A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
In Merton’s gorgeous gardens, the dream-like qualities of A Midsummer Night’s Dream can be magnificently set " and Tom Littler’s production is magnificent. With fairy lights adorning the trees, discordant Mendelssohn and resplendent costumes, this performance by the Merton Floats promises to be a commanding spectacle. Sumptuously costumed, Puck appears feather-clad and surrounded by chiffoned fairies, whilst Oberon’s cloak drapes the floor with its red and gold masses.
Littler emphasises confusion within AMidsummer Night’s Dream as to who is controlling the dream. By identifying the dreamers as marionettes manipulated by fairies, Littler underlines issues of power within the play. Stewart Pringle chooses to depict Oberon as a brooding fairy, with eyebrows lowered and a resonant voice as he stalks Titania across the stage.
As a result, Pringle is impressively over-powered by Emma Jenkinson as Titania, whose performance combines seductive earthiness with delicate movement. Impressive within Jenkinson’s characterisation is the range achieved; Jenkinson moves fluidly through a depiction of Titania that is wistful, taunting and ethereal. Matthew Jones also flits impishly about as Puck, providing a flirtatious sub-text to the performance.
Richard Greenberg hilariously leads the Mechanicals as Peter Quince, nervously directing the final scenes from behind a tree. Supported by the aptly awkward Moonshine (Lucy Oliver) and Wall (Anna Ryder), Greenberg produces a suitably baffled and broken prologue. Matt Trueman excels comically as Bottom, producing an effeminate and sweetly pompous would-be director.
He displays true physical freedom as Pyramus, throwing himself around �" and often down �" the grassy banks, and his exaggerated theatrical posturing epitomises his superbly melodramatic characterisation. Although the performance of the Mechanicals can occasionally border on farce, Thisbe’s falsetto yelp as she clubs herself to death with a spade captures the energetic and spontaneous nature of this play-within-a-play.
Littler’s production admittedly stays largely on the traditional side of Oxford drama; Yorkshire flat caps and 1920s spats spell out the conventional social divide between the Mechanicals and the lovers. Many of the attractions of this performance are, however, highly innovative. From a burning circle of fire to often unexpected characterisation, the beautiful setting enhances the deliberately fantastical elements of a play suspended within a dream.
2nd Jun 2005