The Midsummer's Night Dream

The RSC's new production of A Midsummer's Night Dream is a joy form end to finish. The blend of Shakespeareren comedy, mystical dance and fantastic performances, makes this show accessible and understandable to a 21^st Century audience. What starts out as a dark, dirty New York-like club transforms into dreamlike, enchanted wood inhabited by fairies. It's a something only fantastic writer William Shakespeare could compose and only star director Nancy Meckler could reimagine and produce.

Hermia and Lysander are the leads of the piece, having fallen in love against the wishes of Egeus, Hermia's father, who wants her to be wed to Demetrius. Demetrius, despite not being loved by Hermia is loved by another, Hermia's best friend, Helena. Egeus threatens to use the ancient law of Athens that if his daughter refuses he can have her killed or forced to be a nun. Egeus has permission from Theseus, the Duke of Athens, who is a just about to have his own wedding to the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta. Theseus tries to convince Hermia, but the girl holds her ground. After her father and the Duke have left, Hermia and Lysander decide to run away to a wood across the border of Athens. Helena over hears their plan and decides she will tell Demetrius, hope that he would be grateful and perhaps return her affections. However Demetrius instead follows the two lovers in the wood followed himself by Helena.

The wood is inhabited by the King and Queen of the fairies, Oberon and Titania (played by the same actors who play Theseus and Hippolyta, Jo Stone-Fewings & Pippa Nixon, a RSC tradition) who are served by a fellow fairy, Puck. Titania is refusing to hand over her custardy of a young Indian child given to her by his mother to Oberon. Oberon, angry at this, orders Puck to drug Titania in her sleep so that she falls in love with the first thing she sees whether it be man or beast.

Puck encounters a group of actors who are preparing a piece for the Duke's wedding. By distracting the lead actor, Bottom, he transforms him into half man, half donkey! He lays the dozy creature by the bedside of Queen Titania, who when waking, falls in madly in love with. Puck then drugs a sleeping Lysander, think he was Demetrius. Unfortunately, the first thing Lysander sees when he wakes is Helena and starts to beg for her love. Helena, scared to death by this, runs into the wood, only to bump into Demetrius who is also been drugged by Puck. The two men both start to fight over Helena, who still thinks this is all a big joke, waking Hermia in the process. Hermia utterly upset that Lysander has left her, starts having a huge row with Helena (which must have been the first rendition on western stage of a cat fight) for stealing her lover. Puck is laughing madly (as is the audience by this point) at the attics of the romantic lovers, unaware that his King has been watching the whole time.

Playing the role of Hermia is Matti Houghton, appearing in her debut season at the RSC. Houghton performs her role with gusto and strength as she struts round the stage with flair as she defies her father for her love of Lysander and rebukes the affection of Demetrius, all while sporting a nice young 80's Victoria Wood-like haircut. Her co-star Nathaniel Martello-White, also in his debut season, gives a new interpretation to the classic role of Lysander. He really shins later in the play when he, under Puck's drug, falls madly in love with Helena and starts to proclaim it to her, which she is totally shocked by. His rival, Demetrius, played by Alex Hassell, for the first act of the show usually ends up being the straight man to the other cast members. However he comes into his own later when he also starts wooing Helena.

But the strongest and funniest performances came from Helena played by Lucy Briggs-Owen. Owen seemed to understand completely the language of Shakespeare and used this to her advantage. Her interpretation of the role was brilliant and explored new way to portray such a character.

While I won't give away the ending, the play performed by the actors, is totally hilarious and must be seen! Marc Wootton as Bottom is fantastic and well worth seeing again and again!