A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Leeds Playhouse Review
Tara Tjani, Danny Kirrane, Tiwa Lade and Hedydd Dylan. Photo: Helen Murray
Written by Joseph for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
“The course of true love never did run smooth”
Leeds Playhouse’s production of A Midsummer Night's Dream has strong choices. They may seem innovative and bold to some, but left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
For those who have not seen the show before, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, magical interference in an enchanted forest entangles four young lovers and a troupe of amateur actors in a whirlwind of mistaken identities, romance, and comic chaos. However, a lot of the comedy is absent from this production, save for Bottom’s frequent one-liners, in the usual Yorkshire twang to add to the comedy, and an enjoyable ad-lib about a particularly vocal audience member.
We open to a dining room that is all white. Clean, sanitary, lifeless. I was excited at first as I imagined they were going to juxtapose this with the magic of the forest, but what we got was a removal of the dining table and the addition of some snow. Yes, this Midsummer is actually set in Winter. Allegedly a commentary on climate change. Though if I need to find this out from the programme, the commentary may be a whisper.
My issue with Act One was that it felt like it was a tragedy. Piercing notes. Stark lighting. Intense interaction. Not much magic or fantasy that you would expect from this show. Oh, and the baffling piano rendition of a Billie Eilish song, with zero context.
When it got to Act Two, though, my fears were confirmed. This is a tragedy. I won't spoil the ending, but if you know the play, that isn't what you’ll see. I have no problem with tragedy; in fact, I prefer them in Shakespeare. However, there is a certain expectation for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but that’s not what you get. It is a bleak, almost harrowing tale of love, jealousy and almost a donkey.
Bottom’s transformation didn't go far enough for me. His hooves are great, but he needed something else, like ears at least! New audience members could be forgiven for not realising he was a donkey until the dialogue explicitly states it.
I will say, every performance was good. The actors ran with the brief and shone. Daniel Kirrane as Bottom was a particular highlight. Not just for his comedy, but also his line delivery made it easy to understand. Sergo Vares was menacing as Puck, a bold choice that worked well in this style. Michael Marcus was menacing as Oberon, giving even more power to a powerful being.
Overall, I think this production will be divisive. I can imagine lots of people loving that it has been reimagined, but it just missed the mark for me, removing all the joy from Shakespeare’s most magical play. It’s bold, it’s unapologetic. It’s just not for me.
Plays at Leeds Playhouse until 28 February as a wider UK tour.
★★
