One of Shakespeare's best-known works, A Midsummer Night's Dream tells the story of four young people getting lost in the woods while its resident fairy king Oberon and his trusted companion Puck wreak havoc on their hearts and minds! Of course, this tale wouldn't be complete without the troupe of amateur performers rehearsing in the same woods, with one of their more enthusiastic members, Nick Bottom, being transformed into a donkey and, thanks to Oberon's trickery, becoming the object of desire of Titania - Oberon's partner and Fairy Queen of the forest.
A victorious return to form from the RSC, this is a delightful offering of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Though little is done to explore interesting layers of the play - notably Oberon's sinister obsession with Titania's ward and the malevolent means he'll go to in order to get his way, not to mention the way Hermia and Helena are incredibly accepting of the love of the men who have, within the last 12 hours, behaved utterly reprehensibly to their respective lover - we are certainly entertained and leave the theatre on a high. One of the most frustrating risks when watching Shakespeare is when we feel as though the actors are not comfortable with the words they are delivering - fortunately, I'm sure in no small part thanks to Kate Godfrey's work on voice & text, almost every member of the company deftly moves through their lines with fluency, guiding the audience through the beautiful work of text. Eleanor Rhode's direction is fantastic, managing to balance big-picture spectacle with the intricacies of this story with grace and wit.
The underlying triumph of this stunning production is its visual spectacle. Lucy Osborne's set jumps between perfectly minimalist and utterly awe-inspiringly magnificent - the first introduction of a sea of lanterns that accompany Titania in her realm is truly breath-taking. Such magnificence is underlined brilliantly by stunning costume (also Osborne's exceptional design), make up, and wig design - we are truly transported to a world of colour, self-expression, and electric mischief! The performers fill the space and move about it perfectly thanks to Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster's movement direction. Our eyes are left wide by John Bulleid's illusions, though Bottom's iconic transformation is rather minimal - quite a disappointment given the scope of magic and creative costuming we've seen throughout.
Our band of mechanicals host some exceptional talent - Laurie Jamieson is a beautifully endearing Snug, Emily Cundick has us in stitches with her dead-pan Wall, and Mitesh Soni comes into his own with his flustered and fabulous Thisbe. Andrew Richardson blows us away as a charismatic and chaotic Oberon - though more of the energy he brings to the opening of Act 2 would elevate his take on the fairy King to the next level - and expertly switches to perform a gorgeously inept Theseus, a character that is so rarely worth watching but here Richardson helps us fall in love with him a little. Katherine Pearce brings vibrant energy to the role of Puck (occasionally drowned out by the drums that oft accompany their speeches), but it is one moment in particular that takes our breath away - beneath the loveable rogue exterior audiences know and love, Pearce brings a moment of stillness, as Oberon and Titania reunite leaving Puck alone once again. We only wish we had seen more of this gorgeous depth littered throughout before this final tragic payoff!
Nicholas Armfield does a wonderful job with the challenging part of Demetrius, finding his true physical comedy genius once enchanted. And the stand-out performer of this brilliant company is Ryan Hutton as Lysander - from his very first word, we are enthralled by his comfort with the text, his depth of character, and, most of all, his hilarious comic performance. A masterclass in Shakespearean comedy, Hutton's performance is worth the ticket.
Where this piece falls a little short is in two of the most key characters. It must be acknowledged that Matthew Baynton is a wonderful performer, and brings a sweetness to Bottom rarely seen, but we are left wanting for much more arrogance and a lacking of self-awareness fit for the stage - perhaps a subtler performance like this is better suited for smaller playing spaces or even the screen. And it is a shame to feel that Helena brings little to this play; certainly a difficult character to master, it never seems as though she quite lands on the same page as the other three wood-wanderers. Her lines become shouted without weight to them, and we struggle to believe there is any truth behind this (admittedly melodramatic) character.
Overall, a truly stunning piece of theatre and a perfect festive mood-lifter, A Midsummer Night's Dream runs at the Barbican until 18th January.
Review: Penny Lane Photo: Pamela Raith