A Midsummer Night's Dream Reviews

Oxford Times

By Giles Woodforde

The course of true love never did run smooth," Lysander famously proclaims in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. And never have those words been underlined more clearly than in Jilly Bond's new production for the Oxford Shakespeare Company.

Take Helena (Sarah Jane Wolverson), for instance. Quick of both temper and fist, her fight with Hermia (Alice Keenan) quickly degenerates into a truly vicious brawl. Lysander (Richard Keightley) and Demetrius (Andrew Hodges) prove none too skilful at dealing with such explosive body language. You actually begin to think that it's a good thing there has been so much rain lately: the Wadham lawn must be just a little bit softer to land on when actors end up crashing to the ground in this highly physical production.

Aloof from the brawling are Theseus, Duke of Athens, and Oberon, King of the Fairies (both played by David Chittenden). Theseus comes over as a rather pompous old-school army officer, while Oberon has a way of looking down his nose with sneering disdain - not that this seems to worry fairies Mustardseed and Cobweb. They have much climbing up and down Nick Green and Alicia Farrow's scaffolding-pole set to achieve, providing Charlotte Baltrop-Gallet and Joanna Morse Palmer with eagerly seized opportunities to develop a double act. One fairy develops her acrobatic skills with ease, while the other often lands on her bottom in an ungainly heap. Of course, in these politically correct days it would be quite wrong to reveal which fairy is the high achiever. There is also a high-octane performance from Becci Gemmell as a macho, black-clad Puck.

Talking of Bottom, Andrew Hodges (who doubles as Demetrius) gives a lively, not to say lip-smacking account of the role: I could have sworn that he changed 'masters' into 'ladies' in the line "Masters, spread yourselves". But no doubt I was mistaken. Unsurprisingly, this Bottom is the despair of rather prissy director Quince (Ian Cairns) as he prepares the play-within-a-play Pyramus and Thisbe for its distinguished audience.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about this Dream is the way director Bond treats the dialogue. It's very much spoken in a modern idiom, and delivered with exemplary clarity. No opportunity is lost to point up laughs, with the humour being given extra sharpness by the skilful addition of sarcasm. It's perhaps a pity that OSC didn't go the whole hog, and match modern dialogue with modern dress - the costumes are in a veritable mishmash of styles. But that's a minor criticism of a production that most certainly packs an energetic punch.

Daily Telegraph

On one enchanted evening that now feels as if it must have been a figment of my imagination, I caught an outdoor revival of A Midsummer Night's Dream on which the sun shone and not a drop of rain fell.

Wadham College gardens provide the lush setting for a production by the Oxford Shakespeare Company, which otherwise uses only a simple climbing-frame set to conjure palace and forest.

The circus skills of the fairies leave a lot to be desired, but a handful of performances - Andrew Hodges's fabulous Bottom, and Sarah Jane Wolverson quite mesmerising as Helena - stand comparison with anything you're likely to see at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park.

The show transfers to Kensington Palace Gardens and then Hampton Court Palace in August - by which time, one hopes, the much yearned-for Azores high will have finally arrived.

“On one enchanted evening that now feels as if it must have been a figment of my imagination I caught an outdoor revival of A Midsummer Night's Dream…. Andrew Hodges's fabulous Bottom, and Sarah Jane Wolverson quite mesmerising as Helena…stands comparison with anything you're likely to see at the Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park.”

Dominic Cavendish

Oxford Daily Info

See this while you can – or miss one of Oxford’s best ever Shakespeare productions. Sparkling with creativity and wit, this is a light-touch production of a light-touch play, wringing every nuance from the language and the laughter.

Oxford Shakespeare Company has an enviable repertoire of imaginatively-directed plays and their 2007 Midsummer Night’s Dream pushes the bar even further. The ten-strong cast carry off the poetry and the performances with beguiling simplicity – hiding the hard work they’ve undoubtedly put in.

The fantastical story of the fairyland world playing games with a woodland world of wooing lovers looks awkward on paper. But in the mouths and minds of these players, the play comes alive with fluid clarity – running through its two-hours like a well-oiled machine.

While Andrew Hodges’ performances as Bottom and Demetrius will rightly attract applause, all the cast deserve plaudits for their unselfish contributions to a well-knit whole. Hodges is a gifted comedian: better, he has a Branagh-like ability of word and gesture, bringing the poetry and comedy bursting to life.

Sarah Jane Wolverson’s Helena runs from sad to sexy in a deftly delivered spectrum of comedy and emotion – nicely contrasted with Alice Keenan’s fiery-spirited, funny Hermia. Richard Keightley’s curly-haired Lysander brings a bouncily love-lorn contrast to Hodges’ burly Demetrius. Such contrasts are not accidental and director Jilly Bond mines the gold.

Lessons in language are given by David Chittenden’s virile Oberon and unctuous Theseus, and by the fluency of Kirsty Yates’ Titania. Physical presence and comedy is beautifully conveyed by Joanna Morse Palmer’s aerial acrobatics, mirrored by Charlotte Baltrop-Gallet’s clownish copying.

Becci Gemmell’s Puck is a buzz-fly of childish energy, bagging laughs from merest movements and reactions. Ian Cairns’ comedic Quince/Wall gets to wear bricks and a tutu and wins the audience in both.

Shot through with sexiness, this is a sensuous, fast-paced production which can’t fail to leave wide grins on happy faces. See it in the sun and enjoy a play in full bloom. If wet, it’ll bring the sun back to your summer.

Musical, physical, fluid and fun – no eye has seen, nor ear has heard an Oxford play so thoroughly enjoyable - well, not for ages anyway.

Glenn Watson