Stream: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
This is Shakespeare’s most perfect play. Not only does it contain the best comedy sketch ever written but also the most beautiful language you can imagine. Even watching a bad production, it is impossible not to love it. Over the years I have enjoyed this play from the Barbican to the Globe, school productions, Northern Broadsides in the provinces and even a magical performance at the end of Southend Pier under the moonlight.
This show is Nicholas Hytner’s best Shakespeare yet. Performed in his newly built theatre The Bridge in Potters Field with views over the Thames and Tower Bridge, he has cemented his theatrical vision with this wonderful immersive experience. Departing from his tenure as Artistic Director of The National Theatre from 2003 until 2015, he has developed one of the most exciting venues on the Southbank. With its 900-seater adaptable auditorium the theatre concentrates on commissioning new plays as well as staging the occasional classic. It is the first wholly new theatre of scale to be added to London’s commercial sector in 80 years. And wow, it really does work. With state-of-the-art design it can be adapted to suit many forms, including the opportunity for the audience to get up close to the action. A truly immersive experience. With the filming expertise of Ross McGibbon (is there anyone else who does this so well?), escaping into this magical world from your lounge chair is an evening of pure delight. I wanted to watch it repeatedly.
Shakespeare’s play was probably first performed at court in 1604 and has remained a favourite since then. Its tripartite narrative of romantics, Immortals and mechanicals provides a variety of parts for performers, allowing for all sexes, shapes and sizes. A fun and mystical tale of nature, young love and meddling spirits. As Oberon, king of the fairies, says ’We are spirits of another sort’, allowing for a switch in roles between him and Titania his queen. This didn’t strike me until the ‘I know a bank where the wild thyme blows’ monologue arrived, such were the riveting performances by Oliver Chris and Gwendoline Christie, who also doubled at Theseus and Hippolyta in the opening act. Chris has terrific comic timing (last seen in One Man Two Guvnors) and his romantic scenes with Bottom were finely tuned and hilarious. The lovers Demetrius (Paul Adeyefa) and Lysander (Kit Young) were both handsome love-struck young bloods following their lovers into the woods. Hermia, petite (Isis Hainsworth) and Helena, tall (Tessa Bonham Jones) hurled insults at each other nicely ‘you bead, you acorn!’ ‘you painted maypole! ‘and scampered over the moving platforms nicely.
Puck, young award-winning David Moorst, swinging from silks or disappearing through beds, played Puck with just a perfect measure of mischievousness. And the Mechanicals. Having seen Bottom played many times I can report that Hammed Animashaun was just the right casting. Large and inherently a good comic actor he had the audience in his hand. The rest of the mechanicals were suitably supporting and funny. I particularly liked Peter Quince played by Felicity Montagu as the enthusiastic amateur director. This great comic sketch did not disappoint
The setting was intimate, working from just a small central platform, with beds flying in and out of the standing audience and acrobats as fairies swinging on silks above and around the audience heads. Perfectly lit without overpowering the action the technical team had a lot to cope with as platforms moved between the audience. I was glad to see that they were invited to take a bow. Musically the modern mix enhanced the atmosphere and costuming was exactly right veering between Giles Deacon wedding apparel and the mechanicals sweatshirts. I bet they sold well in the foyer along with the floral headdresses. This production was a sell-out show which deserved its reputation. I was dreading seeing another interpretation but five Stars from me.
