A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, and deservedly so. Simply put, the play demonstrates pure theatrical genius in how it weaves together four major storylines.
Namely, Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta making preparations for their wedding. Four young Athenians whose relationships become complicated by mischievously applied magic. A group of wood-dwelling fairies causing confusion and disorder with the aforementioned magic. And a working-class theatre troupe called the Mechanicals preparing a play-within-this-play for the Duke and Queen’s wedding.
A winning blend of romance, comedy and magical fantasy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream presents revealing insights into the human condition while also blurring the line between reality and illusion. Amongst all the onstage hijinks and conflict, much of which is magic-derived, the play dramatises the intriguing possibility raised in a famous (if rather repetitive) rowboat-related tune. What if life, or at least part of life, is but a dream?
What definitely isn’t a dream, however, is just how intelligently staged, skilfully performed, and thoroughly entertaining the current Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble production at PIP Theatre is.
Director Angus Thorburn deserves commendation for overseeing a theatrical experience that is equal parts clever, creative and charming. He utilises the considerable talents of his cast and crew to bring his vision to life onstage.
The set for this production is innovative in its design. Consisting of long green ribbons hanging from the ceiling around the back and sides of the stage, it simulates trees in a wood. A centrally located arch is fashioned out of thin tree branches, and as the play begins, there is a rostrum located underneath the arch to indicate that we are in the court of Theseus, Duke of Athens.
The transitions to and from the wood scenes in the play are indicated by the removal and replacement of the rostrum by fairy prankster and key character Puck. The usefulness of these actions stage-wise is in humorous contrast to most of Puck’s other actions throughout the play, which either cause or add to the onstage chaos!
This set design by set and prop designer Josh Murphy is striking but not distracting. It enables the audience to focus on what’s most important in this play: the performances.
And what performances they are. Emily Croft gives a wide-eyed and high-voltage performance as the mischief-making Puck. Gleefully energetic and winningly watchable (even when still and silent onstage), her performance of the play’s famous closing monologue is especially captivating.
QSE artistic director Rob Pensalfini is also eminently watchable onstage in the role of Bottom. Employing immense charisma and impeccable comic timing, Pensalfini is incessantly amusing. He shines in both in his capacity as a supremely self-confident actor in the Mechanicals, and during his Puck-pranked donkey-headed incarnation as the play’s only “mortal” character that actually sees and speaks with any of the fairies.
As Hermia, Leah Mustard brings visceral commitment to portraying the overwhelming array of emotions her character experiences after her love interest not only spurns her, but declares love for her best friend on the same day.
As Hermia’s love interest, Lysander, Meg Bennett brings an equivalent amount of poise and passion to her performance, both when pledging love to Hermia and then (under the influence of magic) to Helena.
Eamon Langton is enjoyably emphatic and equally convincing in his expression of devotion to first Hermia, and then (again when magic-influenced) Helena.
Mikala Crawley adeptly portrays a range of forceful emotions as Helena, particularly when dealing first with rejection by Demetrius and then believing both his and Lysander’s sudden interest in her to be cruel mockery.
Claire Pearson conveys both regal power and elegance as Titania, the Queen of the fairies. She is incredibly funny in her portrayal of Titania’s magic-induced infatuation with the donkey-headed Bottom. She also generates earthy humour in her role as the unsophisticated Snout in the Mechanicals.
Jason Nash brings aristocratic authority to his role as Theseus. Paris Lindner is an equally commanding and graceful presence as Hippolyta. (As is entirely befitting of the most well-known Queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology.)
Both Nash and Linder are also impressive in the subtle but distinctive changes they make in their physicality, movement and speech patterns when becoming the fairies Peaseblossom and Moth.
A compelling presence onstage, Dom Tennison is highly proficient in distinguishing his different characters. He starts with rigidity of purpose and strictness of control in his bearing and movement as Hermia’s father Egeus.
He then moves seamlessly into the riotous physical comedy of his role as the memory-challenged Snug “the joiner,” particularly when playing a hilariously unintimidating “lion” in the Mechanicals’ play. He is similarly amusing as the fairy Mustardseed, especially when compelled by the magic-addled Titania to dote upon the donkey-headed Bottom.
Rebecca Murphy brings a world-weary wisdom and no-nonsense authority to her role as the fairy king Oberon. She is particularly amusing when rebuking or reining in Puck with magical gestures, stern words, or even just a stern expression. She also generates well-deserved laughs in her role as the unrefined Starveling in the Mechanicals.
James Enwright makes a highly engaging mainstage debut with QSE. He brings small but well-judged and well-executed differences in voice, physicality and motion to convincingly and humorously transition between Theseus’s Master of the Revels Philostrate, Flute in the Mechanicals, and the fairy Cobweb.
Last, but not in any way least, Liliana Macarone is hugely funny in her role as Quince, leader of the Mechanicals. With Quince determined to make the play Pyramus and Thisbe a success, despite the Mechanicals’ (in-character!) limitations as actors, Macarone displays not just extensive comedic talent but impressive singing and musical ability. She not only plays guitar, recorder and bongos, but a kazoo as well!
The cast should be commended for their clear commitment to learning the intricacies of Shakespeare’s text, as well as their sheer skill in bringing this text to life onstage. They should also be commended for bringing to life multiple characters so convincingly, through small but significant changes in their physicality, movement and vocal tone.
The costumes are not only aesthetically engaging but also help effectively convey the essence of each character. Costume designer Harmony Barath warrants praise here for her excellent work.
Also deserving of a mention is fight coordinator Jason McKell. A particular highlight involves Lysander and Demetrius fighting over Helena through a hilarious progression of squaring up, shoving and eventually slap-fighting each other like a pair of feuding toddlers. An enraged Hermia running towards Helena with eye-clawing intent, being intercepted mid-run and hoisted backwards in a balletic lift by Lysander and Demetrius is another great moment.
Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble’s production demonstrates exactly why A Midsummer Night’s Dream remains one of the most adored and frequently performed Shakespeare plays. The team have infused this timeless comedy with a perfect blend of love, dreams and magic. So come and see it… and let them enchant you!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is presented by Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble and runs to 30 August at PIP Theatre. 20 Park Road Milton Qld 4064.
Tickets: https://piptheatre.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/142249
Website: https://qldshakespeare.org/a-midsummer-nights-dream/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/qldshakespeare/
Photo credits: Richard Whitfield
