Show: A Midsummer Night’s Dream | A queer retelling
Society: Sedos
Venue: Bridewell Theatre
Credits: Shakespeare
Type: Sardines
Author: Ned Hopkins
Performance Date: 15/09/2022
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – A Queer Retelling
Ned Hopkins | 16 Sep 2022 17:14pm
Photos: @adrian_hau
In Matt Hudson’s bold version of, arguably, the Bard’s most accessible play with its beguiling infusion of supernatural elements, the cool light of a huge moon illuminates the tale of a quartet of young people let loose beneath the stars to explore their sexuality in a magic forest. At times, the moon is animated with speaking lips and other photographic, often poignant images reminding us of the need to defend the environment from over exploitation, as we need to save ourselves from societies’ imposed gender concepts.
Most members of Thursday night’s audience wouldn’t have been born when I directed my own rock-punk influenced production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream thirty-seven years ago, for a distinguished company in South London which prided itself in doing Shakespeare ‘properly’. Always trying to push theatrical boundaries, the nearest I was able to get towards any hint of queerness in those AIDS-cautious still sexually intolerant days, was persuading Snug to arrive at the rehearsal for Bottom’s play clutching a copy of Gay Times. Which, bless him, he did with only a slight air of concession.
All these years later it’s refreshing to see a production wearing its heart proudly on its sleeve. Given that in the late sixteenth century, the girls would, of course, have been played by adolescent boys, not to mention the famous ‘’dark lady’, there’s always been, at the very least, a bi-curious feel to Shakespeare’s oeuvre. Sadly, despite the liberalising legislative measures of the past twenty years, there’ still a lot of work to be done to make queer lifestyles fully accepted even in the Western world. The well-deserved, enthusiastic reception of last night’s albeit predominantly young and audience was exhilarating.
Hudson writes in the programme that he’s been dreaming of this Dream for about 5 years. It’s very obviously been a huge labour of love which has largely paid off. If I find any fault with it, it’s that maybe almost too much care has gone into it. Lio Lylark as the Emcee quickly establishes a warm relationship with the audience (I’d very much like to see them in other stand-up comic roles or in pantomime) but the narrative line, both in the play and the production, is so strong, the clever commentary isn’t really necessary and sometimes holds up the action. Also the excellent choreography (by Mary Bennett assisted by Dmitry Devetyarov) and exuberant musical numbers, some cleverly lip-synced, are well staged and certainly boost the joyous Pride atmosphere but are in danger of slightly outstaying their welcome.
The subtle change to the text in this ‘re-telling’ is to make Helena male (Helenus) and still in love with Demetrius, with Lysander female (Lysandria) and in love with Hermia. To begin with, Demetrius is in denial about his true sexuality but by the end both couples have sorted themselves out with a little help from the fairies. This production eclectically looks at the full range of ‘coupling’ possibilities. Though, whilst it’s not unusual these days for Bottom to be played by a woman or non-binary actor, Titania’s temporary zoophilia is and has, to my knowledge, never been investigated. In a role which can become over-bossy, Zoë Thomas-Webb delivers a more laidback Bottom than usual but, whilst I liked their accomplished throw-away technique with its occasional Phoebe Waller-Bridge intonations, could have done with more vocal attack, especially at the end of lines.
Egeus, Hermia’s father, a boring old fart in the original play comes across as more human in Caitlin Holmes’ sound performance as Egea. There’s always something really nasty about them threatening their own daughter with capital punishment if she doesn’t marry the guy they want her to. But hey, that’s the brutality of Shakespeare’s world for you which always feels slightly uncomfortable in modern dress productions. Well, maybe not in Myanmar.
The lovers are well contrasted. I’ve always had a soft spot for Helena/us, though Joe Clayton’s endearing performance would be even more effective if toned down a tad. Alex Stephenson’s upright Demetrius effectively copes with his sudden change of heart and got me pondering on the love-in-idleness metaphor for the awakening of one’s true sexual identity even if, as in the case of Lysandria, it makes her undergo a self-delusional experience when she suddenly fancies Helenus. Here, Ella Carter is convincing as a woman briefly going AWOL but returning to her senses in the cold light of dawn. Sometimes you need to become temporarily infatuated with someone other than your regular partner to make you realise who really matters in your life. The magic also manages to release Demetrius (delightfully, as portrayed here) from his previous obligations. As Hermia, the girl who is allowed throughout the chaos to stay constant to her original love, Katie Thacker gives a sympathetic portrait of a young woman constantly being insulted and infuriated by her friends’ bad behaviour.
Sarah Berryman (Puck) and Sam Barnes make an exotic, slightly threatening Team Oberon. Filled with familiar but always joyous poetry, often involving images of the natural world, the verse speaking is generally of a good standard and Sarah Beebe’s vocal work as a gloriously pink basqued Amazonian Titania was for me one of the evening’s highlights. It was a nice touch to reverse the sexes of Theseus and Hippolyta and would have been interesting to have seen Robert J Stanex and Katie Rennuit playing the roles the other way round on another night. There’s a jolly mixed group of mechanicals to make the play-making sequences enjoyable, ably led by Anthony Portsmouth as Quince.
As I’ve indicated, every ingredient of the production, played on a back and white all-purpose, muti-levelled set (designed by Peter Foster) is of a high standard. A brave and exciting show! Are you listening Ms Terry?
Photos: @adrian_hau