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A Midsummer Night's Dream
On Tour
There is something magical about this production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Despite the obvious focus on spectacle, Tim Supple creates a perfect balance between physical performance and human emotion. In a truly theatrical experience, the amazing acrobatics, fast-paced fight scenes and drum-pounding dances become as much a part of the storytelling experience as the language itself.
"May well change
the way you look
at theatre... there
is something
harmoniously
global about the
experience"
This is important since along with the Bard’s own English, Supple includes seven South Asian languages in his tale of confused lovers. The effect will perhaps frustrate traditionalists who clamour for perfect iambic recitation, but for everyone else there is something harmoniously global about the experience. Even as a non-speaker, it is entirely possible to feel the rhythm and rhyme of foreign verse.
The performances are generally strong, although not what you would expect in a typical Shakespeare production. Joy Fernandes brings a lovable quality to the loud-mouthed Bottom; there is a strange mixture of over-the-top lewdness and gentle innocence to his character.
Within the faerie realm, both P.R. Jijoy as Oberon and Archana Ramaswamy as Titania bring a natural physicality to their performances. They do not speak with flailing arms and sharp hand gestures in conversation, and yet they roll around on stage and fight with the energy one expects from an all-powerful pair of enchanted royalty.
Without question, the highlight of the production is the music. Seated directly on stage, the three musicians (D. Prkash, N. Tiken Singh, and Kaushik Dutta) are as much a part of the performance as any actor. Aside from a wonderful score of dance and incidental music, the musicians are constantly busy adding sound effects and colour to almost every movement on stage. Their personal bow and thunderous round of applause was well-deserved at the end of the evening.
Tim Supple’s South Asian interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream may well change the way you look at theatre. Combining elements of circus-like performance and human drama, this is Shakespeare for a new world.
Patrick Bradley
Tim Supple was named Best Director for A Midsummer Night's Dream at Sunday's TMA Theatre Awards.
Until October 27 2007 at King's Theatre, Leven Street, Edinburgh. Tel: 0131 529 6000.
www.eft.co.uk, www.dreamonstage.co.uk
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User comments
Christine:
"Very entertaining performance – a cross between circus performing and Shakespeare. Very cleverly done – where do they get the energy? It took me a little time to get into it as I hadn't read this play since school days which was a long time ago!!"
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