The summer season at my local amateur theatre, Questors, comes to an end with a production of Shakespeare’s magical comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
With fairies, spells, love – and a large dose of misogyny (obey your father and marry, or be put to death or become a nun), this play should sparkle and amuse.
Hermia loves Lysander. Her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena loves Demetrius. Both men love Hermia. But the course of true love never runs smooth.
Often in productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the same actors play Theseus/Oberon and Hippolyta/Titania, but that’s not the case here. Both women are in positions of power, but overruled by their husbands.
Hermia (Christie Southwick) and Helena (Jenny Gardiner) come into their own when the action changes to the forest where the fairies rule. They bicker, fight, and insult each other, while the men can only wonder if either is worth the effort.
This production is extremely minimalist and very grounded. The verse speaking is weak in places, lessening the impact of the plot. The saving grace is the ‘rude mechanicals’, led by Bottom (Tariq Said), whose foolishness makes him a literal ass.
These working mortals speak in prose to emphasise their status and informality. Their place is to rehearse and perform a play on Pyramus and Thisbe – characters who themselves inspired Romeo and Juliet.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream should play as a raucous comedy for much of its length, with each aspect proving more ridiculous as the impish Puck (Michalina Czaplewska) causes havoc then makes amends.
There is a good thread of physical comedy through this production, but much more could be made of Bottom’s transformation, and although Demetrius (Luca Olimpi) descends into an almost unbalanced devotion to the woman he professed to hate, he isn’t matched enough by Lysander (David Richardson).
Some of this cast swap roles on alternate nights, which means you can check out two Pucks, two Titanias, etc. This is the Student Group 78, so many were also seen in the satirical comedy Tobermory earlier in the year, a play which worked better overall.
Although I will always give a Shakespeare a chance, this one is perhaps too traditional in its approach and needs more understanding of the rhythm of the text. Although this play is much loved, it often looks cruel to modern eyes and might benefit from a fresh look at its underlying themes.
I’m giving this 2 stars. It isn’t a bad production, just a bit ‘safe’, and disappointing set against the rest of this venue’s season.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream continues at Questors Playhouse until 18 Jul. Details here.
Photo credit: Robert Vass