A Midsummer Night's Dream

Well this was a delight, a combined performance by years 4, 5 and 6 of Castle Newham School of one of the Bard’s great comedies. Albeit a somewhat cleverly cut down version and squeezed into half an hour, something of which the Reduced Shakespeare Company would have been proud, it served splendidly to introduce these youngsters to the English-speaking world’s greatest ever playwright!

Staged to a totally bare set in the semi round on the floor of the hall but using the actual stage to perform the play within the play it made excellent use of the acting area with all the participants, which include a very large ensemble, extremely well drilled as to their exact positions at all times. A frequently crowded stage but nobody ever got in the way of anybody else. It all worked extremely well but did give rise to sound issues where softer-spoken members of the cast were hard to hear when they weren’t directly facing the audience.

It was cast, at least in part, as non-gender specific, which unless you are very familiar with the story would undoubtably confuse with, for example Theseus’ father, Egeus being played by Daisy, Oberon by Ellen or Puck by Monica (all played very well, I hasten to add). But the Bard’s plot itself is if not confusing certainly complex and with an ending where everybody is so confused they all decide it was a dream, such inconsistences probably don’t matter. I doubt, with all due respect, that many members of the audience actually grasped more than the basics of the Bard’s plot anyway.

What was a delight though was the enthusiasm and confidence with which it was performed. All these young actors threw themselves into this with terrific enthusiasm, which was an absolute delight and certainly kept me smiling. The pace was partially well judged, never dropped and kept us on our toes throughout.

The play, Pyramus and Thisbe, put on for the wedding of Theseus was a particular highlight with some excellent comic timing partially Bottom’s (played by Rhydian) death scene which drew the loudest laugh. 

So well done indeed to Seth (Theseus), Molly (Hippolyta), Daisy (Egeus),Ruby (Hermia), Eva (Lysander), Darcey (Demetrious), Layla (Helena), Mia (Quince), Rhydian (Bottom), Verity (Flute), Ella (Starvling), Tom (Snout), Nikita (Snug), Ellen (Oberon), Elena (Titania), Monica (Puck) and the 36 members of the excellent and enthusiastic Ensemble!  Not to forget the army of crew and helpers behind the scenes partially the Assistant Directors, Claudia, Millie and Izzy.  

I have seen this play many times but this version had three firsts: One, it is the youngest cast I have ever seen and I have to take my hat off to Director Luke Skeel, well supported by Miss Lee and Mrs Collacott, for even daring to attempt it, let alone pulling it off with such aplomb. Two, it was the shortest version, but with a plot hard enough for most adults to comprehend for these youngsters it was probably about the right length. Three, it was very cleverly set to a Beetles soundtrack, an inspired choice!

A lot of thought and preparation had obviously gone into it and I was told afterwards that it was rehearsed in separate year groups and only fully integrated on the morning of the performance. Wow! The thought of attempting that would give most of us a Midsummer Night’s Nightmare!

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