Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Globe Theatre

On a bright Spring evening, the vibrant colours of the set are both garish and beautiful, which is befitting of a play which covers Athenian politics, mystical fairies, inept tradespeople rehearsing a tragic play and plenty of jokes about Nick Bottom’s unfortunate name. 

The musicians above the stage were a highlight of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM during Lysander’s hilarious musical declaration of passion for Helena while under the influence of a potion to make him fall in love with her. As Lysander, Mel Lowe gives her all to the scene, and her performance throughout the play is sweetly romantic. 

Meanwhile, Romaya Weaver’s snarky yet vulnerable portrayal of Helena, was rooted in physical comedy and an absolute scene-stealer. The audience laughs at, not with her, yet I was still willing her to win. An extended scene where the four lovers tumble around the stage wrestling each other could have outstayed its welcome, but the four actors’ slapstick skills (Gavi Singh Chera and Sophie Cox playing Demetrius and Hermia respectively), along with vibrant direction from Lim and fight co-ordinator Haruka Kuroda, made it one of the most fun parts of the play.

With his range of musical theatre-themed t-shirts and his bursts into twerking and moonwalking, Adrian Richards makes an atypically cool and adorable Bottom. Richard’s inventive line-readings also provided some of the play’s biggest laughs. Victoria Mosely was funny as Quince, and persuaded even the most rigid of audience-members into joining in with parts of the play. Take note — anybody with a groundlings ticket should be prepared to be roped into the action, especially if a cast-member with a clipboard accosts you before the performance! Although this was certainly an engaging part of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it was a little over-used, suggesting that Lim didn’t have complete trust in Shakespeare’s own words to be amusing enough on their own.

Meanwhile, in fairyworld, it almost looks as if there’s been a mix-up between the actors playing Oberon and Puck. As the former, Enyi Okoronkwo is slight and effeminately dressed, whereas Michael Grady-Hall’s Puck is tall and blokey. At times he looks and sounds like he’s wandered in from the pub. This bold choice by casting director Juliet Horsley actually works, because the actors’ differences extenuate Puck’s troublemaking nature, and his notion, expressed plainly in his famous epilogue, that he knows he’s a character in a story. Grady-Hall’s entrance, in which he stumbles onstage then manages to make the audience vocalise in four-part harmony without saying a word himself, is winning, as is his slapstick comedy. Although at times his performance is hammy and some jokes are over-played, Grady-Hall certainly presents an original depiction of the famous character. Okoronkwo’s Oberon and Audrey Brisson’s Titania also gave good performances, with Brisson throwing herself fully into Titania’s physicality.

Lim’s production is bright and big on spectacle, making it brilliantly accessible to new audiences both young and old. A shiny, frothy production for a balmy evening, The Globe’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream goes down as nicely as a cold glass of rosé in the garden.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Tickets