A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Royal Court, Liverpool

Writer: William Shakespeare

Director: Max Rubin

Reviewer: Vicki Goodwin

The Public Reviews Rating:

Lodestar Theatre has once more returned to Liverpool as part of the Liverpool Shakespeare Festival. Moving on from last year’s surroundings of St George’s Hall, they’ve set up base in the Royal Court Theatre, and it looks as though they’ve found the perfect stage for their unique take on Shakespeare’s classic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The stage has been transformed into a sparse metal wonderland, where fairies cling to poles, and a pulsating dance beat and lightshow suggest a night club environment. Under the direction of Max Rubin, the bards work has been condensed, a move considered in order to make the play assessable to younger generations, who certainly benefit from modern costumes and smart pop culture references. The brisk pace pulls us along with it in this delightfully charming adaptation, with the whole production seemingly flying by. A production is only as strong as its cast however, and happily it seems as though Rubin’s predominantly young actors are suited to comedy. Shaun Mason’s Puck is a revelation. His swaggering around the stage and brash behaviour is perfect for this production. Mason appears to revel in his character, making him hugely entertaining to watch. Zoe Lister delivers an eloquent performance as Titania. Her confident delivery commanding our attention. Mention too has to go to Richard Hand as both Oberon and Theseus, an actor who handles the scrip expertly and with ease, and Harriet Barrow’s performance as Helena which was in a word, perfect. The audience’s firm favourite however was Jack Lord as Bottom. His performance was peppered with a pompous charm that coupled with his perfect comedic timing, made him a joy to watch. From his over exaggerated movement to his expertly delivered lines, his character was the undeniable star of the show, and deserves much praise. Shakespeare plays have the tendency to be overdone, yet with this production Lodestar have injected some modern innovative touches into the proceedings, and it works well. This is an enjoyable adaptation that is well worth a watch.