A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kind Of…!
★★★★☆ Clever fun
theSpace Triplex (Venue 38): Thurs 8 – Tue 13 Aug 2024
Review by Hugh Simpson
Shortened and adapted versions of Shakespeare have been the backbone of the Fringe for years, but there can have been few that feature such a large, well prepared and infectiously enthusiastic cast as Edinburgh Youth Theatre’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kind Of…!
That slightly apologetic title is unnecessary. There have been plenty of productions that have left the title unchanged that have shown less fidelity to the source than this one. It may well be calculated not to put off the intended audience (‘aged 8 to 108’) who are all gleefully catered for.
Lewis Hutchison (Bottom/Pyramus) and Lillee McGiffen (Snout/Wall). Pic EYT
The updated jokes and references to ‘brat summers’ or being cancelled are there, but so are huge chunks of Shakespeare, the mechanicals, the four-sided love triangle, and the trouble in fairyland. All of the major plot points are covered, and all in well under an hour.
It is all clearly and carefully put together and rehearsed by director Shauna Macdonald – the speaking is clear, retains the rhythms of the original, and is easy to understand. But what comes across most is the sheer fun they are all having.
the cast all shine
From the moment the self-important Theseus of Imaani Myles constantly fails to pronounce the name of long-suffering intended Hippolyta (Yolanna Macdonald-Scott) correctly, to her obvious frustration, the cast all shine. There’s Aimee Baxter’s dignified Egeus, and the quartet of Grace Bibby’s determined Hermia, Edie Green’s earnest Demetrius, Lucy Mcfadyen’s preening Lysander and Mairead MacDonald’s emotional Hermia.
Jasper MacAninch’s Oberon has an otherworldly cool, Alice Birkett’s Titania is upright and Eva Cluley’s Puck is mischievous. The fairies of Billie Millar, Emma Ssembaya and Ever MacAninch provide sterling support.
The cast and crew of A Midsummer Night’s Dream Kind Of…! from Edinburgh Youth Theatre. Pic: EYT
Lewis Hutchison’s Bottom has that charming lack of self-awareness the character needs, well backed up by the other mechanicals Lillee McGiffen, Jessica Rhodes, Mariella Weir and Kizhi Bickley. In particular, it is heartening to see someone radiating as much joy at being on stage as Weir does throughout.
The music of Greta McMillan and Paul Bianchi’s design are also first-rate examples of what such a production can achieve.
Because it is all such light-hearted fun, there are obviously layers in the original that are missing. In particular, because there is little differentiation between the various sets of characters, and the mechanicals’ play is much the same as the rest of it, the sneering superiority of the courtly characters’ treatment of them is absent.
togetherness
But it doesn’t matter, when what follows is an epilogue spoken by the cast with a togetherness most adult companies would sell their magic love potions for. And then, another one in a series of joyous dances excellently choreographed by co-director Chloe Kay, in another expression of the sheer fun this production has in abundance.
Running time 50 minutes (no interval)
theSpace Triplex (Big), Prince Philip Building, Hill Pl, EH8 9DP (Venue 38)
Thursday 8 – Tuesday 13 August 2024
Daily at 11.20 am
Details and tickets: Book here
Website: https://eytheatre.com
Facebook: @EYTheatre
Instagram: @edinburghyouththeatre
Linktree: @eytheatre
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