A Midsummer Night's Dream

Queen's College Gardens

Wednesday 18th - Saturday 21st May

 

Lysander and Hermia are in love. But Hermia's father wants her to marry Demetrius. Helena loves Demetrius, who is in love with Hermia. Hermia and Lysander arrange to elope, and meet in the forest - hotly pursued by Demetrius and the doting Helena.

Well, the course of true love never did run smooth, as Lysander observes, and this applies not just in the mortal kingdom. Oberon and Titania, king and queen of the fairies, have fallen out. The vexed Oberon uses a magical flower to make Titania fall in love with "some vile thing" - which turns out to be the vainglorious would-be actor Bottom, sporting an Ass's head and tail.

Meanwhile, Oberon commands his servant Puck to use the magical juice to make Demetrius fall in love with Helena. But Puck mistakes Demetrius for Lysander. and confusion and discord ensue.

These fanciful, farcical events combine in a delightful way. This is undoubtedly one of Shakespeare's most magical and entertaining plays, and the beautiful gardens of Queen's college are the perfect setting for such an otherworldly, dreamlike work

The cast are very good. Peter Munro is a wonderfully athletic, impish Puck, and his scenes with Jack Hawkins' brooding Oberon worked well. The four lovers are excellent, and Nick Bowling got a lot of laughs as he got his teeth into his Bottom.

This inventive production successfully employs music, dance and some very physical comedy to complement the engaging story and beautiful poetry, whose themes of love, dreaming and the dark richness of nature are set against a backdrop of "faery" and Greek mythology. An intoxicating blend.

On a practical note, it does get cold, so be sure to wrap up warm - and a thermos or a flask of something stronger wouldn't be a bad idea either.

George Tew 19/5/05