“The course of true love never did run smooth.”
– Willian Shakespeare Midsummer´s Night Dream
It was so good I wanted to cry.
The fact that The Abbey was going to stage Shakespeare´s Midsummer’s Night Dream I found out last November during a member’s special event. We were also told that the play (directed by Gavin Quinn from Pan Pan Theatre Company) wasn’t going to be a usual one… the action was going to take a place in an old folks house, therefore all the characters are elder people. That sounded fantastic, methought!
I think I won’t be too far from the truth if I say that Shakespeare isn’t for everybody: some don’t like him, others don’t understand him. I blame school and the way Shakespeare is taught. After all, he was a playwright, not a writer. Shakespeare is meant to be seen, not read.
So, what Pan Pan did in the Abbey was simply incredible. It made Shakespeare interesting, entertaining, understandable and fun. I couldn’t believe that I was actually getting everything (and I mean every single line!) that was going on on stage and everything made sense.
I must say that Midsummer’s Night Dream was a different (together with last year’s Twelfth Night directed by Wayne Jordan) and what some might call alternative adaptation. From what I’ve heard in the audience, people didn’t expect anything like that at all. They were shocked, but in a good way.
The actors were excellent. Everybody suited so perfectly their characters. But I think there was one actress in particular who just stole the show. I am talking about the beautiful Stella Mcusker who played Peaseblossom. Her fairy was the fairiest fairy I’ve ever seen. The way she wheeled around the stage with a huge butterfly on her head was just unforgettable. Definitely one of the highlights of the whole play.
Another actor who also stole the show was Daniel Reardon. He played two characters (as many other actors did): Puck and Philostrate. I don’t know what exactly it is, but there is certainly something about this man. He is a natural on stage. His rockish Philostrate was simply amazing. So was his Puck the Priest. I’ve never seen an actor who is more comfortable on stage than Reardon.
There are some changes to the original version (a little spoiler alert here): instead of a father Hermina now has a son who wants to marry her off, for example. I’m not going to give away it all. So, go and see it yourself!
A very special thank you has to be given to the tech theatre team who built an absolutely fantastic set. It easily converts from an old folks house into a fairy forest. The idea with the light along with orange curtains is simple and beautiful. A very strong effect also produced the room behind the window. It gave the set a certain dimension.
The same goes to the sound team. The music was surprising, but fitted perfectly the scenes. The Italians sitting next to me were trying to sing along. I was really surprised to see some actors use microphones on stage. It’s not a normal practice for the Abbey. Personally, I don’t normally like it when the actors on stage use microphones (except, maybe, when they are used to create a certain effect: like an echo, for example), but this time it worked fine and didn’t cause any distraction.
The last but not least goes to the costume team. I loved how bold were the costume choices, especially Lysander’s outfit (the one on the posters all over Dublin). The flowery trousers were so… right and so Shakespeary. They put a smile on many people’s faces. Titania´s costumes were simply beautiful. Fiona Bell is a very beautiful woman, in general, but especially in this play.
Midsummer’s Night Dream by Gavin Quinn is definitely a must-see. So, catch it before it finishes on March, 28th. Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.abbeytheatre.ie/whats_on/event/a-midsummer-nights-dream/
Unforgettable Lines 