A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Published Wednesday 5 March 2008 at 13:15 by Susan Elkin

Part of the National Theatre Primary Classics initiative, this nicely pared-down version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream combines very clear story telling with strong theatrical magic.

“Wow” muttered one nine year old as the two cast members ran down the air with a billowy blue canopy to represent the forest at night.

All the children in the audience seemed totally convinced by the extensive doubling adeptly managed by a cast of six with fine voice work and some imaginative puppetry - Puck as a ragged, owl-like creature with plenty of attitude is an inspired idea, for example. So was setting the whole play in and around a bedroom with characters in pyjamas over which they add dressing up clothes.

James Hogg as Bottom - whose blue eyes and rubber face never stop communicating to every member of the audience including the small group of adults at the back - gives an outstanding performance. And his homespun ass’s head, made of a waste paper basket with scrubbing brushes for ears is splendid. Eva Alexander is a feisty Hermia and Nadia Morgan a suitably wistful, tearful Helena. Smooth headed T’nia Miller makes a delightfully exotic Titania and all six actors make the rustic mechanicals’ play memorably funny.

This Midsummer Night’s Dream is fine ensemble work which makes unusually good use of musical instruments and original sound effects.

Linked with the play are in-school workshops led by the NT so that children can develop hands-on understanding of the play. Dalmain School had evidently done good preparatory work too because the children were able to join in spontaneously with the songs and the level of concentration and engagement was impressive.