A Midsummer Night's Dream

This was Director, Brian’s second Shakespeare production with Gallery Players, a much lauded play with a good mix of love, mythical fairies and forest creatures, magical potions and much inbuilt comedy. Indeed Brian has definitely captured all the humour in the script, especially in the final scene.  

We meet the two couples Hermia (Becky Linge), Demetrius (Thomas Haig), Lysander (Jordan Peck) and Helena (Evie White). Their confusing relationships are captured well and inject good measures of fun  into their roles. Ryan Cope and Charlotte Curtis both play dual characters of Theseus/Oberon  and Hippolyta/Titania, very different roles, with some very quick costume changes. One minute they are ethereal as Theseus tries to alter the course of true love with his magic and Hippolyta as she falls in love with Bottom who has been turned into a donkey. They both give very convincing performances. Aidan Palmer-Garrick is Puck, his interpretation of this magical, mischievous character with a physical demeanour of that of a forest pixie is excellent. The four young fairies who attend to Hippolyta are delightful in their portrayal.  The band of workers, who are sometimes referred to as ‘Rustics’ are very believable and all bond together well but mention must be made to James Hayward as Peter Quince and Phil Cory as Nick Bottom. Bottom as we all know gets turned into the donkey and captures the humour in the role excellently.  However in the final scene this group act out an hilarious play which is so ‘OTT’ and has the audience in fits of laughter. A master class of comedy acting!!

The set, or should I say the lack of it works perfectly with just some hanging back cloths which are very effectively lit to portray the forest with just one scene where the cloths open to reveal Hippolyta’s resting place decorated with greenery and flowers.  The costumes all worked well with the translucent fabrics which did give that enchanted feel whilst the final scenes were portrayed in 1920’s costumes. Dave Borthwick had again worked his magic in constructing a brilliantly life like donkey’s head.  There was also appropriate music and choreography to compliment the production.

Thank you to Brian and all your cast and crew for this extremely entertaining and enjoyable production played to a very appreciative audience.

Catherine Dixey. NODA East Representative District E12         

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