A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Thu 27 July - Saturday 5 August 2023 at 7.30pm (no performance on Sunday)
Performed in the open air in the courtyard of Abington Park Museum, Park Avenue South, Northampton NN1 5LW

Photo gallery

Review: Erotic, hilarious, philosophical and mesmerising
Philip Welsh

'What hempen home-spuns have we staggering here?'

Whilst Puck poses the question, so might members of the audience arriving to see an amateur production of what is probably Shakespeare's most accessible comedy.

Some will know the play well, whilst others arrive with minimal knowledge of either the plot, or the group performing it.

The opening scenes of The Dream can be slow and pedestrian in less skilled hands, but there was no way that was going to happen here. It quickly became apparent that the impeccably Edwardian-clothed actors knew how to project for the outdoors, and how to maintain a pace that would hold our rapt attention.

With the audience on both sides and at both ends of the acting space, some precision was needed in plotting the action. This production demonstrated what meticulous work on body language, movement and delivery can achieve.

There is a challenge with all community theatre. The professionals mostly arrive at the first rehearsal having learned the lines; with two or three weeks of solid work all day every day; and support from well established departments to bring the show to the stage. Admittedly Masque have a longer period, but maybe only six or eight hours a week for the 11 or 12 weeks, and with the need to do everything 'in house.'

And most participants have day jobs to contend with as well. On top of that, heavy rain in the courtyard put paid to any chance of the final dress rehearsal, and yet the first performance of the run, which I sat in on, was virtually faultless.

The 'trap' is that precision can be the death of spontaneity. Personally, I have a real hatred of watching actors 'act.' I need to believe in the people I am watching being who they are purporting to be. Director, Alex Rex and Assistant Director, Gemma Knight have achieved what so many fail to even recognise, that you must never lose sight of the characters living' the story.

What happened here was as 'professional' a performance as you are likely to see anywhere. But you need a dedicated team to achieve that. Thirty-nine people are listed in the programme. Some team!

Working their socks off

When I review something, I try to analyse what I didn't like first, to get it out of the way. I tried to find something, honestly, but that page of my notes has remained stubbornly blank. Subtle lighting as the evening got darker; a brilliantly chosen soundscape; clever staging; impressive costumes and 22 performers without a weak actor amongst them. There wasn't anything that didn't work for me.

It is traditional to mention only the principals in reviews. I am going to dispense with tradition here, as every person who appeared on that 'stage' was 'working their socks off,' but managing to make it look as if they weren't.

The four fairies delivered their parts with every element carefully co-ordinated. The dance sequence could easily have been inept. It was as far from that as it is possible to be! Ok, you expect the roles to be taken by six stone, five-foot-tall nymphettes. This was all the better for them not being.

Quality! As already mentioned, Theseus, Hypolyta and Egeus can start the play rather sombrely. But they didn't. Really strong performances established the raison d'etre for what was to follow, and reminded us that there were some pretty cruel anti-woman attitudes in the 16th Century. And when they returned at the close of the second act, the exchanges with the 're-aligned' lovers sparkled along. The slight re-alignment of Philostrate saw Dave Gotheridge being somewhat more subservient than is often the case in this role, a part which he carried out with some style.

And the lovers! Four outstanding performances. Inspired use of costumes (often making barely controlled bids for freedom) and athletic use of movement, (Mairead Kearins and James Burgess can only narrowly have avoided injury every night,) made already powerful deliveries alternately hilarious, and poignant. Four memorable characterisations. And absolutely spot-on casting.

Talking of memorable characters, usually referred to as 'the Mechanicals,' but identified by Shakespeare in the first folio as 'the Clowns,' these six had the audience grinning throughout and often generating belly laughs that threatened to impede the progress of the play. Each has a dedicated passage in both act appearances, which allowed them to establish the level of the character's ineptitude, and every one of them made maximum use of the opportunity.

AmDram Oscars

I am reluctant to single anyone out, but Richard Walker and Peter Collins deserve AmDram Oscars for Pyramus (Bottom) and Thisbe (Flute).

And so to Fairy Royalty....and Puck. Patricia Coleman needed the full range of emotions for this Titania. The anger; the scorn; the drug induced affection and the revulsion when returning to reality were all there. I have seen Daniel Burrows in several plays over the last year or two, but I was not ready for this Oberon. What a stage presence! I am somewhat struggling to find adequate words for this powerful performance. Just brilliant!

And I have left Caitie Pardoe as Puck until last. What a revelation. This is an actor that should go far. Impossible not to focus on every stance, every movement, and every line. Even in some long sequences when very still and merely observing the action, you were drawn to her presence. Absolutely loved these three!

I lost count of the number of times an actor was required to keep very still (whilst ostensibly asleep) for long periods. Sometimes lying on very hard surfaces and occasionally in pouring rain. Then springing into action at a moment's notice. You have to admit that acting in the courtyard is pretty demanding at times.

This was a brave, very focussed production that achieved everything it set out to in abundance. It was at times erotic, hilarious, philosophical and mesmerising. When what you want as an end result is this standard, it is really difficult first to get everyone on board, and then to keep them there. But this team obviously was. On the basis of Midsummer Night's Dream, if I was looking for mentors for how to direct a future project, Alex Rex, Gemma Knight and Tamsyn Payne would be first choice by a country mile! This is how you do it!

"If we shadows have offended..." You very definitely did not!

Preview
Alex Rex | director

Shakespeare's comedy about wild fairies, angry lovers and am-drammers, performed in the open air.

Theseus, Duke of Athens, is preparing for his marriage to Hippolyta but on a Midsummer’s night, four young lovers escape the city and find themselves lost in an enchanted forest, where fairies and spirits dwell.

The Fairy King and Queen are feuding, their paths are crossed by a crew of craftsmen preparing to present a play as part of the Duke's wedding celebrations.

Chief mischief-maker Puck is on-hand to ensure that the course of true love is anything but smooth.

The production will be set in Edwardian England.

'One of Shakespeare's best loved rom-coms'

Twenty-two Masque members, some brand new and others returning for their umpteenth summer show, have been gliding, punching and floating around Burns Street.

We began the rehearsal process with Gemma Knight, assistant director and myself, exploring Laban techniques, status and text work with the cast. This process has been to help ensure that the actors have the tools in their toolbox to explore the wonderful characters within one of Shakespeare's best loved rom-coms.

Laughter is definitely abound. As many a summer show director will attest, creating a rehearsal schedule around the lives of a large cast is never easy but everyone involved, once they step through the doors of the rehearsal room, are giving it their all.

In our version of this well told play, the Athenian court of Duke Theseus will be transposed to Edwardian England, where women were still expected to abide by different social rules, had fewer rights and love was a practical arrangement.

This is where we find ourselves at the start of the play with Egeus (played by Martin Williams) pleading with Theseus (Graham Breeze) to enforce the marriage of his daughter Hermia (Carly Tremayne) to Demetrius (James Burgess). But soon Hermia and her true lover Lysander (Masque newbie Jake Thomas) whisk themselves away to escape into the forest. What could possibly go wrong?!

Creation of the Fairy world has begun with design led by the brilliant Tamsyn Payne and support from Rachael Pickering. We all know theatre is a team sport and I am very grateful to have fantastically talented people to
help in creating this production.

Over June and July we will be working hard to put together this "delightful measure", we look forward to welcoming you to the courtyard and in Quince's words: "The actors are at hand and by their show,
You shall know all that you are like to know."

Masque Theatre's production is directed by Alex Rex.