Midsummer Night’s Dream. Bridge Theatre London
Wednesday August 21st 2019
This really was quite a theatrical event and well worth the time and financial outlay that attending it involved. There is a lot to talk about but I think there are two key comments to be made as they are central to the success and enjoyment that the performance provided.
Firstly, there was quite radical textual change made in that the words of Oberon were given to Titania and vice-versa. The words were not, as far as I could tell, changed (other than the occasional necessary change of pronouns of course) but it gave a whole new dimension to the power and sexual dynamics of the play. The main effect was that Titania became the driving force and protagonist of the action in the forest, and at the same time put her as the (female) controlling character. Puck was her partner while the faeries were Oberon’s. As the parts were, as is now almost the norm, played by the same performers it allowed the director to make comment on different gender power dynamics as in the opening scene, Athens was a place not perhaps too far removed from the world of the Handmaid’s Tale – women were in long and long sleeved dresses in neutral grey, some blue and had head coverings. Hippolyta’s appearance in this opening scene was in a glass box, the symbolism being (slightly too?) obvious and her lack of speech and responsiveness to Theseus was effectively stressed – particularly as Theseus’s style of speech was markedly aggressive and uncompromising – only getting gentler when he, rather creepily and possibly abusively, reminded Hermia of the fates that awaited her if she did not succumb to her father’s wishes. At the very end the power dynamics between the two of them seemed to be better and more positive – less unequal. There were also hints, I thought that certainly Theseus, and perhaps Hippolyta, somehow recalled/were aware of, something of the events in the forest this was not really explored, just left as a hint but it would be interesting for this to be developed. I wonder if there have been any productions that have done this…
The other unusual and wonderfully effective aspect of this production was the style. The Bridge Theatre is a theatre in the round with three levels of seating around the central arena. In this production promenade tickets were available (the cheapest ones at only (!) E25.00 and which I had) and so one was immersed in the performance that took place in and around one. It recalled the wonderful Mysteries Cycle at the National Theatre eons ago which was my first experience of this sort of the production – and still is a benchmark for that style of production I think; I still vividly recall the reveal of the massive, slowly revolving Wheel of Fortune against a back wall of the theatre with bodies attached to it.
In this production there were platforms of varying size – 1 large and 2 smaller ones – that rose out of the floor to provide a visible acting space for the performers although not all action took place on them and theatre staff and at times performers guided the audience to where they should be or where make space. In the performance I attended it was further complicated by the fact that it was a camera rehearsal for a forthcoming NT Live relay with two cameras and crew on the floor as well. This was not in the least problematical or really intrusive as I thought it might be when I realized that this was going to be a feature of the afternoon.
But there’s more! Above this area there were four trapezes which were used particularly by the faeries – the majority of whom were circus trained performers rather than actors – and Oberon and Titania and, very importantly, by Puck. These were not traditional trapezes but rather made of long loops of one piece of material that allowed the performers to wrap themselves around them – aerial silks I think they are called.
The style of performance allowed for great interplay between actors and audience – but not to excess – and occasional breaking of the fourth wall washen the Rude Mechanicals borrowed a cellphone from an audience member as an almanac to find out of the moon would be shining on the night of the performance – and of course they all took a selfie before returning it to the (lucky) audience member. There were also a very few modern interpolated phrases – again with the Mechanicals and once, during the performance of Pyramus and Thisbe where Theseus reminded the players that it was an immersive performance. Other very good and fun modern elements used were two songs at the end of each part – Love on Top & Bonkers; known by audience it seems but not me. At the end as well, after the curtain calls two enormous moon-balloons were thrown into the pit for the promenaders to bat around the auditorium! Such larks!
However, it was not all about the production. The performances were uniformly excellent. The rude mechanicals were very good (although I have seen funnier versions of Pyramus tbh) and the interplay between them was good. There was a degree of gender swapping too which was fun if not really significant. Hammed Animashaun was a very fine Bottom and not as irritating as he can sometimes be – although I did feel he missed something of the stunned amazement in his final words about his woodland experiences – no real sense of an almost transcendent experience which can make his words rather wonderful and give a deeper dimension to the character – rightly so as he has had transformative experiences and at the end I feel it needs to be shown. However, with Hippolyta and Theseus there was a definite change in their relationship and, intriguingly, it seemed that both had a vague awareness of something amazing that had happened which I have not often seen in productions of this play. The programme notes had some interesting things to say about how the characters had been ‘translated’ with a smart reference to synesthesia as a symptom of Bottom’s experiences putting a more thoughtful spin on the words he spoke about ‘tongue having not heard etc etc’ which put the whole experience on a rather deeper level I thought. Certainly the relationship seemed better and easier at the end – more positive and reflected in the costumes worn. The only person who did not share in the general celebrations was Aegeus who remained a sourly glowering figure on the edge of the action – recalling Malvolio at the end of Twelfth Night I thought. I think more often than not he is seen to join in the celebratory mood but this approach gave a nice little sting at the end – a brief minor chord in the world of celebratory major
The four lovers were excellent – all alluringly attractive although, again, the physical conflicts between the gender couples were not as uproariously done as I have seen in the past but all demonstrated well-delivered verse. Oliver Chris as Oberon and Gwendoline Christie (big in GoT it seems – Brienne of Tarth) made a marvelous couple with great stage presence. Chris had a lovely delicate approach to his hi-jinks with Bottom that never got OTT and vulgar while Christie’s pale blonde looks gave her a wonderfully ethereal and other-worldly appearance.
Puck (and Philostrate) was the excellent David Moorst – a sexy, punky little figure with just the right amount of malicious relish that the role demands. I particularly liked the way he differentiated physically between the two roles. Very still, upright and tightly wound as Philostrate, very physical/animal like as Puck. His utterances were occasionally interrupted by animalistic grunts and sounds and even when still and observing the action form the trapeze his hands and fingers and feet and toes were in almost constant twitching movement. Super performance that really caught the dark edginess of the character- very much Not the sort of character whose tricks are limited to bobbing against a drinker’s lips and making them spill it.
So marvelous time. It is only on until the end of this month so if you can get to it – do so. But you must promenade!
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK03N-wKOTk