A Midsummer Night's Dream. To 3 July.
Derby
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
by William Shakespeare
Derby Playhouse To 3 July 2004
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat 9,12,17,19 June 2.30pm
Audio-deascribed 19 June 2.30pm 30 June
BSL Signed 19 June 2.30pm 1 July
Education Days 24 June (Years 7-9)
30 June (Years 10+)
Runs: 2hr 30min One interval
TICKETS: 01332 363275
www.derbyplayhouse.co.uk
Review: Jan Pick 3 June
Midsummer Night's Fun in Derby.It is highly unlikely that primary school teachers will feel impelled to march their classes out of Derby Playhouse's very enjoyable A Midsummer Night's Dream, as happened with Michael Boyd's production for the RSC a few years ago. Based more on innocent fun than any deep and dangerous sexual psychology the company present a fast-paced, entertaining - if unchallenging - evening, clearly marked suitable for children'. That's helped by some heavy textual cutting, bringing the action to a close by 10pm.
It's an interpretation adhering more to the picturesque school of Beerbolm Tree than the stripped-down style with which Harley Granville Barker answered the Edwardian actor-manager, as is plain as soon as the child fairies appear. No matter how good - and the team on Thursday night were good their appearance immediately signals the tone of the play as safe, and good clean fun.
Within these limitations, Alexi Kaye-Campbell makes a solid and somewhat prosaic Theseus, whose Oberon side only occasionally hints at an edge of danger, and Juliette Caton's Hippolyta/Titania is pretty and motherly rather than sexy.
The quartet of lovers are played with enjoyment and gusto by Carl Ferguson, Ray Gabbard, Anna Tolputt and Kirsty Yates, the women in particular making the most of their roles, while Paul Ewing's Puck is a mischievous and agile creature, the only fairy to successfully imbue his role with a strong sense of the other-worldly.
The mechanicals play excellently, providing much laughter, especially Conor Moloney's Bottom and Steven Blakeley as a Flute with thespian ambitions, resentful of being constantly elbowed out of the limelight.
The excellent set makes the transition between palace and woods, court and fairyworld, believable and the music by Kelvin Towse is effective without being slushy.
It is good to see regional theatres refusing to allow Stratford and London to monopolise Shakespeare and this lively production will please many. And it is fun. However in recent years audiences have been made aware of deeper levels in Dream land that this production fails to explore.
Flute: Steven Blakeley
Theseus/Oberon: Alexi Kaye-Campbell
Hippolyta/Titania: Juliette Caton
Snug: Joseph England
Puck: Paul Ewing
Lysander: Carl Ferguson
Demetrius: Ray Gabbard
Bottom: Conor Moloney
Starveling: Stephen Omer
Quince: Adam Stafford
Hermia: Anna Tolputt
Egeus/Snout: David Whittington
Helena: Kirsty Yates
Blue Team
Moth: Rickay Hewitt-Martin
Cobweb: Aimee Carr
Mustardseed: George Boden
Peaseblossom: Holly Bragg
Red Team
Moth: Natalia Ciara-Dwyer
Cobweb: Agnes Milner
Mustardseed: Adriano Corgiolu
Peaseblossom: Rebecca Brewer
Director: Karen Louise Hebden
Designer: Rosie Alabaster
Movement Director: Faroque Khan
Lighting: Tina MacHugh
Sound: Matt McKenzie
Music Composition and Direction: Kelvin Towse
Video Designer: Kit Lane
Fight director: Alison De Burgh
2004-06-06 18:16:32