Review: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bridge Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

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London’s Bridge Theatre has been home to some huge hits of late, with their recent production of Richard II starring Jonathan Bailey following hot on the heels of their acclaimed immersive production of Guys & Dolls. Their latest offering is the return of an old favourite and one of their biggest hits, combining the best of both of those previous productions by bringing a bit of immersive Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It wowed audiences and critics alike when it was first produced in 2019, but a lot has changed in the six years since, and the bar has been raised when it comes to immersive productions. Would this still be able to hold up and thrill audiences like it used to or, when compared to other immersive shows, would it find itself at the bottom?

Shakespeare’s comedy play has always been a favourite production to put on, with the last major production to be seen in London being the transfer of the RSC’s acclaimed take late last year. The play sees four young lovers have their relationships complicated by the mischievous Puck, who similarly causes chaos for an actor, turning him into an ass (any similarities to any ass-like actors are purely coincidental). Madness and magic ensue with odd pairings, battles for affection, and charms causing no shortage of confusion.

You don’t need me to badly explain the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (though that didn’t stop me) - it’s one many of us will already be familiar with and have possibly seen many a production of. I’m always conflicted when it comes to productions of Shakespeare’s works - I sometimes struggle to connect with the material and don’t always find the shows accessible. Personal preference, of course, but I have fellow reviewers on this website who are much more passionate when it comes to Shakespeare, and even took one of them with me, with the idea that it would be he who writes this review. So why is it me who has ended up writing it? He loved the show every bit as much as I did, but I felt so inspired by what I’d seen, like I have never felt in any Shakespeare production before, and had to try and express why I loved this so much. With that, I will give my first bold statement of this review - this is without a doubt the single best Shakespeare production I’ve ever seen.

Why is that, I hear you ask? It comes down to a mix of how creative, different and accessible this production is. Trying to do something different with a story that has been told countless times over centuries is no easy task - quite often it can lead to something that is safe and harmless but something we have seen many times before, or it can be a bold new take that misses the mark and becomes a major failure (mentioning no names when it comes to recent productions). This immersive take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not only bold and inventive but tells the story in such a way that it will allow a wide range of theatregoers to not only be able to follow the story but, most importantly, enjoy it - no matter how much you think Shakespeare shows may not be to your personal taste.

I had missed this production when it last played the Bridge Theatre but had seen the filmed version streamed several years ago - though that really doesn’t compare to the feeling of being there in the thick of it. I mentioned the creativity of the piece and that is down to Nicholas Hytner’s incredible direction. The vision to create something as ambitious, difficult and different like this is one thing, but to pull it off as effortlessly as this and make it look like it’s nothing at all is another matter entirely. As in the recent production of Guys & Dolls, A Midsummer Night’s Dream uses the space at Bridge Theatre beautifully with moving props, walkways and staging rising out of the ground as the audience follows it around. Guys & Dolls was my first experience of a show like this and I haven’t stopped talking about it ever since, with it easily one of my favourite shows of the last few years. Time for my next bold statement - this is better.

Obviously A Midsummer Night’s Dream came before Guys & Dolls and I can’t say how identical this production is to its previous outing or if much has changed - all I can say is these two shows feel like siblings… well, let’s say half-siblings as they can be quite different. Where they align however is in their brilliance and creativity. Bunny Christie’s exquisite stage design extends beyond the ground with the sky littered with floating beds and swings. Coming back down to Earth, sets are wheeled in and out, massively transforming the space each time including a breathtaking change after the interval. Every design detail is flawless, and Hytner’s direction in bringing all of this to life and using every inch of the theatre vertically and horizontally is itself inspiring to watch. As with my review of Guys & Dolls, I have to give a special mention to the stage crew for how safely they manage to move the standing audience around the changing sets. This is a show with a lot of moving pieces, figuratively and literally, and the way this is delivered is every bit as magical as the fairies in the play.

Performed in the round, audience members can choose to sit in the circle or stand on the floor amidst all of the thrilling chaos. I chose to stand, following the action and being moved around to every corner of the theatre, enjoying every single minute of it. As with Guys & Dolls, the show also boasts the most joyous finale you will find at the moment with the stage coming down creating a dance party with the cast. It is one of the more surprising moments in the play but one that works incredibly well, as does the unexpected use of a Beyoncé song earlier, though I’m sure Shakespeare would have been a fan of her if he was still alive.

Every choice in this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is exceptional. Not at all conventional with many of these choices quite daring, so it is a testament to the skill and foresight of all involved at how faultlessly everything works. Arlene Phillips’ movement sees the fairies move with their own magical aesthetic with Puck having his own distinctive and creative way to move - along with some great tricks in the staging. Some athletic chase sequences are fantastic to witness through Kate Waters’ fight direction, while Christina Cunningham’s costume designs are a thing of beauty.

Every aspect of this production is awe-inspiring - I could talk at length at every production choice and every design element but this review would then take longer than the play itself. One aspect I have to mention that is every bit as good as the rest are the truly sensational cast - again, I would love to mention them all as there is not a weak link among them and, crucially, they work as an ensemble cast. Some standouts I need to mention include a fabulously comedic turn with JJ Feild who bares all as Theseus and Oberon, and an enigmatic turn from Susannah Fielding as Titania. Paul Adeyefa and Divesh Subaskaran form a brilliant double act as the warring love-rivals Demetrius and Lysander with some of the most memorable scenes in the play.

David Moorst gives a scene-stealing turn as Puck with his line delivery and his distinct movement making his characterisation all the more astonishing to witness - I was continually excited to see the next inventive way he was going to leave the stage. I’d have been on the edge of my seat if I had indeed been sitting. For me, the standout performer in this production is the glorious Emmanuel Akwafo as Bottom - a naturally funny performer, his captivating and always comedic interpretation resulted in a performance I couldn’t take my eyes off of. I’ve seen a fair few Bottoms in my time but I’d go as far as to say his was the best Bottom I’ve ever seen.

I didn’t expect to love A Midsummer Night’s Dream as much as I did, despite all of the amazing things I had heard from its previous run. There is always that worry you are going to be the odd one out and not respond to a show as others have before you. I needn’t have worried - I couldn’t have loved this production any more if I tried. The inventiveness and wackiness of it wowed me from start to finish in what I think is the most accessible Shakespeare play I have ever watched. Bridge Theatre are really becoming known for their creativity and consistency with outstanding productions - this may not be a new one for them but is a reminder of why they are a force to be reckoned with in the industry. An absolute dream of a production and one I would gladly sit (or stand) through night after night.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays at Bridge Theatre until 20th August. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/a-midsummer-nights-dream-london-tickets 

Photos by Manuel Harlan