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The story of A Misdsummer Nights Dream is woven around a series of distinct sub-plots. In the first, Theseus, Duke of Athens, is planning his marriage to his bride-to-be, Hippolyta. In the second, Hermia, daughter of Egeus (the Duke's counsellor) plans to elope with her lover Lysander to escape her fathers insistence that she marry his choice of suitor, Demetrius, who in turn is pursued by his spurned former lover Helena. In the third, Oberon, King of the fairies, is plotting against Titania, his Queen, to win a favourite changeling boy from her. And in the fourth, a group of amateur actors are preparing to put on a play for Theseus wedding celebrations.
Casting his own particular brand of mischief over all of this is Oberon's impish servant Puck. And thus the scene is set for a comedy of mistaken identities and well intentioned bungling. Will the course of true love ever run smoothly again?
Of all Shakespeare's comedies, this is the one which has best stood the test of time, largely due to its strong element of visual comedy. In spite of the convolutions, the various sub plots knit together smoothly as the story unfolds at a rapid pace.
Although the action is set in ancient Greece, the performers all wore Elizabethan costume as an homage to the way the play would first have been seen (Elizabethan actors wore their ordinary street clothes). This included the ladies although in Shakepeare's time their roles would have been played by boys (nor would they have dared dress as women). The main stage was the grass courtyard in the Abbey cloisters, with the audience being accomodated in a temporary tiered and canvas covered stand. The set comprised a small low balcony with forward curving steps to either side, lined behind by small trees, and framed on either side by tall lion headed statues supported on one great taloned foot. To either side were small bowers of shrubs and small trees. The walls of the ruined Abbey surrounding the performance area provided a perfect backdrop to the proceedings, and after a week of rainy squalls even the weather got into the mood providing a balmy sunny evening.
David Davies gave a confident performance as Theseus/Oberon, delivering his lines with perfect clarity and quickly establishing a great rapport with the audience. Mina Anwar meanwhile is a fine talent but was not in my eyes ideally suited to the roles of Hyppolita/Titania (more openly comic roles suit her best like her constable Habib in "The Thin Blue Line"). For me, her performance was more forced than natural and consequently was less than convincing. Wayne Sleep, best known of course as a dancer, was superb as Puck - his dimunitive stature and childish antics bringing the character to life. Sean B. Brosnan as Demetrius and Matt Hebden as Lysander gave solid performances as did Liana Weafer as Hermia who was also notable for the clarity of her diction. Golden voiced Natasha Kemball gave a delightful performance as Peaseblossom and her lullaby to Titania was one of the evenings highlights. Maxine Gregory was a standout for her comic performance as the flustered and confused Helena whilst co-director Robert J. Williamson almost stole the show with his wonderfully funny portrayal of the ham actor Bottom. That particular accolade has to go however to Jodie, whose singular performance as 'Dog' displayed the perfect timing of a considerable comic talent. Furthermore, she was perfectly cast in the role given that she is, in fact yes, a dog. Only on stage for a few minutes near the end, her antics brought the biggest laughs of the night proving the old actors maxim of never act with children or animals if you don't want to be upstaged.
A first class performance in a first class setting. If you think Shakespeare is unintelligible or dull you have not seen this.