Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Bridge Theatre

“I have had a most rare vision. I had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was…” Like Nick Bottom (and the lovers), stepping out of the Bridge Theatre auditorium after a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream does feel like you are waking up from some kind of reverie. Even if you’ve been sat down instead of promenading, the performance space is designed so well that everyone feels immersed in the world of the play. Nicholas Hytner’s production of the Shakespeare classic was something of a revelation in 2019, and it feels just as bold six years on.

The Athens of this version has a dystopian edge to it, with a muted colour scheme and the female section of the population confined to shapeless tunics and head-coverings - not to mention captured Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, on display in a perspex box until her wedding to Theseus. Things become a lot more vivid, however, when Hermia and Lysander attempt to escape through the forest and unwittingly find themselves in Oberon and Titania’s realm, surrounded by mischievous fairies.

What this production does really well is highlight that there is a lot of darkness in this play. It’s a piece that often gets frivolous stagings, because fairies can be associated with glitter, rainbows and lightness, but in folklore they can be quite grotesque figures - this show strikes a balance between these two extreme perceptions. There is also so much potential for tragedy in the human world of the play; Hermia could have shared Juliet’s fate if not for Lysander’s plan, poorly executed as it is, and defeated Hippolyta is being forced to marry the man who captured her.

It would have been so easy to repeat the 2019 run exactly, but I applaud the decision to give nearly every character a completely new look this time round. Christina Cunningham and Bunny Christie’s costume design is absolutely spectacular, for starters, and also does brilliantly to make clear distinctions between the human world and fairy land - as well as between the two factions of fairies. Oberon and his posse are of a more fun-loving bent, which is translated into bright colours, patterns, and mixed materials, whereas Titania and Puck’s twisted schemes see them clothed in darker hues.

Brilliant use is made of the Bridge Theatre’s versatile space, from stage blocks emerging from the floor to breathtaking acrobatic aerial fairy displays up above (Bella Aubin, Jemma Brown, Ali Goldsmith and Lennin Nelson-McClure deserve so many plaudits for this). It’s worth pointing out that if you choose to stand, you may not be able to see absolutely everything, but thankfully it doesn’t look as rough an affair as the production of Julius Caesar at the same theatre.

JJ Feild and Susannah Fielding take on the dual roles of Theseus/Oberon and Hippolyta/Titania for this new run; Fielding demonstrates great stage presence from the off, coolly staring everyone down as Hippolyta bides her time, and Feild’s Oberon really turns on the charm when he feels the effects of love-in-idleness. Switching Oberon and Titania’s roles in this way not only allows Fielding’s characters to assert some control, but it’s also a fun way to celebrate Pride in this theatrical setting.

Emmanuel Akwafo stands out as Bottom, his portrayal a mixture of class clown and crooner who doesn’t mind a taste of the high life. The Rude Mechanicals’ performance of Pyramus and Thisbe is unsurprisingly another highlight - their props are great fun, and even the interjections add entertainment value thanks to Theseus really getting into the spirit.

David Moorst returns as Puck; he is as impish as ever, and puts in just as impressive and hilarious a performance as before. Whilst he behaves in a youthful manner, the darker aesthetic also plays a part in making this Puck feel a little more grown-up - and therefore all the more sinister in some of his actions.

Even though this is one of the most commonly staged of all Shakespeare plays, productions like this are irresistible. Hytner and his cast and creatives have found a way of bottling pure joy, and I can only advise him to keep sharing it around every few years - that would be a recurring Dream that no one could get bored of.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is at the Bridge Theatre until 20 August

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