Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre)

Review by Molly Gulvin

⭐️⭐️⭐️

When I was younger, I owned a collection of stories based on Shakespeare’s works, adapted for a young audience. I remember being completely hooked by A Midsummer Night’s Dream - the magical world that was created drew me in as I finished the story each and every night (not that it was much of a feat - it can’t have been more than thirty pages long). The play is still a favourite of mine, and I was excited to see what this new production from Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre could bring to the text.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream has always been a firm favourite with creatives and audiences alike: with last year’s Bridge Theatre production opening to critical acclaim, and multiple productions this summer in London alone, including at both the Globe and, of course, at Regent’s Park, it seems that nobody can get enough of this classic work - and it’s easy to see why. Shakespeare combines magic, romance and mischief to create a comedy with something that every audience member will love. Atri Banerjee takes this audience familiarity and aims to subvert it, realising the dialogue in ways that both surprise and intrigue the audience. Whilst some choices feel somewhat clunky within the motion of the play, others are revelations that invigorate the work.

The first act of the play feels as though it is still somewhat trying to find its footing and define exactly what it is trying to be. It has moments that shine, such as Titania’s monologue that booms through the theatre and the wonderful moments of comedic relief provided by the Mechanicals, but also has moments that fall flat. Maimuna Memon’s original compositions and arrangements for the production are wonderful and stand on their own as a lovely score, but unfortunately feel quite jarring in the first act and tend to create a level of disruption in the flow of the play instead of adding to the motion. In a similar vein, the events on stage feel overly choreographed in a way, and the natural progression of the story seems to get lost at times.

Act two is a different beast entirely, and a delight to watch. Memon’s score now works alongside the play and creates a joyous harmony between score and stage, and the production seems to have a driving factor behind it, letting Shakespeare’s words shine within the new interpretation. The second act is entirely reinvigorated and highlights the excellent vision that Banerjee undoubtedly has, transforming the text into a commendable performance.

This production benefits from having a strong cast behind it, who as an ensemble work to tie in even the most astray of strands. A particular personal favourite were the fairies (Amelia Gabriel, Rori Hawthorn, Damien James, and musical director Rachel Barnes), who effortlessly execute Memon’s score. Standout performances come from Misia Butler, who plays a delightfully charming Lysander, and Georgie Bruce, who provides a perfect amount of mischievous energy as Puck. However, by far the star turn is given by Nadeem Islam, playing Bottom. He has a wonderful comedic air throughout the work, but also takes control of some of the most emotive moments in the work. He performs Bottom’s monologues (often dictated by another performer as he signs) with his heart and soul bared, and truly gives a performance that is not to be missed.

Regent’s Park feels like the ideal canvas for this play, as it already feels magical and whimsical - which is why it was so surprising that the production didn’t lean into this. Naomi Dawson’s set is instead comprised of steps that appear to be made out of wooden boxes, and a makeshift stage with a painted backdrop that almost resembles a rehearsal or studio space. The set is entirely functional, and is used effectively - especially the ‘hair and makeup’ section that is used to introduce the multirolling actors - but it would have been undeniably magical to have seen the theatre transformed to match its surroundings. Max Pappenheim’s sound designs aim to fill in some of the gaps that the set design fails to, particularly in creating the forest atmosphere, and is incredibly effective in helping to immerse the audience just that bit more. Tomás Palmer takes charge of the costume designs for this production, and creates an eclectic mix of colours and styles. Whilst at first glance the costumes can feel chaotic, harmony is found as the play develops.

This production is not going to be for everyone - that much is clear from the moment you see the stage - but for those who align with the creative vision, Banerjee transforms the play and opens it to a wealth of interpretations. This production recontextualises imagery to be reality and asks audiences to consider new perspectives on the story. With more confidence in its identity, this production could have entirely reinvented the text, but at present we are left with just glimpses of the brilliance that might have been.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until 18th July. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/midsummer-nights-dream-london-tickets

Photos by Marc Brenner