags on their back. For their final performance in front of the Duke they were all clad in excellent make-shift cardboard costumes.
As the play moved on and the night grew dark, the theatre became ever more magical. The play culminated in a spine-tingling sequence with the cast holding light up balloons and singing a haunting melody. The famous last monologue from Puck was delivered perfectly by Myra McFadyen, who cast a spell over everyone in the audience.
As the play moved on and the night grew dark, the theatre became ever more magical. The play culminated in a spine-tingling sequence with the cast holding light up balloons and singing a haunting melody. The famous last monologue from Puck was delivered perfectly by Myra McFadyen, who cast a spell over everyone in the audience.
The use of song and music was very important in this production, with the soundscape of the dark woods being created vocally on stage. The song which the fairies sing to guard Titania as she sleeps was composed very cleverly, managing to stay just on the line between magical beauty and being slightly creepy. Interestingly, the fairies used sign language to speak, which allowed for some wonderfully intriguing and enchanting movement sections.
Every member of the cast gave a fantastic performance. Sometimes, Shakespearean text can be very alienating in both performance and study, especially for the younger audience, but it was performed in such a way that it was engaging and easy to understand. Although not aimed at children, it was certainly accessible to a younger audience. I would whole-heartedly recommend this show for every age group. A visit to the Open Air Theatre is as much a part of the British Summer as going to Wimbledon. Dominic Hill's expertly directed production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is the perfect way to escape the real world for a few hours and let the magic of theatre take over.