Staging a Shakespearean play poses the challenge of keeping it fresh, original and accessible for modern audiences even though it is over 400 years old and has probably been staged thousands of times previously. Director Eleanor Rhodes rises to this challenge brilliantly with her superb production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Barbican Theatre. Her approach exemplifies how Shakespeare can and should be performed, striking an excellent balance between honouring the original text to please purists and introducing thoughtful innovations to captivate a contemporary audience.
The play is a whimsical comedy set in Athens, weaving together the stories of four groups of characters. At the heart of the ruling authority are Theseus, Duke of Athens (Andrew Richardson), and his wife-to-be, Queen Hippolyta (Sirine Saba). Richardson and Saba also shine in dual roles as the fairy royalty, King Oberon and Queen Titania. Adding to the chaos are two pairs of lovers and the Mechanicals, a comical troupe of amateur actors.
The action begins with Theseus preparing for his wedding to Hippolyta when he is asked to mediate a dispute. Hermia (Dawn Sievewright) wishes to defy her father, Egeus (Neil McCaul), by refusing to marry his chosen suitor, Demetrius (Nicholas Armfield), as she is in love with Lysander (Ryan Hutton). When Theseus sides with Egeus, Hermia and Lysander flee to the forest with Demetrius in pursuit. Helena (Boadicea Ricketts), who loves Demetrius, follows them, hoping to win his affection.
In the forest, Oberon and his mischievous servant Puck (Katherine Pearce) use a magic flower to meddle with the lovers’ relationships, leading to swapped affections and romantic chaos. In this production, the lovers are dressed in modern attire and are given modern personalities: Hermia is a feisty Scot, Lysander a cheeky lad, Helena an energetic city girl type and Demetrius a posh gentleman. All four actors deliver standout performances, perfectly balancing the humour and emotional nuance of their roles.
Shakespearean wit doesn’t always resonate with 21st-century audiences but this production fully embraces the hilarity and absurdity of the story, delivering the comedy with brilliant execution. It is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. The comedic highlight lies with the troupe of amateur actors rehearsing the play Pyramus and Thisbe for Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding. Helen Monks excels as Rita Quince, the spirited director striving to keep the chaos under control.
The tradesmen turned actors, played by Emily Cundick, Premi Tamang, Laurie Jamieson, and especially Mitesh Soni, offer stellar and hilarious support with their quirky, endearing performances. However, the standout is Mathew Baynton as Bottom. Dressed in a dark chalk-striped suit and matching orange shirt, tie, and socks, Baynton brings a delightful physicality to his movements and a comic brilliance to his role, earning well-deserved laughs throughout.
Lucy Osborne’s set design is minimalistic yet remarkably effective. At the start, the stage is almost bare, adorned only with string curtains draped across the back to represent the sun. As the story shifts to the enchanted forest, a cascade of spherical paper lanterns descends from above, glowing with lights in a spectrum of colours to create an ethereal, dreamlike atmosphere.
The staging brilliantly enhances the magic of the play. Characters conjure lights from their hands, hurling them across the dark, empty backdrop while other characters appear and vanish with the finesse of an illusionist’s trick. The clever use of lighting and space transforms the simplicity of the set into a mesmerising canvas for Shakespeare’s fantastical tale.
My only minor critique was the length of the Mechanicals’ performance of Pyramus and Thisbe during the wedding scene. While it felt slightly drawn out, this reflects Shakespeare’s original text and who am I to criticise Shakespeare? That said, the actors made the most of the material, extracting every ounce of humour from the scene, which ultimately justifies its extended runtime.
This A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a resounding success and a testament to the enduring power of Shakespeare’s work and the amazing creativity of those who have brought it to life. Much like the fairy-inhabited forest, this production will leave you enchanted.
Need to know: A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays at Barbican Theatre until 18 Jan 2025
