A Summer of Love’s Dream pulls Shakespeare away from elitism and returns it to the people.
In a world where old classics are not always on the front stage, it is somewhat relieving to see one brought to life again in such a countercultural way. Sarah Tresilian’s vision in creating the Shakespeers theatre company and directing this first play was to make Shakespeare accessible to all, pulling it away from elitism and delivering it back to the public.
Arriving in the room, you are immediately welcomed by each member of the cast, in what can only be called “great vibes”. The stage is a jolly mess, with the actors talking and laughing with one another, some lying on inflatable mattresses and chatting with the public. All dressed in variations of vintage and hippie clothes reminiscent of the Summer of Love, Tresilian sets the tone before the play has even started. Or has it? It is uncertain whether the play has in fact started, how much of these interactions are staged, until one of them claps their hands and all disappear within seconds, announcing the official start of the play.
The slight confusion is carried on from the very beginning of the play, as we struggle to immediately make sense of the numerous characters present, their relationships to one another and their spoken words. It is Shakespeare after all! After some time, it becomes clear that Lysander (Caroline Kane) is, in fact a woman, referred to during the play as such, but keeping the traditional character’s name. The decision to portray a lesbian couple as Lysander and Hermia (Tess Hermann) is an interesting choice, fitting with both the Woodstock Festival atmosphere and the fact that it is a forbidden love in the story itself, condemned by Hermia’s father. This gender play is continued by having Bethan Corley play both Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Queen Hippolyta, and Jordan Matthew play Titania, Queen of the Fairies, and Theseus, Duke of Athens.
If one did not know the story, it would be slightly confusing and a struggle to understand the relationships between the characters due to the gender swaps and frugal costumes. The unconventional costumes add to the casual atmosphere Tresilian wanted, but do not help the audience understand much of what is going on. The transformation of Bottom (Jay Sweeney) into a donkey is reflected by a simple addition of a kerchief around his head, which, if one misses the verbal cues announcing what it is, leads to much confusion initially. However, the confusion is also part of the story itself, as A Midsummer Night’s Dream is first and foremost a play about “magical mayhem”.
The wish for an accessible play is therefore both attained and hindered by the director’s choices. However, the cast was carefully chosen, each actor’s personality fitting their characters and all playing the part to ensure the play be accessible for all. Kane’s performance as Lysander was convincing; all of the lover’s passion translated into her acting. Bethan Corley incarnated King Oberon’s fierceness and mischief, while Jordan Matthew wonderfully played both the authoritarian figure of Theseus and the gentleness of Queen Titania. Gabriel Harris as Puck was just the right choice, fully conveying the character’s cheekiness. Ben Willows as Demetrius mastered the backward lean, showing the arrogant confidence of the character. At the same time, both Hermann as Hermia and Katie Rogers as Helena both exhibited a very credible rivalry. The actors of the play-within-a-play and the unexpected trombone appearance were fantastic and added some more comedic silliness to the acts.
The quasi-bare stage enabled easy transitions between scenes, the atmosphere and location of the scenes simply determined by the musical choices of Harri Compton, and the lighting design of Trekessa Austin. Some classic bangers like Rasputin were played at particular moments, bringing some more humour to the romantic comedy.
On top of everything, the regular interaction with the public, and the layout of the stage in the middle of the audience chairs made the audience comfortable to let go and enjoy the silliness of Shakespeare, making this first production a success.
This show runs at The Space until 6th June. Tickets here.