BBC Bristol on A Midsummer Night's Dream, July 2005
Review: A Midsummer Night's Dream
17th century guardsmen, a troupe of minstrels and the bewitching singing voice of actress Esther Biddle herald the start of the British Touring Shakespeare Company's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
The sumptuous traditional costumes, however, do not disguise the distinctly innovative nature of this show, a characteristic which will delight the broad minded and appal the over-fastidious!
That said, it should be stressed that the ploys which director, Miles Gregory, pulls are never allowed to obscure the mirror Shakespeare holds up of the Elizabethan world.
After all, we are instantly presented with an arranged marriage for dynastic advancement. It thwarts the love match between Hermia and Lysander.
A young woman is shown to be a mere pawn and because she is female she must obey her father. Kate Burdette convincingly plays out the emotional agony of this scenario and Matthew Parish portrays a passionate and resourceful Lysander persuading Hermia to elope.
Next we see the arrival of a modern day postman, a traffic warden, a butcher, a Boy Scout and a fast food take away assistant. They are of course the mechanicals, Shakespeare's rustic characters who will perform the tale of "Pyramus and Thisbe" at Theseus' wedding.
Huge buttocks.
Andrew MacDonald excels in this scene as the traffic warden. The quirky playing with costume is a delightfully fresh approach typical of director Miles Gregory's work.
At last the fairies take the stage. Far from gossamer wings and ethereal nymphs these clumsy fairies have daft wigs and tunics which make them look pregnant – including the male fairies.
This multi-talented cast, all of whom play a musical instrument, then perform a show stopping 1930s jazz routine to proclaim the entrance of Titania.
Of course the famous scene between Oberon and Titania where he begs the changeling boy from her ensues and David Pomerantz and Esther Biddle are perfectly cast in these lead roles.
Esther Biddle's fine command of iambic pentameter makes the soliloquy beginning "Never since the middle summer's night" ring out with powerful resonance – even the most die-hard traditionalist can't complain here.!
More humour follows. We are suddenly in the wood with Helena in hot pursuit of Demetrius who is, in turn, in hot pursuit of Hermia and Lysander.
Finally all's well that ends well
Puck, very well acted by Griff Jameson, is now going to sprinkle his love potion on the sleeping Titania and also mistakenly, on Demetrius so that they shall instantly love the first person they see on waking.
The mechanicals arrive in the wood to rehearse "Pyramus & Thisbe" and because BTSC dare to do it Puck plants upon Bottom's head, not the ears of a jackass but instead a great pair of buttocks complete with a graphically painted orifice!
Ironically, it has to be said that the bottom is the high point of the show – the audience loved it.
Titania wakes up, spies the gargantuan Bottom wearing a bottom on his head and falls in love with the bottom.
Meanwhile Demetrius has woken up and fallen in love with the spurned Helena who of course thinks he is mocking her.
Steve Clarke is yet another BTSC actor whose voice is a joy to listen to and then follows antics in the wood where Puck's mistakes lead to Lysander and Demetrius as rivals for Helena and Helena and Hermia ready to scratch each other eyes out. Katherine Usher and Kate Burdette successfully bring out the viciousness of female jealousy.
Of course as Shakespeare would say "All’s Well That Ends Well". Puck undoes his mischief, the young couples are happily paired off, Oberon and Titania are reunited and in true Shakespearean tradition world order is now restored with the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta but not before we see the mechanicals' outrageously awful performance of "Pyramus & Thisbe".
Christian Roe's comic acting as "the Wall" proves the old saying "there are no small parts in acting – only small players".
BTSC have pulled off a play full of new pranks and absurdities.
Innovation never pleases the strict traditionalists but without it drama would fossilise and as such, Bristol should be proud to host director Miles Gregory's self-confessedly "irreverent" look at Shakespeare.
Theresa Roche
