Opera North’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream subverted any preconceptions I had about opera in a captivating blend of seductive and sinister magic.
Opera North’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream presents Benjamin Britten’s 1960s compelling score with fantastic flair. Originally directed by Martin Duncan and revived by Matthew Eberhardt, the opera combines dark, alluring magic with whimsical comedy, offering an energetic, enchanting take on Shakespeare’s classic tale of fantasy and desire.
The design and music in this production really worked to create a distinct, immersive tone that captured the surrealism of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The set was much more minimalistic than I was expecting with large, transparent plastic sheets and delicate bubble-like balloons suspended from the ceiling. This creative choice differs from the whimsical excess seen in typical adaptations of the play, instead creating a hazy, psychedelic quality enhanced by the 1960s esque costume design for the lovers. The dynamic set pieces moved frequently, obscuring and revealing characters and often marking transitions between scenes, with lighting changes enhancing this fluid, dreamlike state the set worked to create. Clever technical effects like articles of clothing seemingly moving across the stage unaided really contributed to the magical and disorienting atmosphere.
The orchestra, even beyond the vocal performances, played a significant role in creating atmosphere. The opening notes of ‘psychedelic glissandi in the lower strings’ established a trippy, otherworldly ambiance that carried throughout the performance. The musicians’ skill was also showcased in the opera’s witty moments, especially during the staging of the amateur play in the final act, where the music lifted the humour without detracting or overshadowing it.
Whilst there were a few minor pacing issues that meant some occasional lagging, the performance overall was strong, and the direction was unique. The standout performances came from Daniel Abelson as Puck and Henry Waddington as Nick Bottom. Abelson brought an athletic, animalistic mischief to the role, cavorting around the stage and speaking his lines rather than singing them, which only added to his liveliness. Waddington also stood out for his incredible comedic timing and truly powerful voice. The production made bold choices in bringing to the forefront the mature themes running through the story, such as a sensual eroticism between Oberon (James Laing) and Puck and costume decisions that left the lovers passionately arguing in minimal clothing. The fairies, played by children, dressed in identical blonde bobs and black wings, conveyed a sinister uniformity that contrasted with lighter traditional interpretations which worked really well alongside the barren staging.
It is clear that Opera North and The Lowry have a keen commitment to accessibility, which is really important in encouraging a broader audience to attend opera. Two screens opposite the stage displayed the lyrics in real-time, allowing the viewers to follow the story closely and more easily, which was especially beneficial in quieter moments and for audience members needing text support. A pre-performance talk helpfully notified the audience of a summary section in the programme that detailed and decoded the three-act structure. While the accessibility efforts were commendable, I think they could have taken it further with program formats tailored for different processing needs and by making these programmes more visibly available to the audience, a strategy The Lowry has implemented successfully in other productions.
Ultimately, I would recommend Opera North’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to anyone, opera fan or not. Don’t let the long run time or its operatic form intimidate you, it is a highly entertaining and accessible production, and its artistic direction really lends itself to the fantastical world Shakespeare built in the original text.