| More opportunities lost than achieved |
At Black Rat |
| Black Rat Productions- A Midsummer Night's Dream , Wales Millennium Centre / Weston Studio , August 14, 2009 |
Having seen only two days ago Richard Tunley’s brilliantly directed ‘Come Fly With Me’ and there being two members of that highly talented cast in this second Tunley production, I sat in my seat in the packed auditorium with high expectations. Despite all the great bravura and dynamic physicality of this young cast, I felt that the total magic and depth of Shakespeare’s play had eluded them. Tunley’s hand didn’t seem to be as firmly on the tiller as it normally is.It is most likely Shakespeare’s most popular play and certainly it is the one that has been most messed about with. Not that this was in any way a messed about production. For those students studying for GCSE it certainly made the complex goings on pretty clear and with a mainly young cast in street-cred modern dress gave the play a contemporary relevance for them. There are plenty of naughty fairies around tempting our behaviour today. Almost a permanent device with the play for some while now has been the doubling of the parts of Theseus, head honcho of the place (Duke of Athens) with fairy king Oberon and Hippolyta, head honcho of the next place across the border (Queen of the Amazons) with fairy queen Titania. The play opens at the posh home of Theseus where he is discussing their on-coming nuptials with his regal bride to be. Theseus sends his butler (master of the revels) off to get things organised. Up to this point there has been little character drawn by any of the actors. Perhaps they are playing things down a bit until they assume their more ethereal roles. Simon Riordan is pretty bland in both parts though Lisa Zahra is very strong and magical as Titania and Russell Clough has a wicked glint in his eye as the tumbling hob-goblin host for the night, Puck. But back to the plot. Egeus, a cross bumbling character, given a bumbling performance by George Atkins interrupts the wedding preparations complaining to Theseus that his daughter Hermia, a sprightly Amy Coombes, is refusing to marry the youth he has chosen for her, the charming young Demetrius. As he did two nights before Chris Jenkins gave a very engaging performance but not quite as sure footed as in the earlier production. Now according to the law if she refuses she can be executed – a bit drastic but nevertheless a strong driving force in the play and even though Theseus has proposed confinement in a nunnery as an alternative, it is an issue that I felt demanded more attention. Hermia is in love with another, Lysander and although Lewis Cook is very much a kid on the block his character could have been fleshed out a little more. Helena, Christina Richards did find a strong characterisation and played with great conviction. She’s without a partner at the beginning, her previous relationship with Demetrius having gone sourer. Fairy intervention and the magic juice of a flower eventually ties up Hermia with Lysander and Helena with Demetrius. I hope I’ve got that right! They marry along with Theseus and Hippolyta and have a party. The leader of entertainment was Bottom, Sam Davies, who earlier had a thing with Titania while he had been transformed into an ass. Now there was an opportunity for comedy but like the Pyramus and Thisbe play within a play there were more opportunities lost than achieved. I guess to address Puck’s final words of the play I might have been gentler and less reprehending but I happily take his hand and hope we remain friends though for me amends were not quite restored. |
Reviewed by: Michael Kelligan |
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