I can’t proclaim to be one of those Shakespeare aficionados to whom A Midsummer Night’s Dream is as familiar as the scent of hand sanitizer during a pandemic. Something about it always eluded my interest; perhaps it was that I didn’t quite believe in the magic involved or in the banality of the romantic trysts. Pre-Covid, I would have favoured Hamlet or King Lear any day. Yet whether it was the masterful performances by the cast or simply something in the Sunday evening air, from the time I sat down to watch Shakespeare Society’s production to the moment it – regrettably – finished, I was truly and utterly enamoured.
A Midsummer Night's Dream marks the society’s return to in-person dramatics, with the use of Rowntree Park’s theatre ensuring that performances would go ahead in the event of a delay to lockdown easing. Put together in a matter of months, a member of the cast told me they rehearsed in-person according to the guidance in place at the time, beginning with outdoor rehearsals in groups of six. They said it was brilliant to be returning to live theatre, and this enthusiasm shone through in the performance. The cast used the space in the park to their advantage, running around the grass and, at one point, having the lovestruck Demetrius (Joe Waterfield) duelling with hedges in his crazed passion for Helenus (Helena, Jack Gay). The audience lapped it up – as they lapped up the show in general – and I was favourably reminded of productions by the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival. Shakesoc’s performance was certainly comparable.
As a whole, the impressive performances of the cast made A Midsummer Night’s Dream a night to remember. Alex Valletta was obsequiously charming as Theseus/Oberon, with a clever decision on the director’s side to have the same actors portray both couples. Donning Venetian masks as Theseus and Hippolyta (Emily Dixon), and unmasked as Oberon and Titania, this casting added to the sense of liminality that marks Shakespeare’s play. Bottom (Kat Lazarus) shone, with just the right approach to the part that brought a vivid, self-aware wit which left the audience in hysterics.
The fluidity of gender entrenched in Shakespeare’s lines was extensively explored throughout the performance , with the ambiguity of the original text cleverly manipulated in a 1980s setting. Characters overtly mocked gender norms, while the genders of Lysander and Helena were reversed. Demetrius rendered ‘I wot not by what power’ as “bi[sexual]”, evoking roars of laughter from the audience; while, at the play’s denouement, he gave a new meaning to his discussion of ‘natural taste’ – one that tackled internalised and externalised homophobia. Jack Gay displayed an earnestness as Helenus, while the pairing of the couples worked perfectly.
Overall, then, the cast were very attentive to their audience and improvised to suit the mood of the evening. This is what I truly took for granted about live theatre; the opportunity for spontaneity. At various points the cast used physical performance creatively to bring out the most comedic sections of the play – for instance, the audience’s introduction to the Faerie kingdom was marked by drunken karaoke sung by none other than the iconic Puck (Luke McDonald).
The shared knowledge that what was happening during the evening marked the beginning of a return to normality for actors and theatregoers was very prominent. I was part of a lively, socially-distanced audience; while the pandemic still resulted in precautions, Shakesoc made sure that no one felt cut off from the action.
Against the backdrop of 1980s punk, anthems such as “God Save the Queen” and “Cherry Bomb” were geniusly contrasted with Shakespeare’s lines, adding another layer of wit to the story. The faerie characters were punk rockers, while the quartet of lovers were fashionable “prep” characters; ‘Athenian garments’ became ‘high street garments’ while one character was spoken of as sporting ‘weeds of M&S’. This vivacity was developed through sexual innuendos, with Bottom’s ‘I could munch thy good dry oats’ excellently played for laughs. After having seen many a stale Shakespeare comedy, it was fantastic to witness the humour and brilliance of the original text brought to life so craftily.
My only fault with it all would be that occasionally there was too much action both on-stage and off-stage for an outdoors performance where sound travels less easily and external noise has to be taken into account. But this is a very minor quibble with a powerful and exuberant production. It has been my privilege to write the first live theatre review for Nouse since the pandemic kicked off. Attending A Midsummer Night’s Dream gave me a very strange feeling – but it was a happy one. Like most things this term, things that once seemed a mainstay of university life are now completely wonderful. Sometimes, a bit of live theatre is all you need to ‘make amends’ with troubled times.
