Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Eleanor Rhode directs a modern version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, starring Mathew Baynton of Horrible Histories and Ghosts fame as Bottom, the fool who becomes one of several victims of fairy mischief. But, in a delightful twist, the star of the show is Puck, who was played by Premi Tamang due to the indisposition of Rosie Sheehy. She is constantly running and tumbling around the stage, the fairy embodiment of chaos. The scenes in which she uses her magic to mettle with mortal affairs are enchanting to watch, particularly involving the Athenian youth later in the show. 

Puck is joined in her chaos by Oberon [Bally Gill], who struts around the stage in a Bowie-esque costume. Gill takes a unique approach in making Gill a bit more human than most interpretations, showing clear affection for Helena which leads to him telling Puck to place the love juice in Demetrius’s eyes.

In another unusual approach to the fairy characters, Sirine Saba plays Titania as a woman in charge, a theme made clear in all of the relationships in the play. Titania holds an insane amount of power and commands not only the fairies but also the musicians on the sides of the stage, speaking directly to them several times. Gill and Saba also play the roles of Theseus and Hippolyta respectively, a relationship that has a rocky start but ends with the two connecting, sharing a lovely chemistry that is rarely seen in this particular couple in the play. 

The four young Athenians are also incredibly well cast - Nicholas Armfield as Demetrius, Boadicea Ricketts as Helena, Dawn Sievewright as Hermia and Ryan Hutton as Lysander.

Demetrius is a bit of a stuck-up man who begins to let loose once the fairies get involved (I particularly enjoyed the noises that Armfield would make in reaction to others). Helena is full of sass and takes full advantage of a range of hand gestures to emphasise her points. She is not some simple woman obsessed with a man - she is an angry woman who feels, at most times, frustrated with herself for her feelings towards Demetrius, but, being stubborn, follows them (and him!) anyway.

Hermia, dressed in a pop-punk style, is rebellious and passionate, stubborn in her own way to follow her heart. The sisterly bond between Helena and Hermia is a main focus when the pair are on stage, which makes for an even better fight scene later on in the show, as the closer friends are, the more interesting arguments can be.

In a surprising twist, Lysander emerges as one of the most comedic characters in the play, as Hutton jumps and dances around the stage, his physical acting filling in for a lack of humour in his lines. There were times I found myself struggling to breathe through laughter at his dramatic performance, especially when under the influence of the love juice. 

The fairies - Cobweb (Esme Hough), Peaseblossom (played at the press night by Emily Cundick), Moth (Michael Olatunji) and Mustardseed (Tom Xander) - never actually appear on stage, instead being visualised as balls of light that flit around the balls floating above the stage and, at times, as tiny lights surrounding characters. A particularly great scene is when Puck is introduced, playing a game of cat and mouse with a fairy as she makes it appear in her hand before throwing it back into the air. 

The comedic core of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the Mechnicals, made up of Bottom, Peter Quince (Helen Monks), Flute (Mitesh Soni), Starveling (played at the press night by Tom Xander), Snout (Emily Cundick) and Snug (Laurie Jamieson). The group all play off one another brilliantly, each having individual moments to shine while also working together to make for the funniest scenes of the show.

Their performance towards the end of the play had me in tears of laughter, particularly at Snout playing both “Wall” and “Tomb” and with Flute’s hilarious delivery of “Asleep, my love?” while covered in Pyramus’s blood. I’ve never had a Peter Quince rap the Prologue and I never want to hear it any other way from now on.

Along with the fantastic performances from the actors, the creative team has come together to make something truly incredible. Designer Lucy Osborne has created both a set and costumes that mix the modern mortal world with the fantastical fairy realm, using floating white balls above the stage as a set of their own for the fairies. Illusion director and designer John Bulleid greatly contributes to the fairy world as well and has clearly done a great job in teaching the actors how to perform sleight of hand and magic tricks.

The music, composed by Will Gregory, is a fascinating mix of synth and meditative sounds, truly enhancing the feeling of being within a dream. Lighting designer Matt Daw and sound designer Pete Malkin fill the room with light and noise, throwing it around from corner to corner with ease. Music and technology mix along with the mortal and fairy realms, making for some beautiful and abstract moments throughout. 

The final scenes of the show are some of its best, particularly the performance from the Mechanicals of the tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe, in which the performers wear all white and are accompanied by Quince playing ABBA-like background music. The dance at the end is also a scene of beauty that perfectly illustrates the love between the characters as Puck throws in a little more mischief. Tamang delivers a lovely final monologue that ends the show on a high note, a ghost light standing tall once everyone has left the stage. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a brilliant modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s work that is fun for all ages. Rhode has managed to place the show in the 1970s while still keeping the dreamy aspects that were first placed there over four hundred years ago.

Whether you know your Snout from your Snug or have never seen a play before, you will have a magical time at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 30 March 2024. 

Photo Credit: Pamela Raith (c) RSC

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