When you first see the stage you can tell that there is magic in the air. There are lanterns hanging from the stage and the theatre already has a magical feel when you see it. The Globe theatre doesn’t usually use much set. They often try to perform the piece the way it would have been performed when Shakespeare was alive, not using stage lighting (only floodlights when it got dark). Though in this production they do use it, I think that it is because they need to create a certain mood with it being a magical setting and like I said earlier the lanterns really add to that.
When the cast enters, you can tell that the piece has a more modern feel, and there choice to have a male Hermia is really interesting. I personally enjoyed this more modern twist, and the way he played the character, but the director got some grief about it when the play was first performed. Even though the people in the piece had more modern clothing the fairies wore more abstract clothing. For example Puck wore a ruff and a gun holster in which she had a water gun that she used throughout the play.
The characterisation of everyone was excellent. I particularly liked the way that the players were all dressed as people who worked at the Globe and the way they introduced it with Bottom doing Health and Safety. The casts interactions with the audience certainly weren’t few and far between with Puck even getting an audience member to eat a banana. Speaking of Puck, I personally loved her performance as this character. The actress brought an almost childlike nature to the mischievous sprite, lighting up the stage with everyone else.
The way that they performed the text was also slightly different. Adding lines and remarks every now and then created jokes for those who didn’t quite understand the Shakespeare so they were still immersed in the theatre and enjoying themselves.
Overall I believe that this interpretation of A Midsummers Night Dream is well worth watching. At this time of isolation we can still enjoy the community of theatre on many different platforms available to us. So don’t hesitate to find the BBC iPlayer and watch A Midsummers Night Dream from the Globe, its pure magic!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A Midsummers Night Dream is one of Shakespeares most well known pieces of theatre, with humour, delight and magic! This is an incredible version of the play performed with energy and intrigue.
Header Image Credit:
Steve Tanner
I find this review interesting as it comments on the a significant parts of the set and costume as well as social issues around the production