“So spellbinding, you’ll wish you could unsee it just to experience the Dream all over again.”
You know that feeling when you wake up from a dream so beautifully mad, that you desperately want to dive back in? That’s exactly how I felt leaving A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Barbican. If I could, I would wipe my memory clean just to watch it again for the first time. Eleonor Rhode’s production isn’t just Shakespeare done well—it’s Shakespeare that grabs you by the hand and pulls you into a technicolour, hedonistic and funny fever dream, leaving you blinking in amazement as the lights come up.
Eleanor Rhode, alongside Lucy Osborne, the brilliant set and costume designer, has reimagined Shakespeare’s characters with striking originality. Each archetype is reinvented through clever nods to British fashion and music, creating a world where timeless personalities meet modern flair. Rhode has created a world where Titania (played with ethereal grace by Sirine Saba) feels like Kate Bush reincarnate, gliding and twirling like she stepped straight out of the Wuthering Heights music video. Oberon, brought to life by the charismatic Andrew Richardson, is a swaggering, magnetic presence, channelling a full-on Adam and the Ants vibe. His declaration, “I am invisible!” while standing there in his flamboyant glory, is a moment of comedy perfection. Matthew Bayton’s Bottom looks like he rolled straight out of Carnaby Street in the ’60s suit and orange socks. Hermia’s punky look would get Vivienne Westwood’s approval. Lysander has the vibe of a Madness groupie, Demetrius screams “Roxy Music fan,”, Helena is a New Romantic and Puck—oh, Puck, so fabulously played by Katherine Pearce —is pure Camden cool.
The four Athenian lovers—Lysander (Ryan Hutton), Demetrius (Nicholas Armfield), Hermia (Dawn Sievewright), and Helena (Boadicea Ricketts)—are equally convincing and fascinating to watch. Their fights in the forest are wild and electric, blurring the line between slapstick hilarity and raw, physical passion. The physical comedy is razor-sharp, with bodies colliding, grappling, and flailing in perfect sync. Their chemistry is palpable, amplifying both the comedy and the chaos of their entangled affections.
The Mechanicals are a comedic triumph, bringing hilarity and charm to every scene. Rita Quince (Helen Monks), reimagined as a rapping director, infuses the troupe with wit and swagger, while Matthew Bayton’s Pryamus steals the show with his brilliant, over-the-top antics. Their chaotic Pyramus and Thisbe, featuring a hilariously awkward “Wall” with literal cracks, is pure theatrical mayhem. This blend of earnestness and absurdity makes the Mechanicals a joyous highlight, capturing Shakespeare’s playful satire of amateur theatre.
The set and lighting design elevate this production to a visual masterpiece. Titania’s woodland realm, adorned with soft, feminine touches and paper lanterns subtly illuminated with psychedelic lighting, is breathtakingly beautiful. In contrast, Oberon’s domain is stark and angular, featuring ladders and hard lines that exude power and masculinity. This clever design juxtaposition reinforces the characters’ distinct personalities and the tension between their realms.
The illusions, directed and designed by John Bulleid, are another triumph, seamlessly integrating magic into the storytelling. Actors seem to disappear and reappear on the stage as by magic. Fairies are but flickering fireflies that one can catch and set free, making the audience feel like they’re part of the same magical world as the characters. It’s the kind of theatrical sorcery that serves the text so well.
This Midsummer Night’s Dream is everything you could hope for and more—a dazzling spectacle that’s funny, sexy, and endlessly inventive. It tickles the senses, warms the heart, and leaves you stumbling out of the theatre wondering if you’re still dreaming. Whatever you do this Christmas holiday, don’t miss it.
Running at the Barbican Centre until 18th Jan 2025