One of the most popular works by the most significant playwright of all time is Shakespeare’s fin de siècle comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In the hands of the in-house company at the Sherman Theatre, this hilarious tale of desire and trickery has been retold by young writers Nia Morais and Mari Izzard and directed by Joe Murphy.
What makes this adaptation different from the next is the sprinkle of Welsh magic in the production. The Welsh language is spoken by the fairies and those bewitched by them – with the effect of separating the fairies from the Athenians, and done so brilliantly. There are bilingual captions above the stage, making it inclusive for Welsh and non-Welsh speakers. Similarly, modern spoken language is intertwined with the classic Shakespearian tongue – a combination which didn’t detract from the performance, instead making room for wittier lines to the audience.
Morais and Izzard’s production swaps the genders of characters including Puck (played by Leah Gaffey), Lysander – now Lysanna (Lauren Morais) – and the roles of Titania (Nia Roberts) and Oberon (Sion Ifan). These switches were subtle and didn’t change the core story, save for Oberon falling in love with Bottom (Sion Pritchard). Which, if anything, made the show funnier.
The performance gave sprinkles of panto at times. Take the Bottom/Oberon duet, a rendition of I Want To Know What Love Is ending the first act, or the ending group dance. Not for everyone, but highly entertaining. Costumes do more than simply dress the cast in this production, developing the story and a sense of who the characters are. Helena, Hermia, Lysanna and Demetrius were in contemporary fashion, offering a modern twist while separating them completely from the enchanting fairies, who wore wild, wacky and impressive dresses.
Puck and Bottom arguably stole the show, delivering the perfect amount of knee-slapping laughs and entertainment. Rebecca Wilson, who played Helena, deserves a special mention too, capturing the audience with her striking facial expressions and top-class acting.
The Sherman Theatre’s playful, friendly A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a fresh new Shakespearean spin, its well-selected cast adding extra magic and a shining representation of Welsh theatre.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Tue 18 Oct.
On until Sat 29 Oct. Tickets: £8-£27. Info: here
words AMY WILD
