Review by Celia Bard for Mark Aspen (November 2023)
he play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, is an interesting one as it takes the audience into fairyland, something that you don’t expect to see in his plays, apart from The Tempest. The majority of his plays focus on comedies, histories and tragedies with themes that reflect events taking place during his time period. So, it was interesting to see how YAT and the director of this production, Joseph Evans, interpreted the complexities of a ‘real’ world and its ‘realistic’ characters with a magical world containing fanciful characters pursuing their own ambitions and playful plots.
The setting for this production is the 1980’s in Athens, though costumes and set are contemporary. The various character groups are differentiated by costume. On the whole this works well, though Puck, played by Matilda Brunger, is I felt somewhat hampered in her movement by a bulky dress and the wearing of boots. Puck, like Ariel in The Tempest, is a creature of the air and this Puck was grounded. However, Matilda plays this role with great enthusiasm and gusto, which makes up for lack of ‘fleetness of foot’.
The set is a riverside one, consisting of warehouses and cranes, and suggesting docklands. The stage is on two levels with a central raised area with steps leading to what looks like a small tower. Flats either side of the stage are painted as brick walls with pictures of flowers and trees. The lighting is industrial and stark. This was a set that I would never have associated with this particular play and for me it does not work, as it seems to go against the spirit of the play, losing its dreamlike quality: it also works against the actors, for it appears as if they are all operating in the same world of reality. What does work are the flashing lights representing stars, which twinkle when some of the characters are undergoing metamorphosis of mind.
The play is directed by Joseph Evans. Judging from the overall good quality of the acting, Joseph was able to inspire the actors and share with them his creative vision of the play. I also felt that he was able to give the actors their own space in which to bring to the production their own ideas and talents. He is also a director well versed in Shakespearean text and it was good to see that much of Shakespeare’s original text is used.
Despite the play’s contemporary settings, the audience could never be confused as to which group individual characters are members of, and this isn’t easy for there are four interconnected plots: the relationships between the characters of Hermia (Meaghan Baxter), Lysander (Michael Langton), Helena (Mia Coakham) and Demetrius (Oliver Keaton). These four characters are extremely well cast, especially Hermia and Helena, so that when insults are thrown, for example about their differences in height, they really hit home. The interaction between the four is good and each interprets their parts and Shakespeare’s lines well. However, at times there is a problem with intelligibility and this is due to both projection and vocal pace.
In the world of fairyland, Oberon, King of the Fairies (Kylie Pearson) and Titania, the Queen of the Fairies (Ella Barnett) have their own problems. But they also exist to help sort out the difficulties faced by the four young people because of Hermia’s father, Egeus (Issi Ali) denying her permission to marry the young man she loves, namely Lysander. With the help of Puck, Oberon concocts a special potion — the love-in-idleness flower — to put things right between the characters. He also uses the juice on Titania in revenge for disobeying him. Pearson is excellent as Oberon, playing the role with great authority and dynamism. Barnet who also plays Theseus is equally effective in both parts.
Whilst all this is happening a group of workmen cum travelling players arrive, which includes Peter Quince (Giothompson Nickson), Nick Bottom (Ed Couchman-Boor), Francis Flute (Robyn Marriott), Robin Starveling (Jonathan Ridd), Tom Snout (Bonny Ward) and Snug (Richard Chadwick). They rehearse their play, hoping to perform it for the King’s forthcoming wedding. Their play is supposed to be a tragedy, but they perform it so badly that it ends up as a comedy. This group’s sense of timing is very good as too is the interaction between them. Ed Couchman-Boor has wonderful mimicry skills and it will be a long time before I forget his dying scene in which he mimics a ‘nameless’, great past actor and that actor’s presentation of Richard III!
In all honesty I should like to have seen a more colourful set design, but overall the confident performances of all the cast, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable director and the support of all members of the crew make for a most enjoyable evening. I look forward to seeing the next YAT production. This group of young actors never disappoints.
Originally published at A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Mark Aspen
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)