Matthew Swan’s Acting Blog

Director: Gregory Doran
Cast: Joe Dixon, Kathryn Drysdale, Peter de Jersey and Mark Hadfield
Company: Royal Shakespeare Company
Theatre: The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

The atmosphere was magical as I entered the auditorium amongst Francis O’Connor’s shimmering bulby firmament and gigantic dangling moon. However, I did not have to rely on the terrific set to feel a sense of magic. Although I did have to do a double take when the fairies brought on the Indian boy - it looked like they’d brought an actual toddler on stage!

Magic infects the guts of this gorgeous production of Shakespeare’s most performed comedy. Doran focuses upon the rich and varied language of the play as his starting point and the resulting effect is that magic infuses through every aspect of the show. The quintet of lovers were headed up by Kathryn Drysdale with only a touch of the Two Pints of Lager about her (it was only after checking the programme that I was certain she was who I thought she was) and Tom Davey’s hilarious Lysander who had me laughing embarrassingly loudly, I won’t spoil the gags though.

The actors playing the lovers’ mastery of the language released a subtle chime of expression which permeated through the senses; easily avoiding the monotony of clunking rhyme which can often befoul speakers of this type of verse. The fairies’ language slipped between charms and discourse as though the actors were changing gears on a smooth road, whilst further embellishment, almost surplus to requirement, was provided by Paul Englishby’s deliciously opulent score. The mechanicals were incredibly funny, Joe Dixon’s Bottom delivered a particularly superb performance, and their ‘play within a play’ re-energised an audience that were naturally beginning to flag once the lover’s ménage à quatre was resolved. During the final scene, as was common throughout the show, the language was manipulated for laughs, yet space was left for the gags that are found naturally in the text. A production that honoured yet refreshed the play with deeply magical results.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream can be seen at The Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon until the 13th November 2008. For more information about this and other productions visit the Royal Shakespeare Company website.