|
A Midsummer Night's Dream , by William Shakespeare Magdalen College School Grounds until September 2nd
It is difficult to put a finger on quite what it is that makes this production of A Midsummer Night's Dream from the Creation Theatre Company so impressive. It could be the skill with which they conjure up atmosphere. Their beautiful outdoor location is perfect for the play; and cunning lighting and sound effects, together with imaginative use of the natural scenery, ensure that from the moment one enters the stalls one is transported far away from the damp mundanity of Oxford and into the expectant silence of a phantasmagoric fairy glen. But Creation do not stop at this: as the sun sets, they manage perfectly to evoke the changes in atmosphere in such a place during the course of a long, sultry, continental evening. The audience is thus involved totally in the flow of Shakespeare's drama: at the beginning, the electric anticipation of an early evening in summer makes the appearance of Puck, with his magic tricks, seem strangely inevitable; by the end, the cooler, more inscrutable darkness of night takes over to preside over the resolution of the complex plot. The distinction between dreams and reality, however, is left deliciously unclear. It could be the accomplished, imaginative direction. Zoe Seaton directed Antony and Cleopatra for the company last year to great acclaim, and this Midsummer Night's Dream is another tour de force from her. The space is used well, the characterisaton is impeccable, and there is a plethora if clever ideas, ranging from placing the Fairy King and Queen on stilts to training Puck (a splendidly insouciant Damian Davis) to perform conjuring tricks. True, the text is cut rather extensively, but it has been done intelligently enough not to jar, and does produce an exciting, fast-paced drama. Or it could be the uniformly high standard of the acting. Rarely is Shakespeare performed so sensitively and yet so intelligibly, and particularly impressive is the way in which the actors make themselves heard in the open air, sometimes at long distances, without appearing to shout. Really it is impossible to single out any one of these factors. Quite simply, the Creation Theatre Company are a class act, and Oxford should feel privileged to have them ply their trade here again this summer. This Midsummer Night's Dream is funny, exciting, and spell-binding: see it if you can. Matthew Rogers, 11 / 7 / 00 |
